283 All Nations American Indian Festival comes to the Tennessee Livestock Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 14, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Georgia Dennis, 615-796-4210

(MURFREESBORO) – The most colorful, vibrant celebration of Native American culture in the state will return to the MTSU campus when the eighth All Nations American Indian Festival comes to the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr. in Murfreesboro, Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2.
The largest event of its kind in the state, the festival features Native music, exhibition dancing, arts and crafts, storytelling, skills demonstrations, and a native drum competition.
“Festival participants travel to gatherings like ours to celebrate their heritage, their culture, their language and each other,” says Georgia Dennis, festival coordinator.
Some of the creative talents who are slated to attend the festival’s Indian Arts Market include: Ron Colombe (Sicangu Lakota/Rosebud Sioux), a spoken-word artist, narrator poet and published author; Nelson Garcia, an award-winning gold- and silversmith from Santo Domingo Pueblo; Percy Medina (Quecha/Peru), whose hand-carved gourds are on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; and General Grant (Cherokee), who develops both contemporary and traditional jewelry, as well as Cherokee carvings and sculpture.
“Every festival is a little different,” Dennis says. “This festival doesn’t have an agenda – its non-political – it’s more of a traditional celebration. Everybody feels welcome here.”
The All Nations American Indian Festival is sponsored by the MT Anthropology Society, the MTSU Anthropology Program, the MTSU Department of English, Student Unions and Programming/Fine Arts and the Baha’i Association. However, scores of volunteer students, alumni, professors and community members help to make the powwow possible. All proceeds remaining after expenses go into a scholarship fund.
The doors will open at 10 a.m. both days. The Grand Entry and Parade of Nations are slated for 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. Sunday. Daily admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12. Toddlers will be admitted without charge. Weekend passes are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets and passes are sold at the door only. Plenty of free parking will be available.
For additional information, contact Dennis at 615-796-4210, send an e-mail to powwow@mtsu.edu or visit the Website at http://www.mtsu.edu/powwow.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For full color jpegs of Native American arts and crafts by artists who are slated to attend the All Nations American Indian Festival, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/powwow.