
- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
This coming week in Indian Country, there are plenty of powwows, an abundance of artists and some fabulous Native fashion happening, as well as environmentalist, author and advocate Winona LaDuke talking about restoring Indigenous foodways even as climate change takes hold.
Plan your activities for the weekend and next week with our guide to Native arts, entertainment and culture.
9|9 Native South Art Exhibition Opening Reception
When: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9
Where: Museum of Southeast American Indian
369 Old Main Rd, Pembroke, NC
The 9|9 Native South Art Exhibition celebrates American Indian artists throughout North Carolina and features stunning works in various media, including painting, photography, beadwork, and sculpture. The opening reception is open to the public. A number of the featured works are for sale, with all proceeds going directly to the artists.
The exhibition runs through Mar. 17, 2023
35th annual Trail of Tears Powwow
When: Sat., Sept. 10 — Sept. 11
Where: 100 Trail of Tears Way, Hopkinsville, KY 42240
The Trail of Tears Center is the first certified site on the Trail of Tears, a deadly route in a series of violent displacements of Indigenous people by the U.S. government in the mid-1800s. The 35th annual Trail of Tears Powwow is held on the historic site and commemorates the removal of the Cherokee from their ancestral homeland. The celebration features free arts and crafts, storytelling, raffles, and dancing and drum competitions with a total of $25,000 in prize money.
GVAIL 61st Annual Traditional Powwow
When: Sat., Sept. 10 — Sept. 11
Where: Riverside Park, 2001 Monroe Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI
The Grand Valley Indian Lodge is hosting their 61st annual powwow showcases Native American food, art, dancing and drumming at Grand Rapids' beautiful Riverside Park. This year's event is held in honor of DeAndre Yarbourgh, a 15-year-old boy and tribal citizen of the Grand Traverse Band of the Ottawa/Chippewa Indians who died of accidental drowning in the Grand River at last year's powwow.
The Art of Indigenous Fashion
When: Through Jan. 2023
Where: IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, 108 Cathedral Pl, Santa Fe, NM
The Art of Indigenous Fashion features more than 20 contemporary Indigenous designers from the U.S. and Canada. This is the first fashion exhibition organized by the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. The show is curated by guest curator Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Siksika Nation), Assistant Professor in Art History and Museum Studies at IAIA, and Fashion Show Director for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM.
Sycuan Fashion Show and Powwow
When: Thursday. Sept. 8 — Sept. 11
Where: 5459 Sycuan Road, El Cajon, CA
Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation holds its 30th annual Powwow this weekend. This year's festivities are kicking off Thursday evening with the first annual Sycuan Fashion Show at the Sycuan casino and resort, featuring Indigenous designers from across the nation. The Pow Wow features drum and dance competitions, Kumeyaay bird singing, peon games, and more.
Restoring Indigenous Foodways in a Time of Climate Change: Lessons for the 8th Fire
When: Tues. Sept. 13, 7 p.m.
Where: Edwards Hall, 64 Upper College Rd, Kingston, RI
Native American economist, environmentalist, author and executive founder of Honor the Earth, Winona LaDuke (Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg) kicks off the 2022 University of Rhode Island Honors Colloquium lecture series with "Restoring Indigenous Foodways in a Time of Climate Change: Lessons for the 8th Fire."
LaDuke's work in rural development, economic, food and energy sovereignty, and environmental justice has received numerous honors and recognition, including the 2021 Thomas Merton Award and the Reebok Human Rights Award. In 2007, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
More Stories Like This
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment IssueAgua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas Shooting
Celebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher