California's Native American first to dance in the Library of Congress

A group of Mi-Wuk Indian tribal dancers, who escorted the National Christmas Tree from the Stanislaus National Forest to Washington DC, made history in Washington.

The Indian dancers were the first Native Americans to dance in the Library of Congress, according to the US Forest Service coordinator.

The dancers performed for 15-minutes in front of 700 or more people at a reception following the lighting ceremony: the dance was called a "fun dance," it is to "promote unity and happiness," according to an indian representative.

The dancers, also, performed at the National Museum of the American Indians, to dedicate a 19-ft white fir from the Stanislaus National Forest, which will stand outside of the museum for the holidays.

Every year, in September, the Tuolumne Band of Mi-Wuk Indians have an acorn festival at their Tuolumne Reservation: there's dancing, singing, crafts, and acorn food. One of the popular activities at the festival is the "Hand Game Tournament": they sing spiritual gambling song, as teams compete in guessing "bones."