Indigenous People Festival Celebrates Native Cultures at Seattle Center

Seattle Center Festál continues with the Indigenous People Festival on Saturday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Armory Food & Event Hall and the Mural Amphitheatre. This free festival is produced by the Seattle Indian Health Board, whose holistic approach to healthcare is based in Indigenous knowledge and tends to the mind, body, and spirit equally. The annual gathering is an opportunity to promote the thriving Indigenous cultures here in Seattle.

Saturday afternoon will be full of performances from groups like Blue Heron Canoe Family, White Hawk Family and much more. The Armory Food & Event Hall will host film screenings by First Nations cinematographers. Artist and curator Asia Tail will have a gallery and screen printing.

The festival's cultural marketplace will host BIPOC vendors from numerous tribes selling art, jewelry clothing and food with a portion of sales going to the Seattle Indian Health Board's Elder's Program.

"In the city named after Chief Seattle, events like the Indigenous Peoples Festival are an excellent opportunity to celebrate with and learn from the communities who have been integral to this place since time immemorial. We cannot be - and would not be - One Seattle without recognition of the Indigenous people and cultures of this area, and without their commitment to this region, environment, and community."

Indigenous People Festival producers commit time and energy to the festival creating space at Seattle Center for Native people to be seen and celebrated. The festival lends a stage to Indigenous people to proudly express their culture and gather as a community. For non-Native guests, the Indigenous People Festival provides an opportunity to connect with and learn from the local Native community through experiencing performances, artists and businesses.

"Seattle Center is proud to be a landing ground for festivals like the Indigenous People Festival," said Seattle Center Director Robert Nellams. "The Native community in Seattle deserves to be honored, and their programming at this festival reflects a deeply rich cultural history."

The Seattle Indian Health Board aims to advocate for, provide and ensure culturally appropriate, high quality, and accessible health and human services to American Indians and Alaska Natives so that all have healthy and successful lives.

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