Members of the Carson City Leisure Hour Club will learn from John Rupert and his son, Ben, about Washoe cultural history at the club’s dinner meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
The Ruperts, members of the Washoe Tribe, are longtime residents of Carson City, having both grown up in Northern Nevada.
The Ruperts are a well-known name in Carson City. John’s grandfather told stories about welcoming the first white settlers to this region and about how the German name of Rupert was bestowed upon them since Native Americans had no last names.
John and Ben are also participants in a University of Nevada, Reno oral history project completed in April 2016 that focused on Fancying Dancing. Fancy Dancing is a style of dance some believe was originally created by Native Americans in an attempt to preserve their culture and religion. It is loosely based on the War Dance. The history contains documentation of the Rupert family and its role in preserving the Washoe cultural history.
To attend the event, call 775-400-2647 no later than Thursday, Jan. 12 to make a reservation. The meeting is preceded by a buffet dinner at 6 p.m. in the Carson Nugget Capitol Ballroom. Reservations for the meeting and dinner are required.