Indigenous People Festival Celebrates Creativity, Brilliance and Resilience

Seattle Center Festál: Indigenous People Festival, Oct. 12-15, presents four days of virtual performances and panels featuring locally and nationally recognized Indigenous artists and advocates. The public may join the festival free of charge at https://www.facebook.com/SeattleIndianHealthBoard and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEZJroAQZQOjmRBR-i7u1Q.

This annual festival provides a venue to celebrate Indigenous creativity and resilience with a program that showcases music, dance, art, food and critical thinking. It concludes with the 25th Annual SpiritWalk, which amplifies current efforts of Seattle Indian Health Board to expand access to culturally attuned healthcare spaces. The theme for this year's SpiritWalk is Land Back, the movement to restore land, language, ceremony, kinship and medicines to Indigenous people.

The four-day virtual Indigenous People Festival offers the following:

Tuesday, Oct. 12:

6:30 p.m., The Performance with Hailey Tayathy (Quileute), Delia Gomez (Yaqui/Mexican), Fabian Romero (Purepécha), Mackenzie Neusiok (Coharie), Stephy Styles (Quechua), and the Yellowjohn-Hayes family and music by tawihisi & Ghost Horse (Pawnee/Athabaskan)

Wednesday, Oct. 13: 4 p.m., I See You: Black Natives in Discussion, hosted by Amber Starks (Afro Indigenous, Muscogee (Creek/Shawnee/Yuchi/ Quapaw/Cherokee Descent) with panelists Deante Moore (Akimel O'Odham; Gila River Indian Community) and Paige Pettibon (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes)
5 p.m., The Performance 2020 Replay

Thursday, Oct. 14: 4 p.m., Boarding School Survivors: Healing. Hope. Justice, hosted by Abigail Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) with panelists Fred John, Jr. (Ahtna) and Bill Hall (Tlingit)
5 p.m., Rez Dogs and Rutherford Falls: NDN TV Time, hosted by Howie Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) with panelists Jana Schmieding (Lakota) and Taietsarón:sere Leclaire (Mohawk)

Friday, Oct. 15 5 p.m., Native Chefs: Indigenous Food is Sovereign, hosted by Hilel Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) with panelists M. Karlos Baca (Tewa/Diné/Nuche) and Andrea Murdoch
6:30 p.m., The Concert featuring Weedrat (Diné), Quinn Christopherson (Athabaskan/Inupiat), and Supaman (Apsáalooke)

Saturday, Oct. 16 (in-person): 9 a.m., SpiritWalk & Warrior Run at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center

Learn more about the festival here: http://www.seattlecenter.com/events/featured-events/festal/indigenous-people-festival.

Seattle Center Festál highlights the culturally rich communities who help shape the character and course of our region. The series, presented virtually in 2021, provides a forum for cultural groups to come together and share their stories with the greater community. The series began in 1997 to offer a central place for festivals to invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression.

Seattle Center presents Seattle Center Festál: Indigenous People Festival in partnership with Seattle Indian Health Board and its volunteers. Streaming is free of charge. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal or call 206-684-7200.