First Peoples' Festival

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The First Peoples' Festival will be offered downtown in conjunction with Ithaca’s Apple Harvest Festival.

The First Peoples’ Festival is a celebration of indigenous peoples of New York State with traditional music, crafts, displays and foods. We provide an educational opportunity for the public to learn more about the traditions and unlearn the stereotypes connected with indigenous cultures.

Performances & Demonstrations

Native Earthling Band (Friday, on the Commons)
Traditional flute music by Dan Hill

Young Spirit Dancers
Stories & myths by Tonia Loran-Galban
Basketweaving
Songs by Theresa "Bear" Fox
Lacrosse Demonstration & Sticks (tentative)

Vendors

Native American arts & crafts, jewelry, pottery, silver, books and much more!

Children's Activities

Cornhusk Dolls: Marcella Kane will teach children how to make a cornhusk doll
Home Depot: building a project to take home
Gardens 4 Humanity
Amazing Pete: balloon fun for children (Saturday, 11:30am-3:30pm only)
CU Professor Carl Batt: hands-on science fun (Saturday, 11:00am-4:00pm)
Face painting: for young & old

Displays

Cayuga Share Farm
Colgate University Native Studies Program (tentative)
Lehman Alternative Community School and Akwesasne Freedom School project: Check out the veggie van on display, powered by vegetable oil and featuring designs by the students and children of the Akwesasne Freedom School
Green Guerrillas Youth Media Tech Collective: The Green Guerillas are a grassroots collective of youths working together to connect the dots between sustainability, pollution, prison and social change. Their biodiesel, solar powered, mobile media center will be parked at DeWitt Park on Buffalo Street, and they are listed as a stop on the CCETC Green Buildings Open House Tour. Visit: www.guerrilla-griots.org. (tentative)
Ithaca College Archeology Program
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON)
Tompkins Cortland Community College Multicultural Affairs Program

The First Peoples' Festival is sponsored by the Multicultural Resource Center, American Indian Program at Cornell University, Cornell University, Ithaca College, Tompkins Cortland Community College and Wells College, and hosted by Dewitt Park and the City of Ithaca. This event is made possible with grant support from the Community Arts Partnership.

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