Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
2009 American Indian Heritage Poster
 

Contact:  Christina Coulon, 614-255-2471

COLUMBUS, November 5, 2009 –The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recognizes and celebrates the many different cultures that we have the opportunity to offer our services and programs to; including American Indians. November has been designated as American Indian Heritage Month. This provides an opportunity to make people aware of the history of American Indians and their contributions to the world.

One of the ways NRCS celebrates American Indian Heritage Month is by distributing a poster created by an American Indian artist. Each year artists from selected states have the opportunity to exhibit his or her talents and heritage on a national level. For 2009, the West Region was chosen to produce the poster; with NRCS Alaska the lead state to oversee the poster contest.

The NRCS chose artwork by Andrew Abyo for the NRCS 2009 American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month Poster. Andrew Abyo born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in the Bristol Bay village of Pilot Point. Andrew Abyo is an Aleut/Alutiiq artist and carver who seeks to learn and pass on his cultural traditions. Andrew wants everyone, especially his four children, to have a greater understanding of the Alutiiq culture and its rich history. "My goal is to bring out different things that you normally don’t get to see, other than in a museum.”

The poster theme for this year’s poster is entitled Our Land, Our Animals, Our People, We Are One. Andrew Abyo titled his artwork, “We Are All Connected,” which depicts the relationship between land, animals, and people. Abyo described his piece this way: “We are connected to land and animals. We are connected by touch and feel in spirit. Our ties to land and animals help us survive and connect to our ancestors. We are all connected.”

Copies of this poster can be ordered free of charge from LANDCARE.  To order, e-mail landcare@usda.gov or call toll free  (888)LANDCARE or (888) 526-3227. 
 

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.

2009 American Indian Heritage Month Poster  (PDF, 1.7 MB)

#  

< Back to News Releases