Throughout the weekend, the pounding rhythm of drums, shakers and other instruments will fill the grounds around the Eiteljorg Museum.
The scent of fry bread, Navajo tacos and barbecue will waft on the breeze. And the blurred color of hoop dancing will swirl in front of vividly hued pottery, jewelry, sculpture and other art forms.
The Indian Market and Festival, a party dedicated to Native American art and culture, returns again this weekend to the Eiteljorg in downtown Indianapolis. The event will be held today and Sunday all across the grounds of the museum.
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Visitors will be able to browse art from dozens of artists, purchase food items from Native American-owned companies and see performing arts in a wide array of styles.
Now in its 27th year, the festival hopes to help the central Indiana community better understand the rich culture of Native Americans, a culture that is still thriving in the present.
“Native Americans are not a people of the past. Native Americans are people of today, who live in all 50 states and throughout Canada as well. We really want to celebrate today’s Native American artists,” said Bryan Corbin, spokesman for the Eiteljorg.
At the center of the market and festival are the visual artists who come from all over North America to showcase their goods. Booths will be set up both indoors and outside under a massive tent.
On one hand, the marketplace has become a hub for serious art collectors who come to find the latest works from artists such as J. Nicole Hatfield and Darby Raymond-Overstreet.
But the vendors’ booths are also ideal places for the general public to meander and introduce themselves to these different cultures, Corbin said.
“While folks are here, it’s a lot of fun. We find that the visitors, whether its longtime collectors or families with young children, they enjoy wandering through the booths and striking up conversations with the artists, who are always happy to talk about their work,” Corbin said.
That atmosphere is dynamic and invigorating. World champion hoop dancer and musician Tony Duncan will perform with his family of dancers, bringing the bombastic, swirling art form of hoop dancing to life.
The band Son of Hwéeldi will bring forth a blend of rock, soul, blues and world music based on Navajo and Apache histories, music they call “resistance rock.”
Other performers include Sisterz in Song, an a cappella group who present traditional songs of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara cultures. Storyteller Jacque Tahuka Nunez is set to present “Journeys of the Past,” describing the lifestyle of California’s first people, the Acjachemen Nation of Orange County.
Food vendors, such as Platero Frybread & Navajo Tacos and Roasted, Toasted and Baked will offer flavors of Native American cooking as well as favorites such as barbecue and mac ‘n’ cheese.
“For the first-time visitor, it gives them the chance to be exposed to Native American cultures and experience music, food and the art,” he said. “We find that many times people come the first year and are more interested in the performances. Then they come back subsequent years they are more interested in the art.”
Admission to the market is $15 the day of, or $13 if purchased in advance online at eiteljorg.org or by calling 317-636-9378. Youth ages 17 and under are free to attend. Tickets to the festival also include admission to the museum.
