Ronald Preston and Daniel Preston from the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona came to MATC’s West Allis campus on Nov. 4 to help celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

The Preston brothers have come to MATC for the past five years,  sharing their dance and culture with students.

Ronald Preston started dancing at the age of 9, he stated, “I love to dance, and it’s my job.” He explained that each dance has its own meaning. The Northern dance, which Daniel performed, represents hunting for prey and looking for the enemy. Ronald’s dance portrayed grass blowing with the wind.

Angela Amborn, Associate of Arts program student, watched the show and stated, “This is a great way for the students to get involved and to be exposed to different fun, educational experiences.”

The brothers participate in dance competitions year-round, except for winter when they take time to work on and repair their regalia, which they make themselves. Regalia are designed to tell others about the dancer’s history; where they come from, and what is important to them as individuals.

The colors and patterns created, like the dances, have a purpose and meaning.

Watching the dances, Alyssa Kaminski, from Business Management, stated, “I found out about this event from the flyers that we had around the campus.”

Make sure you check the flyers around your campus to be sure you don’t miss any events.