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- By Native News Online Staff
There is plenty to do this weekend and next week in Indian Country, from a free virtual concert with award-winning musical artists to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, a special exhibition examining the role of horses in Native culture, webinars exploring the recent wave of Indigenous representation in popular media and much more.
Here is Native News Online’s weekly round-up of arts, culture and entertainment offerings around Indian Country.
6th Annual Intertribal Basketry Summit
When: Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: Paragon Casino Resort, Marksville, LA
The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is hosting its 6th Annual Intertribal Basketry Summit on Oct.29 at Paragon Casino Resort. The Tunica Biloxi Language & Culture Revitalization Program extends an open invitation to basket weavers for a day of weaving and basketry demonstrations from regional Native American communities.
The Summit will be an informal forum allowing craft weavers to talk about their techniques and elements of their culture represented in the craft. Beginners and observers are encouraged to attend.
Viewing of baskets is free and open to the public. However, a $25 registration fee is required for those wanting to learn pine needle weaving or display their baskets. Lunch and basket materials included.
Indige-Bration
When: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.
Where: Online
Indige-Bration is the American Indian College Fund’s exclusive virtual concert celebrating Indigenous Peoples. With an impressive roster of performers, viewers can enjoy musical performances while learning about how we can amplify and celebrate Indigenous voices, history and culture. Artists include Taboo from the chart-topping group The Black Eyed Peas; legendary DJ group Halluci-Nation (formerly Tribe Called Red); celebrated Native and African American singer Martha RedBone; TikTok star and First Nations traditional dancer James Cree; and more. Tickets can be purchased via donation here.
“A Song for the Horse Nation”
When: Saturday, Oct. 29-Jan. 7, 2023
Where: Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Washington
The Washington International partners with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian to celebrate horses in Native American culture and equestrian sport throughout history with “A Horse Nation” at the flagship museum on the National Mall. The exhibition explores the role horses have played in Native culture from the 1500s to the present.
“What better way for us to come together to illuminate our shared history and distinct cultures than through our mutual admiration for horses,” museum director Kevin Gover (Pawnee) said in a statement. “This unique collaboration celebrates the indomitable spirit not just of the Horse Nation but of the whole nation. We are thrilled to be partnering with the Washington International Horse Show and know that the spectators at Verizon Center and the visitors to the museum will be, too.”
The DC Mounted Police and Real Bird will present the US and Crow Nation colors on horseback Saturday at 3 p.m. on the museum’s Outdoor Welcome Plaza while singer KJ Jacks (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) performs the US national anthem. Real Bird will also participate in the opening procession at the Washington International Horse Show Friday evening, Oct. 28, at Verizon Center.
“Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field”
When: Thursday, Nov. 3-March 12, 2023
Where: Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, New York, NY
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York presents “Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field,” an exhibition of photo essays by three Indigenous photojournalists. The upcoming installation will bring all three essays together in one gallery. In addition to the original content, the exhibition will be enhanced with an audio tour and a multi-media component featuring the three photojournalists discussing their images. Featured photographers include Russel Albert Daniels (Diné descent and Ho-Chunk descent), Tailyr Irvine (Salish and Kootenai) and Donovan Quintero (Diné).
NAHM: Screening “Gather” on Loop
When: Thursday, Nov. 3, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
Where: Oakland Center The Habitat, Oakland, CA
Gather (2020) is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide. “Gather” follows Nephi Craig, a chef from the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona), opening an indigenous café as a nutritional recovery clinic; Elsie Dubray, a young scientist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation (South Dakota), conducting landmark studies on bison; and the Ancestral Guard, a group of environmental activists from the Yurok Nation (Northern California), trying to save the Klamath river.
Tales of Laughing Fox: A Cultural Performance
When: Thursday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.-8 p.m.
Where: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Join UWM for a cultural performance by Michael Laughing Fox Charette, an Ojibwe Artist and Storyteller. Michael Laughing Fox Charette is a gifted Native American storyteller, poet, and member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (located in Northern Wisconsin). As a self-taught Native flute player, he enhances his stories with hauntingly beautiful flute and drum performances. Growing up surrounded by the beauty of Lake Superior and the woods led him to dedicate his gifts as an artist to gently teaching about Native history, culture, and spirituality. His work as a visual and performance artist is varied and tied with the traditional wisdom of the Anishnaabe people, which is incorporated into his work. Michael captivates audiences with his authentic, relaxed style.
AIC Michael D. Green Lecture: Joy Harjo
When: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Carolina Union Auditorium, University of North Carolina
Three-term U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo will is the speaker at the University of North Carolina’s14th Annual 2022 Michael D. Green Lecture. The annual lecture is held in honor of Dr. Green, a distinguished historian, professor, and the founder of the American Indian Studies program at UNC. Harjo is an internationally celebrated writer and performer from the Muscogee Cree Nation. Harjo has authored nine books of poetry, including the highly acclaimed An American Sunrise, several plays and children’s books, and two memoirs, Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior. Her many honors include the Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, two NEA fellowships, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
17th Annual Native American Studies Celebration: “Native American Popular Culture”
When: Tuesday, Nov. 1- Wednesday, Nov. 16
Where: Native American Studies Center, Lancaster, SC
University of South Carolina Lancaster’s Native American Studies is hosting its 17th Annual Native American Studies Celebration, “Native American Popular Culture.” Programming throughout the month celebrates Native Americans in popular culture, with talks about Indigenous representation in contemporary dance, video games, television, music, and more. Speakers include Dance Education Specialist Jessica Moore of Columbia College; Chesley “Chez” Oxendine of Tribal Business News; Mato Standing High, Barth Chief Eagle Robinson, and Bert Hesse of Wonderlore Studios; Vincent Schilling, journalist, public speaker, and editor of Native Viewpoint; and Sandra Schulman, author, curator, and filmmaker. In addition, programming includes an artist talk and traditional social song and dance demo by Marcus Dunn, an artist talk and painting demo by Tom Farris, and a Q&A by “Prey” lead artist Brent Learned.
