BOISE, Idaho — The 2019 Conference of Indigenous Peoples of the Boise Valley gathered Native American leaders on Saturday to share their histories and talk about their longstanding roots in Idaho.
Seven tribes call Idaho home and the event saw dozens of people pack the Boise First Congregational Church.
The goal for organizers was to raise awareness and spread understanding of Idaho Native culture and history.
"We want the people of Boise to recognize there have been indigenous people here for 10,000 years before white people showed up," Ed Keener, the president of the Kessler Keener Foundation, said. "We want the culture to be understood."
The Kessler-Keener Foundation organized the conference. They work to bring people of diverse cultural backgrounds together to foster cross-cultural bridges between native and non-native communities.
"As white people, we need to understand that there are other world views, that there are other cultures, and that we benefit by knowing about those other cultures and respecting them," Keener said.
The conference also featured a blessing ceremony with native flute and attendees participated in workshops.
Keener said, "I'm very humbled by the fact that people want to be on this journey of learning and change."