Performances, An Indigenous Foodways Cooking Demonstration & More Announced for WE THE PEOPLES BEFORE

First Peoples Fund and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the full line-up for We The Peoples Before, a festival of events designed to explore and expand deep truths and reflections about the history and experience of this country's Native peoples. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Center and the 25th anniversary of First Peoples Fund, We The Peoples Before is a collaboration in recognition of the rightful place of Native cultural practices as a central influence on the national landscape of arts and culture in the United States.

The three-day event will feature performances, workshops, film screenings, a cooking demonstration, discussions, and a signature multi-disciplinary stage production in the Eisenhower Theater featuring some of the greatest Indigenous performers and storytellers of our day.

The festival will take place at multiple locations across the Kennedy Center's campus including the REACH and runs June 30-July 2, 2022.

"Through this unprecedented partnership, the Kennedy Center hopes to demonstrate and redouble our commitment to honoring and supporting Native peoples and their pivotal contributions to arts and culture," said Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Kennedy Center Vice President and Artistic Director of Social Impact. "Our collaboration with First Peoples Fund is the first in a line of social impact residencies that we hope will be a guide for innovative work changing the way we interact with audiences, social systems, and artists."

"We are moved by the Kennedy family's long-standing connections and relationships with Native communities. We hope that through this partnership, we can carry this legacy forward as we center the healing, strength, and joy of Native communities at We The Peoples Before." said Lori Pourier (Oglala Lakota), President, First Peoples Fund.

Free panels, films, and multi-genre performances on the Millennium Stage

To highlight the cultural and artistic contributions of indigenous communities, We The Peoples Before will present panels and conversations focused on Indigenous languages, culture, poetry, history, art, tribal sovereignty, and food. Activities during the festival also include an outdoor film screening and mini-film festival featuring short films by six Indigenous women filmmakers, plus Millennium Stage performances featuring high-energy Native hip hop artists and traditional hula dance.

The Mainstage Event

The highlight of the We The Peoples Before First Peoples Fund celebration at the Kennedy Center, will be a one-night-only, multi-generational, multi-genre mainstage production that takes the audience through the past, present and possible future of an Indigenous America that is rooted in history and place, and grounded in spirit, land, and the principles of true democracy. Executive produced by Lori Pourier (Oglala Lakota) with Consulting Producer Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and directed by Roberta Uno, the production will be structured in four movements with a finale and closing coda. The journey follows the directions of East, South, West, and North, ending in the interconnectedness of Sky and Earth. Taking the stage will be nearly 50 Indigenous dancers, hip hop performers, poets, vocalists and spoken word artists who will tell the carefully curated story celebrating the beauty, strength, resilience and deep truths of this country's Native peoples and their communities. This performance is free but advance registration is required.

Education Events

Companion to the three-day festival is the We The Peoples Before Education & Impact Initiative. Designed to engage thousands of students and bring Indigenous culture, history, and stories to the forefront of American education, specialized curricula and materials will be introduced during the weekend and formally launched and distributed to schools across the U.S. this Fall. A first of its kind, developed by a diverse team of Indigenous educators, the curricula challenges educators and students to learn about Indigenous peoples from first contact through present day along a path that includes dispossession, adaptation, reclamation, and resilience, taking students on a learning journey that enables them to know, honor, and share authentic, accurate, and positive representations of Indigenous peoples. Featured artists in the curriculum will include Alfred "Bud" Lane III, Vice President of Siletz Tribal Council and Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association, who works tirelessly to ensure cultural continuity as a devoted teacher of the Siletz language and traditional practices. Also included is Lani Hotch, a Tlingit weaver who has transformed the small, ancient village of Klukwan, Alaska through her work to restore tradition and culture, creating woven art which communicates identity through relationships to land, people, animals, and plants.

We The Peoples Before will embrace today's cultural momentum toward equity and justice, centering the diversity of Native nations, cultures, languages, histories and experiences of tribal communities. Join us in knowing, honoring and sharing Indigenous America. Learn more here: www.wethepeoplesbefore.org.

We The Peoples Before Programming Schedule

June 30-July 2, 2022

All events take place at the Kennedy Center unless otherwise noted.

For tickets and a full schedule, visit the Kennedy Center website here

Tribal Languages and Arts Panel | This is a story the stars remember

Thursday, June 30 at 1pm

PT-109, The REACH

Panelists will discuss language revitalization efforts and the importance of language to cultural survival.

Tribal Sovereignty | This a story the trees remember

Thursday, June 30 at 4:30pm

Justice Forum

A panel discussion that takes an in-depth look at tribal sovereignty and what it means today.

We The Peoples Before Outdoor Film Screening

Thursday, June 30 at 8:30pm

Film Wall, The REACH

We The Peoples Before

Friday, July 1 at 8pm

Eisenhower Theater

Multi-disciplinary stage production features the finest performers and storytellers reframing the country based on a vision of justice and shared humanity. This performance is free but advance registration is required.

First Peoples Fund Culture Bearers | The is a story her hands remember

Saturday, July 2 at 10am

Justice Forum

A conversation with First Peoples Fund Community Spirit Award honorees and culture bearers.

Indigenous Foodways

Saturday, July 2 at 11am

Skylight Pavilion

A cooking demonstration and discussion with The Sioux Chef, Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota).

Poet, Spoken Word & Writers Panel | This the story the lands remember

Saturday, July 2 at 12:30pm

Justice Forum

A conversation among three generations of Native writers and poets about what inspires their writing and what it means to put words to paper and performance.

Indigenous Arts & Lifeways

Saturday, July 2 at 2:30pm

Justice Forum

An in-depth artist conversation about the ways in which art and culture are essential to life.

Millennium Stage Performance: Native Hip Hop

Saturday, July 2 at 6pm

Grand Foyer

High-energy performance of some of Indian Country's rising hip hop artists as they weave the traditional with contemporary.

Millennium Stage Performance: Traditional Hula

Saturday, July 2 at 7pm

Skylight Pavilion

Traditional hula dance, or hula "kahiko" ancient style dance, is the original dance of Native Hawaiians (Kanaka Maoli).

We The Peoples Before Short Films Screening & Panel

Saturday, July 2 at 8pm

Justice Forum

A screening of six short films thematically aligned with We The Peoples Before, followed by a moderated discussion with the Native women filmmakers.

TICKET INFORMATION

All events are FREE, but some require advance reservations. Advance reservations will be available on Wednesday, June 15 at 10 a.m.

For all Millennium Stage performances, a limited number of advance reservations are available on a first come, first served basis. Patrons who make advance reservations must check-in at least 15 minutes before their performance time, after which point their reservation will be made available to walk-up patrons. Free tickets will also be available on the day of the performance 30 minutes prior to the performance time, and walk-ups are encouraged. For performances in the REACH, please check-in with the Box Office at the Welcome Pavilion. For performances on Millennium Stage North or South, please check-in with the Hall of States Box Office

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