American Indian Heritage Celebration

While the North Carolina Museum of History is closed for renovation, this year's festival is being held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Activities will take place on the Bicentennial Plaza and inside the museum.

The AIHC-with support from its community partners, the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs and the North Carolina American Indian Commission—has been the culminating event in honor of American Indian Heritage Month in North Carolina for more than 25 years.

The AIHC consists of a virtual education day on Friday and an in-person festival on Saturday. The celebration highlights traditional and contemporary artistic, historical, and cultural contributions of American Indian communities in North Carolina. The consistent theme and message of AIHC, as expressed by its advisory board, is visibility: Indigenous people are still here!

Schedule of Events:

Opening and Grand Entry
Bicentennial Plaza

10:45–11 a.m.

-Blessing of the Arena and Grounds

11:30–11:50 a.m.

-Traditional Songs and Gospel Music: Anna Grace Hunt (Lumbee)

11:50 a.m.-Noon

-Opening Drum Songs
Southern-Style Drum Group: Smokey River (Coharie)
Northern-Style Drum Group: War Paint (Tuscarora/Lumbee)

Noon–12:30 p.m.

-Grand Entry
Roll Call of State-Recognized Tribes/Organizations
Coharie Tribe
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI)
Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe
Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
Meherrin Indian Tribe
Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
Sappony
Waccamaw Siouan Tribe
Cumberland County Association for Indian People
Guilford Native American Association
Metrolina Native American Association
Triangle Native American Society

Flag, Veterans’ Song, and Posting of the Colors:

-The Lumbee Warriors

Blessing of the Ceremony

-Welcome and Special Recognition of Dignitaries and Sponsors

Dance and Music Stage

12:30-3:30 p.m.   

-Powwow Dances (Intertribal)
-Female Head Dancer: Kenly McLaurin (Lumbee)
-Male Head Dancer: Magic Gomez (Coharie)

3:30-3:45 pm

-Retiring of the Colors

3:45-4:00 pm

-Closing Song

Bicentennial Plaza

11 a.m.-4 p.m.

-18th-Century Lifeways: Bark Housing, Finger Weaving, and Cordage: Sandra and Wahlelah Brown (EBCI)
-America 250: Office of Archives and History
-Corncob Darts**
-Food Vendors
-Lumbee Tribe
-North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission
-North Carolina Native American Youth Organization (NCNAYO)
-Sappony
-State Archives of North Carolina
-The Lost Colony
-Triangle Native American Society
-Wake County Indian Education
 
Nature Exploration Center, 1st Floor

11 a.m.-4 p.m.

-Basketmaking: Cindy Locklear (Lumbee)
-Information Table/North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs
-North Carolina Museum of History Associates
-Pine-Needle Baskets: Jamie Locklear (Lumbee)
-Pottery: Senora Lynch (Haliwa-Saponi)*
-Ribbon Skirts: Norma Jean Locklear-Richardson (Lumbee)
-Shell Carving: Antonio Grant (EBCI)
-Silverwork: Brian Lynch (Haliwa-Saponi)
-Take-Home Craft Kits
-Wampum and Dream Catchers: Julian and Andrea Hunter (Meherrin)

Auditorium, 1st Floor

1-1:45 p.m.

-Life by the River: Museum of the Southeast American Indian Ancestral Water Project
Moderator: Nancy Strickland Chavis (Lumbee)
Panelists: Ciera Dial Locklear (Lumbee)
Ashley Lomboy (Waccamaw Siouan)
Patrick Suarez (Meherrin)
Alicia Thomas (Lumbee)

2-2:45 p.m.

-Language Revitalization Work in North Carolina Tribal Communities
Panelists: Arvis Boughman (Lumbee)
Kaya Littleturtle (Katehnuaka)
Dr. Marvin Richardson (Haliwa-Saponi)
Chi Shipman (EBCI)

3-3:45 p.m.

-Perceptions and Challenges Surrounding Contemporary Archaeology of Native Sites
Panelists: Harlen Chavis (Lumbee)
Nancy Strickland Chavis (Lumbee)
Dr. Seth Grooms (Lumbee)
Kevin Melvin (Lumbee)

Nature Exploration Center, 2nd Floor

11 a.m.-4 p.m.

-Information Table/North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs
-Quiet Space
-Wheel of History**

Nature Exploration Center, 3rd Floor

11 a.m.-4 p.m.

-Bandolier Bags: Ernest Grant (EBCI)
-Drawing and Painting: Karen Lynch Harley (Haliwa-Saponi)
-Hunting and Fishing Tools and Furs: Sharn Jeffries (Occaneechi)
-Information Table
-Ribbon Work and Clothing Designs: Tabitha Jacobs Polanco (Lumbee)
-Traditional Foodways: Vickie Jeffries (Occaneechi)
-Traditional SE Indian Clothing: Members of the Meherrin Tribe

Windows on the World Classroom, 3rd Floor

12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

-Martin Saniga (Sappony)

Storytelling (ASL translation available)

2 p.m.-2:20 p.m.

-Gwen Locklear (Lumbee)

2:30 p.m.-2:50 p.m.

-Gwen Locklear (Lumbee)

3 p.m.-3:20 p.m.

-Chi Shipman (EBCI)

3:30 p.m.-3:50 p.m.

-Chi Shipman (EBCI)