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May 17, 2008

IAIA Museum to Host Native American Storytelling Festival

News Release

Contact: Marla Redcorn-Miller
(505) 983-8900, ext. 101
mredcornmiller@iaia.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IAIA Museum to Host Native American Storytelling Festival

What: Stories from Our Elders: Native American Storytelling Festival at IAIA Museum
When: Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, 108 Cathedral Place, Santa Fe, NM
Admission: Free to Public

Santa Fe, N.M. (April 22, 2008) – The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Museum will be bustling with storytelling performances and art activities for children and families on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. During the Stories from Our Elders: Native American Storytelling Festival, visitors can learn about indigenous culture and history through the vibrant culture-based model of storytelling. Storytelling has been a vital process within Native American tribes for maintaining significant oral histories, reinforcing tribal values, preserving cultural traditions, and relating a tribal understanding of the world. The Stories from Our Elders: Native American Storytelling Festival promotes an understanding of storytelling as a thriving, stylistically and tribally diverse indigenous performance tradition.
The festival performers represent tribes located in diverse areas throughout North America. Museum Director, Joseph Sanchez emphasizes, “It is not often that local residents have the opportunity to hear a number of first-rate Native storytellers from such a wide variety of regions. The inter-tribal aspect of this program also helps to create respect for one another’s cultural backgrounds and makes it possible to see the different styles of storytelling practices.” For example, Chuna McIntyre (Central Yup’ik Eskimo) was born and raised in the Southwestern Alaskan village of Eek that is on the shores of the Bering Sea. McIntyre’s performance will focus on stories, song and dance of the Central Yup’ik Eskimo. Lakota storyteller, C.J. Brafford, will address Plains Indian sign language and children’s games.
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Stephen Fadden will relate stories from the Northeast, focusing on his Mohawk heritage. Fadden is an educator, musician, storyteller, and actor and is currently the National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar in Residence at the Institute of American Indian Arts. The Museum will also feature storytellers from the Southeast and Southwest regions.
Children and their families can also create their own artwork in a variety of art activity stations that will be located throughout the Museum. For instance, kids can learn weaving techniques and hear stories about the practice from Navajo textile artist, Pearl Sunrise. Or, they can make a leather pouch with Anishinaabe artist and storyteller Catherine Ryker. These examples are only a few of the art activities that will be available to children.
The Stories from Our Elders: Native American Storytelling Festival is a component of the Culture, Community and Spirit community outreach program of the IAIA Museum and is made possible through a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

CAPTION: One of the featured storytellers Chuna McIntyre (Central Yup’ik Eskimo).

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The IAIA Museum is the leading exhibiting institution for contemporary Native and Indigenous art from North America, Alaska and Hawaii. Located in downtown Santa Fe at 108 Cathedral Place, just one block from the city’s historic Plaza, the IAIA Museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Closed for major holidays. Admission is free to Native American, Alaska Native, Canadian First Nations and Native Hawaiian peoples. Adult admission is $5. Seniors, students and New Mexico resident admission is $2.50. Youth admission for ages 16 and younger is free. Sunday admission for New Mexico residents with valid identification is free. Museum members always admitted free. For additional IAIA Museum information visit www.iaiamuseum.org.