For the fifth year in a row, students from the Eastside Native American Education Program (ENAEP) will host their Veteran’s Honoring Pow Wow at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at Juanita High School in Kirkland. All are welcome to this free event.

ENAEP is a Title VII program that works with Native K-12 students from Bellevue, Northshore and Lake Washington school districts. All program students are invited to join the Youth Leadership Coalition and be members of the planning team for the annual event.

Alex Jones, Spencer Paisley, Bellevue High and Victor Roman, Juanita High School, are the chairs for this year’s event. The veteran’s dinner and honoring is free for all veterans and guests.

As an opening ceremony, a flag for Mr. Samuel Tso, WWII Navajo Code Talker will be raised outside Juanita High School at 2:30 p.m. The flag raising will be followed by a dinner and program sponsored by the ENAEP volunteers and served by the students.

ENAEP students present every veteran with a booklet of personal thank you messages. During the dinner, students recite their poems, letters and other expressions of thanks.

After the dinner, the event moves to Juanita’s gym with a 6 p.m. grand entry. Native American arts and crafts vendors from around the region will line the dance circle. During the course of this traditional pow wow, many intertribal and round dances occur and all spectators are welcome to join the dancers in the circle. Vendor applications are now being accepted.

The event is a great expression of the cultural pride and knowledge alive in our younger generation. The event is run and directed by the student leaders, and is a testament to their strong planning, organization and communication skills.

“I am grateful for our soldiers who fought in the war so we can have peace and a safe world to live today,” said Jon Wilber, ENAEP student.