- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The highly anticipated CIRCLES music festival is returning to Vancouver once again on August 26. The festival will showcase the richness of Indigenous culture and art at Sunset Beach Park.
Presented by Decolonial Clothing and ALIVE society, the ground breaking event made history with 4,000 attendees in its first year, and Circles festival is now the largest Indigenous music and arts festival in North America.
“CIRCLES festival moves beyond music, we foster healing through celebration by providing a safe and welcoming space to gather. Rooted in our cultural values of reciprocation, CIRCLES festival seeks to impact and uplift urban Indigenous communities and center the voices of Indigenous people,” Casey Desjarais, co-founder of host Decolonial Clothing, told Native News Online.
Desjarlias along with Dakota Bear co-founded Decolonial Clothing, which works to increase the visibility of Indigenous people and encourages decolonization through clothing.
“We’ve mentored over 100 plus Indigenous youth into business, and have been supporting our community in various ways to help bring positive change through our business,” Bear told Native News Online.
CIRCLES celebrates the Indigenous community’s creativity and amplifies the voices of Indigenous youth. This year’s festival includes hip-hop musicians, dancers, speakers, and visual artists taking the stage.
The festival’s headliners feature the MTV Video Music Award-winning hip-hop artist Drezus, Juno Award winner Fawn Wood, Afro-Indigenous hip-hop Juno nominated icon Boslen and Social Media influencer and traditional hoop dancer Notorious Cree.
A Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and Girls (MMIWG+) fashion show tribute by Decolonial Clothing and Native by Nature will be showcased. The fashion show will be showcasing pieces the brands have created together to raise awareness on #searchthelandfill movement.
“It is important that we create opportunities for the community to connect to culture and creativity and to inspire the youth to participate in building healthy spaces for gatherings,” said Desjarais.
More Stories Like This
Q+A: Waha Delormier on Elevating Indigenous Representation in Fashion and FilmQ+A: Rob Pero on Indigenous Wisdom and Climate Advocacy in Upcoming Film 'The 7th'
Top Native Chefs Will Be Featured at American Indian College Fund NYC Event
Here's What's Going in Indian Country, April 19th— 25th
2024 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab Kicks Off April 24
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.
