Concert highlights American Indian singer

In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month, the city of Las Vegas Arts & Community Events Division will present a concert by American Indian singer Nayea.

Nayea will perform at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 in the Reed Whipple Cultural Center's main theater, 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 on performance day. Call 229-6211 for details.

A songwriter as well as a singer, Nayea's music is formed by her childhood experiences.

Beginning in the 1950s, the federal government removed American Indian children from their families as a way of assimilating them into society.

Nayea was raised in the suburbs of Detroit. Music became her outlet, and the Motown sound influenced her style.

As her career grew, Nayea began working with a variety of performers such as Robbie Robertson, Rita Coolidge, Buffy St. Marie, Bill Miller, Willie Nelson and Styx.

Her debut CD, "Somewhere in a Dream," earned the Native American Music Award for best independent recording.