Four Native American acts performed live on Friday night at the Native Night Concert on Friday, as part of Native American Heritage Week.

The performances included hip-hop artists, Tall Paul and Mic Jordon, the Sampson Brothers, a hoop dancing group, and rock band Scatter Their Own.

“This is the seventh year we’ve done the Native American Heritage Week, and for the past few years we’ve also done the Native American Night Concert,” said History Professor Jason Newman, the event coordinator of the concert.

The show started off with the Sampson Brothers as they explained how the dances they do tell stories.Their performances had the crowd in awe as they did different dances with a number of traditional Native American hoops, using intricate movements and footwork.. The last dance they performed was a story of how the Earth was created.

Hip-hop artist Mic Jordon’s performance was energetic, got the crowd going and came with a positive message for the youth. His songs were very motivational and emotional as he explained how music saved his life while he was on the reservation.

Besides music, Jordon is also a community activist working with Native American youth. During Jordon’s performance, he included the children attending the event. He seemed to really have a connection with the children in the audience.

“I see myself in the children,” said Jordon. “Growing up on the reservation and dealing with the stuff I’ve dealt with, it’s all relevant to what the kids go through.”

The night continued with Native American hip-hop artist Tall Paul in a performance with a grittier sound but the same message of positivity for Native American youth. Some of the songs he performed were very emotional and told stories of life on the reservation and trying to make it off. The crowd was definitely amped with his performance.

“I love performing and bringing positive spiritual energy whenever I can,” said Paul.

After Tall Paul’s performance, attendees were treated to refreshments free of charge and Native American vendors selling various Native American jewelry and other crafts.

Once the show resumed, the band Scatter Their Own took the stage. The band was very soulful and a had a bluesy rhythm. Their sound was very hypnotizing and it showed in the crowd. This band’s music was a perfect way to end the night.

Friday night’s events were all about recognizing Native American culture and music.

“The importance of tonight’s event is to really represent that CRC has diverse population and of that group is Native American students; we wanted to bring light to the Native American culture,” said Student Ambassador Marybeth Carranza.