Associated Press - November 27, 2009 8:55 AM ET

POJOAQUE PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) - Buffalo dancers from Pojoaque Pueblo will perform Friday in the nation's capital near a bronze sculpture that was made by the pueblo's governor.

The dancers are helping the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian celebrate National Native American Heritage Day.

The Buffalo Dance is a celebration of thanksgiving.

Prayers for snow, good hunting and abundant food for people around the world are embodied in the songs that accompany the male and female dancers.

Santa Fe's Glenn Green Galleries says the 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Pojoaque Pueblo Gov. George Rivera represents the pueblo Indians. The sculpture will be on display at the museum.

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