Tiburon resident, educator helps bring Native American culture to community
Tiburon resident Eddie Madril thought he was going to be an architect.
He studied calculus and physics and says he envisioned himself working on the 40th floor of a San Francisco or New York high-rise.
Madril ended up as an educator focusing on Native American culture, but he says his expertise didn’t necessarily begin with scholarly research and book reading.
“It came from just a life, over 45 years of experience being in the community, understanding and being … in the same rooms where things that were discussed on legalities, customs, traditions, ceremonies, art, dance, music — all of this stuff,” he says.
Madril is an assistant professor in San Francisco State University’s American Indian studies department and the founder of the Sewam American Indian Dance group, which has performed in the U.S. and abroad, including in 2025 at the 51st Festival of World Cultures in Gannat, France, an event that partners with UNESCO.
Madril is also a co-organizer of Tiburon’s second celebration of Native American culture and heritage, scheduled for 1-4 p.m. Oct. 11 — the day before Indigenous Peoples Day — at Zelinsky Park between Town Hall and the Belvedere-Tiburon Library.
Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.
Comment on this article on Nextdoor.