Alvin Parker, Seneca Historian to Speak at DrumBeats

(WAVERLY, NY) The national award winning Seneca "Buffalo Creek Dancers" are scheduled to return to the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) for their annual membership and free public event, "DrumBeats Through Time" on Saturday, October 15th 2011.

The authentic Iroquois dance troupe began in 1988 and are well known for being very proficient in their traditional Iroquois Social Dances. Many of the dancers in this group have won dance competitions for their particular categories at Pow-Wow's across the country. Respected by Natives and non-Natives alike, the Buffalo Creek Dancers perform at many schools, colleges, festivals, and Pow-Wows throughout the United States and Canada.

SRAC’s co-founder and executive director Deb Twigg stated, “We like to close the DrumBeats Through Time event each year with Native American dancers, and we are lucky to have gotten the very best group, the Buffalo Creek Dancers from the Seneca Nation, because their schedules are filled for most of the year as a result of their popularity. I’m proud to announce that this will be the third time that they will have been a part of our annual celebration of our region’s Native American past. SRAC is committed to bringing the highest quality of performances to our community and having the Buffalo Creek Dancers at our annual free event is a great example of this effort.”

The guest speaker for this year’s DrumBeats event will be Alvin Parker, (known in his native tongue as “Hoyendahonh,”) who is a descendant of Red Jacket and from the Seneca – Heron Clan. Parker is on the Board of Directors for the Old Fort Niagara Association, a published author, active re-enactor, and has been the key note speaker and master of ceremonies at many major Native American historical events around the country. He will present the history of the Seneca Nation as it relates to our region and share insights from the Native American perspective. "Parker is an active historian and scholar, and his level of authority on the Seneca people's history is unmatched in our region," Twigg added.

SRAC is located at 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY and will also be hosting “Bears on Broad Street” August 13th and 14th. To learn more about SRAC and their event schedule, visit www.SRACenter.org or email info@SRAcenter.org.