Earth Day at Nespelem draws 1,200

A crowd estimated at 1,200 attended the Colville Tribal Earth Day celebration last Friday in the dance arbor near the Indian Agency.

The event was crowned by scores of school-age children in native regalia providing dance entertainment for the crowd of visitors.

About 60 Earth Day booths circled the pavillion, giving away information on recycling and other topics. Visitors got raffle tickets for visiting at least 10 of the booths, and a wide variety of prizes were available.

A Native drum team provided a serious mood and entertained the crowd.

Organizer Joaquin Bustamante, who runs the Tribal Recycling program under the auspices of the Environmental Trust and Recycling Programs, termed the event “highly successful.”

Three horsemen appeared in Native regalia and food was provided.

Bustamante had set a goal of coaxing 1,200 people out for the affair, double last year’s attendance, and early this week announced that he had reached his goal.