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| Many dance groups will perform at the 4th Annual Hopi Native American Arts & Culture Festival |
Flagstaff,
Ariz. –The Fourth Annual Hopi Sponsored Native American Arts and Cultural Festival
in the center of downtown is expected to be the Grand Canyon state’s outstanding
event this year for visitors and residents to experience the best Northern
Arizona Native American culture. Sponsored by the Hopi Tribe Economic
Development Corporation (HTEDC) as part of their new tourism program Explore
Hopi (www.explorehopi.com) – this Hopi-sponsored Native American Festival
of Arts & Culture showcases Hopi, Navajo and other Native American artisans
including prominent, nationally recognized dance groups and Hopi cuisine in
collaboration with partner downtown businesses.
The Festival in Flagstaff at Heritage Square takes
place September 28th-29th 2013 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Set in the shadow of the
Hopi Building (a HTEDC-owned property), the annual event draws several thousand
visitors for the Festival and the City of Flagstaff. This year’s event promises
to be much more: The celebration of Native cultures will include social dances,
music as well as traditional and contemporary art. Artisans include potters, carvers, weavers
and painters; notable artists such as Dalangyawma, Atokuku, Nampeyo, Honyouti,
Quannie, Honahnie, David, LaRance, Lomadafkie, Navasie, Chimerica, Koruh, Whitethorn,
Begay and Lavato.
“We are honored to be associated with bringing
together the diverse cultures and art from the many artisans and the Tribes
they represent,” said Kevin Lombardo, CEO of HTEDC. “This event will be both a
cultural experience and an economic boost to the area.”
Entertainment
consists of well-known, nationally recognized, six-time World Champion Hoop
Dancer Nakotah LaRance, who will perform the "Circle of Life” dance that
many tribes perform throughout the U.S. and Canada. Nakotah is also a Native
American actor with many acting credits.
Ed
Kabotie is a dynamic native flute player of the Santa Clara Pueblo and the Hopi
village of Shungopavi. His music reflects both of these two dynamic cultures. Kabotie
comes from a notable artistic heritage on his Hopi side through paintings,
jewelry and carvings.
Other
performances will include a Paaqavi Hopi Dance Group, the Hopi Sun Forehead
Dance group, Haaku’ Buffalo Dance Group, and The Serpent Trail Dancers. Also performing
will be the Forrest Lake Drum and the Hopi Rattle Snake Band.
This year’s festival is bringing together the
downtown community, through cooperation with the galleries and restaurants that
have agreed to host a demonstrator. A first for Flagstaff, the Hopi Festival
will highlight cuisine as an essential part of the culture. Hosting Gallery: Shane Knight Gallery, and others yet to be announced.
The first Market in 2010 was started to assist
artisans to sell their art and crafts to provide for their families, and for
them to share a little about their way of life and rich culture. The Hopi
Festival brings to Flagstaff public education by way of art, traditional social
dances and traditional foods. This event aims to bring the City of Flagstaff
together with surrounding neighbors to learn from one another togetherness,
happiness and stewardship of the earth for all people of different walks of
life. This year’s Festival donations will go to Child Protective Services in
Flagstaff and at Hopi to assist with a safer, better way of life for those
children in need.
“This
festival is for the whole family to enjoy the beauty of Native American art and
culture,” said Lisa Talayumptewa, Event Coordinator of HTEDC. “Life in the eyes
of an artist is unique and reflects the beauty in life and brings out
serenity.”
The City of Flagstaff’s City Council unanimously
approved a street closure of Aspen Avenue between San Francisco and Leroux
Streets allowing for increasing the size of the festival. A Goal is to partner
with HTEDC to promote a diversity of arts, culture and educational
opportunities through the Hopi Festival at Heritage Square in Flagstaff’s
historic downtown business district.
“As the
interest in and attendance at the Festival has grown each year, we realized we
needed to expand opportunities for additional artisans and presenters of Native
American culture to meet the demands of the visitors,” said Lombardo. “Closing
the street to expand the Festival’s footprint made a lot of sense and we thank
the City of Flagstaff and the downtown businesses for their support.”
“It is
exciting to have our downtown businesses be a part of our Festival and hope
that our working relationship will only grow stronger,” Talayumptewa said. “Each
year that I work on putting this Festival together gives me a feeling of
satisfaction knowing that I am a part of a rich heritage that I can share with
others”
HTEDC
extends a special thank you this year’s Festival sponsors: Coca Cola, Sterling Real Estate Management, Coe & Van Loo LLC; Paragon Hotel Corporation; Guest, Shuttle, Cosper & Ledbetter; Dallas Realty; Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA); Hopi Telecommunications; and Merge Architectural Group.
The HTEDC
was formed in 2005 by the Hopi Tribal Council to create and harness an economic
environment that will blossom, by securing resources, and provide the guidance
and training that allows Hopi Tribe members to prosper and preserve their
homeland and culture. Headquartered in Flagstaff, the HTEDC owns and operates,
on behalf of the Hopi Tribe, the following enterprises: Hopi Cultural Center
Restaurant & Inn on Second Mesa; Days Inn Kokopelli in the Village of Oak
Creek (Sedona); the Hopi Travel Plaza off I-40 near Holbrook; Hopi 3 Canyon
Ranches near Winslow, Springerville and Flagstaff; and the commercial
properties of Heritage Square, Continental Plaza and Kachina Square in
Flagstaff.
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