2009 January/February Happening (Events)
http://www.nativepeoples.com/article/articles/313/1/2009-JanuaryFebruary-Happening-Events/Page1.html
By Site Editor
Published on 02/13/2009
We travel north to Canada for the annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Plus details on other special events of Native interest across North America. By Daniel Gibson.
Site Editor
We travel north to Canada for the annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Plus details on other special events of Native interest across North America. By Daniel Gibson. 2009 January/February Happening (Events)
Big To-Do in Canada:
Indigenous Achievements Shine
All Indian eyes in Canada will turn toward Centennial Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba on the evening of March 6 as 14 exceptional Native individuals are honored at the 16th annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. The awards recognize outstanding career achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Canada, and is the highest honor the Canadian Native community bestows on its own people.
“We invite all Canadians and the world to join us in recognizing these extraordinary individuals who have contributed so much to the greater society around them,” says Roberta Jamieson, president and CEO of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. “The 2009 recipients have transformed their knowledge and experience into outstanding achievements.”
Among those receiving awards this year will be Melanie Jackson (Saulteaux) of the Sakimay First Nation of Saskatchewan, a writer, director and editor of animation projects and documentaries for Dark Thunder Productions. Sharing the Art Award is Dennis Jackson (Cree), also a producer of children’s animated television programming and president of Wapos Bay Productions. Taking the award for Culture/Heritage/Spirituality is Stephen J. Augustine (Micmac) of New Brunswick, a hereditary chief of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council, a museum curator and protector of Native languages and the environment. The Media and Communication Award is being presented to Carol Morin (Cree), who is known as “The Voice of the North” for her work as a broadcast journalist. She was the first Aboriginal woman in Canada to anchor a national news broadcast on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Swimmer Adam Sioui (Huron Wendat) of Québec is receiving the Sports Award for making Canada’s Olympic swimming team and participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Others receiving awards are the Rev. Stan Cuthand (Lifetime Award), Chelsea Lavalle (Youth Award), Allan C. McLeod (Business & Commerce), Cecil King (Education), Gordon Prest (Environment & Natural Resources), Candace Grier-Lowe (Health), Delia Opekokew (Law & Justice), Paul Okalik (Politics), Joan Glode (Public Service) and Mervin Dewasha (Technology & Trades).
The gala awards presentation will be hosted by actor Adam Beach (see Sept./Oct. 2002 issue), returning to his hometown, and Winnipeg-born Tina Keeper, an actor and former member of the Canadian House of Commons. Entertaining the large crowd will be the popular band Eagle & Hawk, performing with members of the Winnipeg Symphony; dynamic guitarist George Leach (see May/June 2003 issue); singer/songwriter Janet Panic; and the Métis Fiddler Quartet, along with Métis jig dance sensation the Asham Stompers.
The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Since 1985, it has awarded more than $30 million in scholarships to more than 7,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis students throughout Canada. Tickets are available by calling 416/987-0250 or online at www.naaf.ca.
