Community

Grave Creek Mound To Host Navajo Dance Troupe June 22

The Dineh Tah Navajo Dance Troupe is slated to once again perform at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville.

The group is slated to perform starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, inside the complex, located at 801 Jefferson Ave. in Moundsville.

The free event will kick off with a lecture by Shawn Price, a tradition keeper and director of the troupe. His talk will be about the Navajo Code Talkers who served during World War II.

Jeremy Kohus, site manager of the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, said the dance troupe has proved to be a popular event for the museum.

"This is the third year we've hosted this. We had overflow crowds the first two years. Our auditorium holds 135 and we filled it every time," he said.

Kohus said the lecture and dance will both take place on the auditorium stage.

"They have traveled from the other side of the country. ... This is like a once a year opportunity. This site is very fortunate to be here in this location to offer this kind of event," he said. "It's really like a one-of-a-kind experience. I hope we get just as many people."

Following the dance performance, food samples will be available to the first 150 guests from the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio's Native Cuisine Food Truck. Tickets will be given out at the complex's entry door to exchange for a sample. No other food will be sold from the truck.

"Once tickets go, that will be it for the food," Kohus said. "There is only so much and tickets are limited."

According to the NAICCA website, some of the cuisine will include Native American street food such as fry bread, buffalo burgers and more.