RSU Native American Heritage Festival Set for Nov. 3

Man performing at PowwowA stomp dance, Native American storytelling, powwow drum and singing presentation, make-and-take arts and crafts, and film screenings will be featured during the 21st Annual Native American Heritage Festival on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Rogers State University.

The festival, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center on the RSU campus, 1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd. in Claremore.

The RSU Native American Heritage Festival is co-sponsored by the RSU Native American Student Association and the RSU Department of Fine Arts with support from the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Dr. Hugh Foley, RSU fine arts professor and festival organizer, said the day-long celebration increases the exposure of Native American heritage within the community.

New this year will be Cherokee games to include marbles, chunkey, corn stalk shooting, and blow dart guns. The games, which are sponsored by the Rogers County Cherokee Association, will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Arts and crafts classes will be offered for adults and children from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants can learn how to make corn husk dolls, beaded necklaces and bracelets, dream catchers and baskets.

Afternoon programming includes Feather Smith-Trevino presenting Cherokee storytelling at 1 p.m. and Nokose Foley (Muscogee-Creek/Seminole) leading a powwow singing presentation at 2 p.m.

Starting at 3 p.m., there will be several dance demonstrations, including a Grass Dance demonstration at 3 p.m. from Keenan Springer (Comanche/Sac and Fox), a Chicken Dance demonstration from Coleman AmericanHorse (Sioux) at 3:20 p.m. and a Fancy Shawl Demonstration from Tylynn Broncho (Iowa) at 3:40 p.m.

At 4 p.m., there will be a stomp dance demonstration from David Proctor (Muscogee/Creek) and Tallahassee (Wvoyke).

Indian tacos from the RSU Native American Student Association will be sold for $5 from noon to 5 p.m.

The festival is funded by a grant from the Oklahoma Arts Council. Through state appropriations and grants from the National Endowment for Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council funds more than 1,200 events annually with an estimated total attendance of more than 3.5 million. Projects funded by the Oklahoma Arts Council generally account for more than $20 million in grants and matching funds distributed throughout Oklahoma’s economy throughout the state’s rural and urban communities.

All Native American Heritage Festival events will be held in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center. For more information on the Native American Heritage Festival, call 918-343-7566 or email [email protected].