Elsewhere
Spend a day at the 17th annual Native American Art Festival, Jan. 10–11, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Litchfield Park, AZ. Some 200 leading artists from the Southwest and farther afield will show and sell their work. Entertainment will be provided by Arvel Bird and flautists Mac Lopez and Allenroy Paquin; also enjoy a presentation of traditional dancers and Native foods. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and juniors ages 13–16, and free for kids 12 and under. 623/935-6384 or www.litchfield-park.org
Pack up the pickup for the Colorado and Texas Indian Markets, being held Jan. 23–25 at the Merchandise Mart in Denver and April 3–5 at the Arlington Convention Center, respectively. Each event will feature a large assortment of Native and non-Native artists, and a fantastic lineup of entertainers, including Brulé, One Nation (with Arvel Bird), Micki Free playing with Bill Miller and harmonica wizard Terry Tsotigh, Lowery Begay and Petur Redbird, the Ehecatl Aztec Dancers, the Andean group Ancient Winds, and actors Irene Bedard and Steve Reevis. HawkQuest will present live birds of prey, while a food court will serve up Native specialties and Navajo weavers will hold weaving demonstrations. Admission is $10 for adults; kids under 13 are free. 972/398-0052 or www.indianmarket.net
Don’t miss Our Story: A Native Arts Exhibition, a month-long event that kicks off in early February in downtown Redding, CA, with poetry readings; film screenings; workshops on beading, traditional clothing making and other arts; a visual arts exhibition; and music and dance. This year’s focus will be on stories and song, culminating in a traditional “California Big Time” (sort of a West coast–style powwow). The art exhibition will include artists from all parts of America. 530/246-3975 or e-mail Mikiala.catalfano@yahoo.com
Join the founders, staff and friends of the American Indian Graduate Center, Feb. 7, 5:30 p.m., at the office of Albuquerque The Magazine in Albuquerque, NM to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this outstanding organization, the nation’s largest and oldest provider of scholarships to American Indian graduate students. 505/881-4584 or www.aigc.com
Hop over to the 19th annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, Feb. 7–8, at the Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ, where last year’s first-time winner in the adult male category Charles Denny (Chippewa/Cree/Ute) will face off against veterans Brian Hammill (Ho-Chunk) and Nakotah La Rance (Hopi/Tewa). Grand entries on Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $3 for children ages 4–12. 602/252-8848 or www.heard.org
Spring into the dance performance of I Land by Keo Woolford (Native Hawaiian), Feb. 11–12, Bowker Auditorium, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Directed by Roberto Uno, the performance weaves together traditional Hawaiian hula, hip-hop and Hawaiian “talk story” as the dancer spans the worlds where hula lives, from backyard parties and Hollywood extravaganzas to sacred realms. 413/545-2511 or www.newworldtheater.org
Catch the 21st annual Tribal & Textile Arts Show, Feb. 13–15, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA, hosted by Caskey & Lees, a major producer of important art and antique shows. View and purchase pre-1940 museum-quality textiles from the Americas—including Navajo, Inuit, Maya and Inca works—as well as works from Oceania, Africa, India and Asia. Also forthcoming is the 13th annual New York Tribal & Textile Arts Show, March 14–18 at New York City’s 69th Regiment Armory. 310/455-2886 or www.caskeylees.com
Motor over to Sa’Heh’Wa’Mish Days, Feb. 20-21, Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, WA, hosted by the Squaxin Island Tribe. Events will include a powwow with competition dancing and drumming; an arts and crafts fair with sale of Salish beadwork and regalia, drums, basketry, carvings, and prints; and sale of traditional foods. www.little-creek.com
Head west to the 25th annual Marin Indian Art Show, Feb. 21–22, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, CA, which includes mostly antique Indian arts but also a section devoted to contemporary works. A special pre-show reception to mark the event’s silver anniversary will be held Feb. 20, from 7 to 10 p.m. In addition, several lectures of interest will be presented: On Feb. 19 at 5 p.m., an update on NAGPRA led by attorney Roger Fry, law professor Richard Edwards and trial attorney Robert Gallegos (admission $100); on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m., “25 Years of Collecting Indigenous American Art” by a panel of dealers (free); and on Feb. 22, 10 a.m., “Totem Poles and Tourism: The Creation of a Northwest,” by Aldona Jonaitis (free). Admission to the art show is $10 for adults.
