The American Indian Institute at the University of Oklahoma, in partnership with the Jacobson Foundation and the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, is pleased to announce the upcoming "Festival of the Four Winds." This festival is a celebration of the art and culture of tribal nations in Oklahoma, and will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman, Oklahoma. The festival is a cultural exchange of traditional art, music and dance, offering visitors an invaluable learning opportunity. This event is free and open to the general public.
The purpose of "Festival of the Four Winds" is to showcase the tribal nations in Oklahoma through celebrating their cultural diversity. It is our hope to provide a free, creative community festival where Oklahomans may learn about our Native American nations through experiencing the very elements that define cultures throughout the world (art, language, music and dance). We envision hosting a festival where all tribal nations in Oklahoma come together to form a village of tribal exhibits.
Arts programming will be a central component of the festival with opportunities in the performing arts and art education. Performing arts may include music, dance, Native film and storytelling. In addition, classrooms will be set-up for hands-on art activities for children and youth, with projects scheduled throughout the day.
The featured artwork, titled "The Four Winds" by the late Mirac Creepingbear (Kiowa), was selected to represent this year's festival. We honor Mirac's life as an accomplished Native American artist, and thank his family for allowing us to feature his artwork during the festival.
