Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Week
Let’s celebrate Indigenous Peoples Week with a free virtual event!!!! The Charlotte Museum of History and the Catawba Indian Nation will host a free, virtual Indigenous Peoples Week starting November 9th. The week-long celebration includes daily events at noon on the museum’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Each day will feature a different aspect of Indigenous culture including pottery, dance, food, and agriculture.
It’s a good time to get to know the real native Charlotteans during the Virtual Indigenous Peoples Week that runs Nov. 9-14th. This awesome celebration is in partnership with the Catawba Indian Nation, The Charlotte Museum of History. This event was originally planned as an in-person celebration, but now organizers adapted the week-long event for a virtual audience. The free, family-friendly events will stream live on the museum’s Facebook and YouTube channels, offering a daily immersion into various aspects of Indigenous culture, including pottery, dance, food, and agriculture.
“The museum’s mission is to save and share Charlotte’s history,” said Adria Focht, president, and CEO of The Charlotte Museum History. “The Catawba People have been in this area for thousands of years. So you can’t tell the story of this region – or understand how we got where we are today – without beginning with the Catawba Nation and other Indigenous Peoples in North Carolina. We are thrilled to offer these history lessons from the people who know it best – the descendants of some of these first residents.”
“Catawba’s have lived in these lands for more than 6,000 years. In that time we have learned many important things about living in a good way with the land and our neighbors, “said Catawba Nation Citizen DeLesslin George-Warren. “We are excited to work with The Charlotte Museum of History to share our rich culture and history with the broader community.”
Schedule of Activities: All events take place at noon. Participants can enjoy a week of free activities, including Monday, Nov. 9, at noon. Drumming & Dancing in the Catawba Indian Nation. The Catawba People have long used drumming and dancing as a way to recount their history and traditions. Kassidy Plyler, the coordinator for the Catawba Cultural Center, explores the history of this art form and its importance to Catawba’s life.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, at noon: Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site and the long history of Native American Peoples in the Carolina Piedmont. Town Creek Indian Mound is a State Historic Site in central North Carolina. The site has been the focus of archaeological research for more than 50 years and has provided critical information for our understanding of the early inhabitants of this region.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, at noon: Veterans Day and the Catawba Indian Nation. Native peoples have been an integral part of the American Armed Forces since the country’s founding. U.S. Army veteran and member of the Catawba Indian Nation Keith Brown joins museum president & CEO Adria Focht for a special Veterans Day conversation.
Thursday, Nov. 12, at noon: Reviving Traditions. In recent years, the Catawba People have been working to revive many of the traditions lost due to the anti-Native policies of the 19th and 20th centuries. Representatives of the Catawba Cultural Center in Rock Hill, S.C. will share what their research has uncovered.
Friday, Nov. 13, at noon – Registration is required for this event: Lunch & Learn – Catawba Pottery: Tradition & Innovation. Pottery-making has been an integral part of Catawba’s identity for more than 4,000 years. Techniques are passed down from master to apprentice. Chief of the Catawba Indian Nation Bill Harris and his student, Elizabeth Harris, will put on a live demonstration of this historic art form and its modern innovations.
Saturday, Nov. 14 at noon: Native American Studies Center & the Folk Traditions of the Catawba People. The University of South Carolina at Lancaster Native American Studies Center is home to the single largest collection of Catawba Indian pottery in existence and has a mission to share and interpret Native American history and culture. Stephen Criswell, Ph.D., director of Native American studies, will share some of the many Catawba folk traditions.
“The stories of many groups, including our region’s first residents, have been largely ignored or forgotten,” Focht said. “We want to provide these groups with a forum to share their traditions and to celebrate their many contributions to our cultural landscape. We hope to start a dialogue that bridges communities and encourages exploration and collaboration.”
A portion of the funding for Indigenous Peoples Week comes from the Arts & Science Council. The Museum is grateful for their support of this celebration.
HOW TO GO!!! With the exception of Friday’s Lunch & Learn, all programs run daily at noon from Nov. 9-14 and stream live on the museum’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Registration is required to receive the special Zoom link for Friday’s Lunch & Learn program at noon with Chief of the Catawba Indian Nation Bill Harris. All programs are free. Donations are welcome to support the museum’s mission of saving and sharing Charlotte’s history.
The Charlotte Museum of History: The Charlotte Museum of History exists to save and share the Charlotte region’s history, helping create a better understanding of the past and inspiring dialogue about the future. The museum is the steward of the 1774 Hezekiah Alexander Rock House and homesite, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest home in Mecklenburg County. Visit charlottemuseum.org and follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The museum is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
