CHEROKEE, N.C. (July 1, 2009) - Traditions, history and cultures collide as indigenous tribes gather for the 5^th Annual Festival of Native Peoples, July 17-18, 2009, with a special Indian Art Market Preview on July 16, at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds in Cherokee, N.C. Considered the finest showcase of native dance, song and art in the southeast, the event honors the collective history, customs and wisdom of some of the oldest documented tribes from across the Americas, including the 11,000-year-old Cherokee who host the weekend’s revelry.

“An array of entertainment as diverse as the tribes that provide it ensures visitors to Cherokee will be impressed,” said Mary Jane Ferguson, director of marketing for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. “The tribes are so different, and when we come together to celebrate our collective native heritage, we gain a better understanding of our own history and customs.”

Among the dancing, singing, prayers and art exhibited, highlights of the festival include the Halau Palaihiwa O Kaipuwai group’s ancient Hawaiian hula and drum dances, once a mainstay of Hawaii’s ancient temples. The Totonac pole flyers of Mexico are back and will once again fly from a ninety-foot pole in a spectacle of swirling color in honor of the sun and Totonac calendar. Additional performers include the Inca Son band, playing the centuries-old music of the Peruvian Andes, the Cellicion Traditional Zuni Dancers of New Mexico, Git Hoan Dancers of northern British Columbia, the Chickasaw Nation Dance Troupe of Oklahoma, the Apache Crown Dancers of Arizona, as well as the Cherokee Warriors of AniKituhwa and Raven Rock Dancers.

The Festival of Native Peoples will also host the Southeast’s largest Indian Art Markets, featuring more than fifty nationally recognized craftspeople and artisans displaying and selling both traditional and contemporary works of art ranging in price from $10 to tens of thousands of dollars. Arts and crafts on display include traditional Cherokee white oak and river cane baskets, black and traditional pottery, wood and stone carvings, paintings, silver and turquoise jewelry and more. Some artists will provide demonstrations of traditional creative techniques passed down by generations of ancestors.

Gates to the festival will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily July 17-18, with performances throughout the day, and the Art Market Preview will be open on July 16 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Daily admission is $10 per person; children six and under free. With the $48 Cultural Value Package, visitors receive weekend admission to the Festival of Native Peoples and tickets to the Oconaluftee Indian Village, “Unto These Hills” Outdoor Drama, The Museum of the Cherokee Indian and a free tour of the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual. For information and discount ticket packages, call 800.438.1601 or visit www.cherokee-nc.com. 

Cherokee, N.C. presents one of the most significant and culturally authentic events in the United States, rich in elaborate Native American ceremony, regalia, native song and dance, traditional arts and crafts, legends and historic traditions. Affordable cultural attractions include the 60^th anniversary of the outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” performed at the open-air Mountainside Theater, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Indian Village and the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual. Cherokee, N.C. was named 2006 Travel Attraction of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society. For more information about Cherokee, visit www.cherokee-nc.com or call (800) 438-1601.

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