Visit the 15th annual Southwest Indian Art Fair, Feb. 21–22, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, with regional artists selling pottery, katsinas, paintings, jewelry, baskets, rugs and other goods. Artist demonstrations, Native foods, music and dance will round out the event. Admission is $8 for adults, $3 for teens age 13–16, and free for kids under 13. 520/621-6302 or www.statemuseum.arizona.edu
Drop by the sixth annual Hopi Education Endowment Fund Silent Auction, March 7, 6-9 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn (4000 N. Central Ave.), Phoenix, AZ. Works will include a grouping of turtles by a group of stellar Hopi potters. All proceeds benefit Hopi college students and Hopi education programs. 928/734-2275 or www.hopieducationfund.org
Indigenous Achievements Shine
All Indian eyes in Canada will turn toward Centennial Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba on the evening of March 6 as 14 exceptional Native individuals are honored at the 16th annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. The awards recognize outstanding career achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Canada, and is the highest honor the Canadian Native community bestows on its own people.“We invite all Canadians and the world to join us in recognizing these extraordinary individuals who have contributed so much to the greater society around them,” says Roberta Jamieson, president and CEO of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. “The 2009 recipients have transformed their knowledge and experience into outstanding achievements.”
Among those receiving awards this year will be Melanie Jackson (Saulteaux) of the Sakimay First Nation of Saskatchewan, a writer, director and editor of animation projects and documentaries for Dark Thunder Productions. Sharing the Art Award is Dennis Jackson (Cree), also a producer of children’s animated television programming and president of Wapos Bay Productions. Taking the award for Culture/Heritage/Spirituality is Stephen J. Augustine (Micmac) of New Brunswick, a hereditary chief of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council, a museum curator and protector of Native languages and the environment. The Media and Communication Award is being presented to Carol Morin (Cree), who is known as “The Voice of the North” for her work as a broadcast journalist. She was the first Aboriginal woman in Canada to anchor a national news broadcast on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Swimmer Adam Sioui (Huron Wendat) of Québec is receiving the Sports Award for making Canada’s Olympic swimming team and participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Others receiving awards are the Rev. Stan Cuthand (Lifetime Award), Chelsea Lavalle (Youth Award), Allan C. McLeod (Business & Commerce), Cecil King (Education), Gordon Prest (Environment & Natural Resources), Candace Grier-Lowe (Health), Delia Opekokew (Law & Justice), Paul Okalik (Politics), Joan Glode (Public Service) and Mervin Dewasha (Technology & Trades).
The gala awards presentation will be hosted by actor Adam Beach (see Sept./Oct. 2002 issue), returning to his hometown, and Winnipeg-born Tina Keeper, an actor and former member of the Canadian House of Commons. Entertaining the large crowd will be the popular band Eagle & Hawk, performing with members of the Winnipeg Symphony; dynamic guitarist George Leach (see May/June 2003 issue); singer/songwriter Janet Panic; and the Métis Fiddler Quartet, along with Métis jig dance sensation the Asham Stompers.
The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Since 1985, it has awarded more than $30 million in scholarships to more than 7,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis students throughout Canada. Tickets are available by calling 416/987-0250 or online at www.naaf.ca.
Elsewhere
Spend a day at the 17th annual Native American Art Festival, Jan. 10–11, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Litchfield Park, AZ. Some 200 leading artists from the Southwest and farther afield will show and sell their work. Entertainment will be provided by Arvel Bird and flautists Mac Lopez and Allenroy Paquin; also enjoy a presentation of traditional dancers and Native foods. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and juniors ages 13–16, and free for kids 12 and under. 623/935-6384 or www.litchfield-park.org