Events will be held both in person and virtually.
Contact [email protected] or 803-313-7172 to reserve your spot on the guest list to attend the in-person events.
Piscataway Nation Singers and Dancers
When: Saturday, Oct. 29, 2–3 p.m.
Where: Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, MD
Mark Tayac and the Piscataway Nation Singers and Dancers carry on their indigenous ancestors’ long-standing traditions, culture and heritage. The troupe travels from the Tayac Territory in Port Tobacco, MD, with its colorful, educational and entertaining program.
Martha Redbone
When: Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Where: Rialto Theatre Center, CO
Martha Redbone is a Native & African-American vocalist/songwriter/composer/educator. Inheriting the powerful vocal range of her gospel-singing African American father and the resilient spirit of her mother’s Southeastern Cherokee/Choctaw culture, Redbone broadens the boundaries of American Roots music. With songs and storytelling that share her life experience as a Native and Black woman and mother in the new millennium, Redbone gives voice to social justice issues, bridging traditions from past to present, connecting cultures, and celebrating the human spirit. Tickets are $39-$54 and are available for purchase here.
Annual Intertribal Powwow at UNC
When: Saturday, Oct. 29, Noon
Where: Northeast Recreation Field Complex, UNC, North Carolina
The Native American Student Association and the Native American Staff and Faculty Caucus co-organize an annual Intertribal Powwow. Intertribal Powwows are an event where Native Americans from diverse Tribal Nations gather together to practice traditions and cultural practices. The Powwow at UNC Charlotte will feature dancing, honor songs, competitions, drum groups, and Native-owned vendors. The Powwow is an opportunity for Native Americans within the UNC Charlotte community and beyond to build community with one another.
Film Screening: Dawnland and Dear Georgina
When: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2:00 p.m.
Where: The Colonial Theatre, Keene, NH
The Colonial Theatre welcomes the public for a free screening of two films examining the history and impact of removing Native children from their homes.
“Dawnland” goes behind the scenes as the first official Truth and Reconciliation Commission grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations. Removal of Native children isn’t just something that happened far away and long ago, but to Wabanaki communities in Maine in the late 20th century.
In “Dear Georgina,” viewers meet Georgina Sappier-Richardson, who was removed from her home and Passamaquoddy community in Downeast Maine by child protection services. She would never see her parents again. Instead, terror and abuse followed her for more than 16 years in four foster homes.
The screenings are free and will be followed by a conversation with Dr. Mishy Lessor, Learning Director from the Upstander Project in Boston.
Dreamcatchers: A Workshop with Chanel Wissner
When: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Where: C4C, University of Pittsburgh, PA
According to some of the Ojibwe Nation, the dreamcatcher is a gift from
The dreamcatcher is a widely recognized symbol of Native American spirituality, and each nation has its variation and origin. What will your dreamcatcher reflect for your dreams?
Chanel Wissner is a descendant of the Lumbee and Tuscarora nations of North Carolina. She is passionate about preserving Native American culture and sharing the rich history of her people through demonstrations, workshops and regalia creation classes as a member of the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Council (COTRAIC).
All materials provided.
This workshop is a collaboration between the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Council and the University of Pittsburgh’s Indigenous Community Engagement Initiative and Center for Creativity.
Smithsonian American Indian Museum / NA Heritage Month Livestream Tour
When: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m.-9 p.m.
Where: Virtual
Hosted by Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organization Washington, DC, this virtual tour takes viewers through the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States of the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers.
The museum is set in a 4.25-acre site in Washington, DC, surrounded by simulated wetlands. The museum’s east-facing entrance, prism window, and 120-foot (37 m) high space for contemporary Native performances are direct results of extensive consultations with Native peoples. Native Americans have filled leadership roles in the design and operation of the museum. They have aimed to create a different atmosphere and experience from museums of European and Euro-American culture. Donna E. House, the Navajo and Oneida botanist who supervised the landscaping, has said, “The landscape flows into the building, and the environment is who we are. We are the trees; we are the rocks; we are the water. And that had to be part of the museum.” This theme of organic flow is reflected by the museum's interior, whose walls are mostly curving surfaces with almost no sharp corners.
Native American Culture Can Be Pop Culture, Too!
When: Thursday, Nov. 3, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual
Movie and television enthusiasts in 2022 can watch such Native-related programming such as “Rutherford Falls,” “Reservation Dogs,” or even watch the latest Predator film “Prey.” Disney is also working on Echo, a series starring a Native American and deaf actress. On social media, you might also be familiar with such accounts as Nathan Apodaca, and Notorious Cree or be familiar with Indigenous hashtags from a wide range of Native content creators on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram.
The media world was not always this friendly to proper Indigenous representation. Vincent Schilling, an Akwesasne Mohawk journalist, public speaker and editor of Native Viewpoint, will explain the volatile road Indigenous people have had to traverse over the years in the media, film and television industry and discusses how the world still has a long way to go in pop culture in terms of Indigenous representation.
Allen After Hours: Indigenizing Museums
When: Thursday, Nov. 3, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Where: Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH
What can museums achieve when indigeneity and reciprocity are introduced? During this experience, panelists will discuss what museums gain when they focus on BIPOC representation at all levels. This event will be guided by Hunter C. Old Elk from the Apsáalooke and Yakama Nations. Old Elk is the Assistant Curator of the Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.
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