The FAITA award ceremony

My Evening with the First Americans

By Rob SchmidtThe ballroom was holding some sort of John Wayne confab. What was this, I thought? Where were the Indians? Had the cowboys pushed them out once again?

Then I spotted a sign for the First Americans in the Arts celebration across the lobby. I’d arrived at the Beverly Hilton on a mid-April Saturday to see the First Americans in the Arts (FAITA) awards ceremony. It was the 15th annual show and the 12th in a row I’d attended.