Pack up the pickup for the Colorado and Texas Indian Markets, being held Jan. 23–25 at the Merchandise Mart in Denver and April 3–5 at the Arlington Convention Center, respectively. Each event will feature a large assortment of Native and non-Native artists, and a fantastic lineup of entertainers, including Brulé, One Nation (with Arvel Bird), Micki Free playing with Bill Miller and harmonica wizard Terry Tsotigh, Lowery Begay and Petur Redbird, the Ehecatl Aztec Dancers, the Andean group Ancient Winds, and actors Irene Bedard and Steve Reevis. HawkQuest will present live birds of prey, while a food court will serve up Native specialties and Navajo weavers will hold weaving demonstrations. Admission is $10 for adults; kids under 13 are free. 972/398-0052 or www.indianmarket.net
Don’t miss Our Story: A Native Arts Exhibition, a month-long event that kicks off in early February in downtown Redding, CA, with poetry readings; film screenings; workshops on beading, traditional clothing making and other arts; a visual arts exhibition; and music and dance. This year’s focus will be on stories and song, culminating in a traditional “California Big Time” (sort of a West coast–style powwow). The art exhibition will include artists from all parts of America. 530/246-3975 or e-mail Mikiala.catalfano@yahoo.com
Join the founders, staff and friends of the American Indian Graduate Center, Feb. 7, 5:30 p.m., at the office of Albuquerque The Magazine in Albuquerque, NM to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this outstanding organization, the nation’s largest and oldest provider of scholarships to American Indian graduate students. 505/881-4584 or www.aigc.com
Hop over to the 19th annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, Feb. 7–8, at the Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ, where last year’s first-time winner in the adult male category Charles Denny (Chippewa/Cree/Ute) will face off against veterans Brian Hammill (Ho-Chunk) and Nakotah La Rance (Hopi/Tewa). Grand entries on Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $3 for children ages 4–12. 602/252-8848 or www.heard.org
Spring into the dance performance of I Land by Keo Woolford (Native Hawaiian), Feb. 11–12, Bowker Auditorium, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Directed by Roberto Uno, the performance weaves together traditional Hawaiian hula, hip-hop and Hawaiian “talk story” as the dancer spans the worlds where hula lives, from backyard parties and Hollywood extravaganzas to sacred realms. 413/545-2511 or www.newworldtheater.org
Catch the 21st annual Tribal & Textile Arts Show, Feb. 13–15, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA, hosted by Caskey & Lees, a major producer of important art and antique shows. View and purchase pre-1940 museum-quality textiles from the Americas—including Navajo, Inuit, Maya and Inca works—as well as works from Oceania, Africa, India and Asia. Also forthcoming is the 13th annual New York Tribal & Textile Arts Show, March 14–18 at New York City’s 69th Regiment Armory. 310/455-2886 or www.caskeylees.com
Motor over to Sa’Heh’Wa’Mish Days, Feb. 20-21, Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, WA, hosted by the Squaxin Island Tribe. Events will include a powwow with competition dancing and drumming; an arts and crafts fair with sale of Salish beadwork and regalia, drums, basketry, carvings, and prints; and sale of traditional foods. www.little-creek.com
Head west to the 25th annual Marin Indian Art Show, Feb. 21–22, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, CA, which includes mostly antique Indian arts but also a section devoted to contemporary works. A special pre-show reception to mark the event’s silver anniversary will be held Feb. 20, from 7 to 10 p.m. In addition, several lectures of interest will be presented: On Feb. 19 at 5 p.m., an update on NAGPRA led by attorney Roger Fry, law professor Richard Edwards and trial attorney Robert Gallegos (admission $100); on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m., “25 Years of Collecting Indigenous American Art” by a panel of dealers (free); and on Feb. 22, 10 a.m., “Totem Poles and Tourism: The Creation of a Northwest,” by Aldona Jonaitis (free). Admission to the art show is $10 for adults.
Visit the 15th annual Southwest Indian Art Fair, Feb. 21–22, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, with regional artists selling pottery, katsinas, paintings, jewelry, baskets, rugs and other goods. Artist demonstrations, Native foods, music and dance will round out the event. Admission is $8 for adults, $3 for teens age 13–16, and free for kids under 13. 520/621-6302 or www.statemuseum.arizona.edu
Drop by the sixth annual Hopi Education Endowment Fund Silent Auction, March 7, 6-9 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn (4000 N. Central Ave.), Phoenix, AZ. Works will include a grouping of turtles by a group of stellar Hopi potters. All proceeds benefit Hopi college students and Hopi education programs. 928/734-2275 or www.hopieducationfund.org