The Cherokees know how to celebrate! Come see for yourself when 80,000 to 100,000 guests gather to enjoy the 53rd annual Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Sept. 2–4. The holiday commemorates the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution in 1839.

And a host of other events.

Many consider him dark and obsessed with death, but he\'s actually luminous, jovial and drawn to life like a moth to a flame. His art may be considered wild and extravagant, yet it is done with extreme deliberation, based on knowledge and information. He might be called a recluse, yet he loves people and life. He\'s perceived as a painter, but he has produced a large body of sculpture and works on paper, as well as an amazing selection of handmade books. He has also been called a paradox, and of all the descriptors, this one hits the mark of the ever-moving figure of artist Fritz Scholder.

The largest gathering in Washington, D.C. history of Native peoples from across the Americas assembled September 21 on the National Mall to witness the grand opening of the Smithsonain Institution\'s National Museum of the American Indian (see cover story, Sep/Oct 2004 issue). Beneath a blue sky and bright sunlight reflecting off the nearby U.S. Capitol...

The National Museum of the American Indian has selected contemporary painter Benjamin Jacanamijoy Tisoy (Sibundoy Valley Inga), painter/multimedia artist Kent Monkman (Cree) and carved­buffalo horn artist Kevin Pourier (Oglala Lakota) for its 2005 Visiting Artist awards, while its Community Artist Fellowship was awarded to musician Marcus Frejo (Seminole).

He may be the most recognized face in Indian Country, with a dignified and melodious voice to match. He’s met Prince Charles, President Mitterrand of France, the late Pope John Paul II, and the King and Queen of Spain. He has toured the globe with Sting on a speaking tour about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its Native peoples, acted in films...

Film buffs will flocks to San Francisco for the 30th annual American Indian Film Festival. Plus details on other special events of Native interest across North America.

Jet-setters following the hippest events in Indian Country in January can hop from the cold climes of the north to the warm desert of Arizona. The “Wild West” theme park Rawhide is the new setting for the Indian Artists of America Show Jan. 28–29.

We drop into Palm Springs for the annual film festival hosted by the Agua Caliente tribe, paired this year with a gala dinner and special art exhibition organized by Blue Rain Gallery. Plus details on other special events of Native interest across North America.