Pick up a physical passport at registration. Collect a stamp at each of ten heritage stations across the weekend — language, Temotsi, cuisine, regalia, music, storytelling, dance, art, elders, photo. Bring it to the Saturday Gala for recognition.
At registration Thursday 5 PM. Choose English, Itsekiri, or bilingual edition.
Stations are open Friday and Saturday. Some require a 30-minute sit, some are drop-in.
Each station has a different cultural task. The steward stamps your passport on completion.
Bring your passport to the Gala check-in on Saturday. Rewards granted at 10 PM on stage.
Learn 10 essential Itsekiri phrases and earn your passport stamp when you can return the greeting without the cue card.
Sit with an elder for 15 minutes and receive a traditional Temotsi blessing. Each visitor takes home a hand-written proverb card.
Taste three regional dishes from the Niger Delta — owo, banga soup with starch, and egusi pepper soup — and describe a texture memory.
Try on traditional Itsekiri regalia — iro, buba, gele, coral beads — with our volunteer fitters. First-time wearers welcome and encouraged.
Learn three core rhythms on the Itsekiri talking drum or trumpet. Perform with the ensemble for three minutes on the closing night.
Contribute one family story to the INC-USA Oral Archive — 5–10 minutes recorded with consent. Alternate: listen to three and transcribe one.
Learn the opening steps of the Amakese dance from the troupe during the Gala. Dance one full rotation during the convention floor set.
Create one piece of hand-painted ankara art or coral-bead stringing in the open studio. Minimum 30 minutes at the table.
Sit with three different elders for at least 10 minutes each across the weekend. Ask each one about their journey to the US.
Take one formal heritage portrait in your chosen regalia. Optional: include your family group or circle. Printed + digital copies.
Certificate of cultural participation signed by the President. Your name in the permanent INC-USA 2026 passport registry.
Itsekiri gift bag — regalia accessory (coral bead strand or gele fabric), a selected Iwere book, and a Warri Horns compilation track. Named in the convention book.
Stage recognition at the Gala, a custodian medal, and a named lanyard reservation for the 2028 Convention. Your proverb gets printed on the 2028 program cover.
Track your stamps digitally in your convention account. We’ll remind you on Saturday morning if you’re close to the next tier — just one or two stations away.
Youth delegates earn stamps at 2× weight toward the Custodian tier. Elders receive custom embossed passports at check-in.