Powwwow Country: Festival of Native Peoples, July 13-14, 2012 Cherokee, North Carolina

Festival of Native Peoples, July 13-14, 2012
Cherokee, North Carolina

Indigenous tribes from across the Americas will gather for the 9th Annual Festival of Native Peoples this July at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds in Cherokee, N.C. This event is considered the finest showcase of Native dance, song and art in the southeast and honours the collective history, customs and wisdom of some of the oldest documented tribes. Among the Native peoples present at past events have been Tsimshian, Osage, Aztec, Navajo, Apache and Cherokee. While attending the festival, leave the grounds for an afternoon or two to see what the town of Cherokee has to offer. The Cherokee have a rich history in this area, dating back to beyond 8000 BC when semi-permanent villages dotted the landscape. Today’s attractions are numerous and include Mountainside Theatre presentations from June 1-Aug. 18, with a new show debuting July 16. There is also the Museum of Cherokee Indian with thousands of years of Cherokee history and artifacts, as well as the Cherokee arts cooperative which is the Qualla Arts and Crafts.  The Oconaluftee Indian Village offers the opportunity to go back in time to the mid-18th century when Cherokee life was challenged by rapid cultural change. The Village also hosts live re-enactments, interactive demonstrations as well as “Hands-On Cherokee” arts and crafts.

For more information check out:
www.romanticasheville.com/festival_of_native_peoples.htm