March 11, 2021

Media Contact:  
Livia Millard, multicultural coordinator, lmillard@wvc.edu  
Dr. Kestrel Smith, American Indian Indigenous Studies faculty, ksmith@wvc.edu 
Libby Siebens, WVC community relations executive director, 509-682-6436 (Mon.-Thurs.) 

The Associated Students of Wenatchee Valley College at Omak and the Red Road Association are hosting “Foods and Families” with Dan Nanamkin on March 19, from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom. The virtual event is free and open to the public.  

Participants must register for the Zoom webinar in advance at https://bit.ly/38wohHX. Registered participants will receive a link to watch Dan’s films on Vimeo in advance of the event and a link to join the Zoom event. No films will be shown during the webinar. 

Dan will speak about his awakening at Standing Rock and the work he continues to do across the country. Per his website (www.nanamkin.com): “Foods & Families goes back to our sacred creation stories and the teachings of our sacred responsibilities to the Earth. Attendees will come out of this presentation with a deeper understanding of Native culture, connection to the Earth, the foods, and the animals, and why the cultural genocide of our people is something that we must not only confront, but most importantly, what we can do to work together. Dan takes the participants through this process step-by-step, together, to create a sense of belonging, and to revitalize our warrior spirit to stand up for Mother Earth for our future generations.” 

Dan Nanamkin is from the Syilx tribe and lives on the Colville Indian Reservation. He has dedicated over two decades of his life working to empower the Indigenous youth, families, and communities with Indigenous culture and prevention programs to dismantle the effects of historic trauma and forced assimilation. Currently, Dan is working toward self-sustainability and promoting tribal food sovereignty in what he has termed “The Young Warrior Society.” He works with local youth educational groups, regional organizations, and community volunteers to create a bridge of hope and awareness for tribal resiliency and breaking down barriers of racism. Dan’s hope is to encourage all people to rise to the call beyond themselves and strive to become the warrior's Mother Earth for future generations. 

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Director of Student Access, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.