Moundville’s 19th Festival is a Native American Homecoming at UA Park

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Moundville Native American Festival, to be held Oct. 3-6 at The University of Alabama’s Moundville Archaeological Park, celebrates the heritage and culture of Southeastern Indians.

For the returning Native Americans, whose ancestors were forcibly removed from this region to Oklahoma in the 1800s, the festival, with more than 20 ancient earthen mounds serving as a backdrop, is a true homecoming in both a physical and spiritual sense.

Take, for example, this year’s festival musical headliner Martha Redbone. Redbone, a blues artist, received her Choctaw/Shawnee/Cherokee heritage from her mother’s side. Her father is an African American with Native ancestry, and her grandfather actually once lived in the town of Moundville. And yet, through all her travels she has never before “returned home” to Moundville or seen the mounds, a legacy left by her ancestors.

Now known as Moundville Archaeological Park, this late prehistoric site was settled, built and occupied from around 1000 to 1450 A.D. Often described as the Big Apple of the 14th century, this National Historic Landmark contains 320-acres of the best preserved mounds of their kind; its museum housing some of the finest Mississippian-era artifacts ever found.

Redbone, who has played with such artists as Bonnie Raitt, George Clinton and Floyd Westerman, is performing on the festival’s Native American Stage Saturday, Oct. 6, prior to the homecoming football game at UA the same day.

Billboard magazine says she’s “Stunning. The kind of artist who sets trends.” Her debut album, “Home of the Brave,” won Best Debut at the prestigious Native American Music Awards. Redbone says she is committed to bridging cultural and ethnic gaps. She even took her name from her heritage.

“Redbone is a southern term for being black and Indian,” she explains. “I grew up being teased about it.” Now she tours the country blending the sounds from her background into a musical fusion. Her latest album, “Skintalk,” has been described by Performing Songwriter magazine as, “part Neville Brothers, part Aretha Franklin, part tribal powwow.”

The annual Moundville Native American Festival provides a unique and unforgettable educational experience and is a popular event for people of all ages. Unlike other Indian festivals and powwows where a mixture of Native cultures dominates, visitors to the Moundville festival discover who the original people in this area once were and what Southeastern Indian culture has flourished into today.

The four-day festival showcases living history enactments, and interpreters are on hand to explain the site’s prehistoric and archaeological aspects. And, it’s held at a site where visitors can climb Alabama’s tallest earthen mound.

The festival highlights the five Southeastern Indian tribes found in Alabama – Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek and Chickasaw. It also features many smaller tribes found throughout the Southeast.

“We really try to make this more than a place to buy Indian crafts and see a few demonstrations,” said Betsy Gilbert, the festival’s director. “Every year we try to add something different. We embrace Southeastern Indian culture from food, music and the arts,” she explained. “We break the festival down into distinct components to maximize the impact and different aspects of this culture.”

The extensive Children’s Area guarantees that even the smallest visitors are educated and entertained. It features short lessons and hands-on activities that emphasize a single point about the life of the Southeastern Indians.

“The children really love this spot,” said Gilbert. “It is, without a doubt, one of our most popular components.” Here, children can also play several Southeastern Indian games and listen to storyteller Melissa Harjo. Representing the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, Harjo uses animal puppets while sharing stories.

Another crowd favorite is the Native American Stage. Throughout the festival, the stage showcases Native American dancers, storytellers and musicians. Along with Redbone’s Saturday performances, this year’s festival features the 2005 Native American Music Award’s “Flutist of the Year” Billy Whitefox. Whitefox is a Southeastern Muscogee Creek and a national champion flute maker. Whitefox makes old style river cane flutes. He is also a storyteller and an accomplished silversmith and has a booth in the festival’s Arts Market.

In the Arts and Crafts Arbors, festival visitors can observe Native American artisans and other experts fashion a variety of arts and crafts. Visitors can also see many demonstrations in the Arts Market, where they can shop for something unique. Knapper’s Corner, another area where festival goers enjoy shopping, is a gathering of stone tool makers who fashion spear points, arrowheads, knives and other tools and weapons from rocks that break like glass.

Even the food court provides an educational opportunity. “We try to give our visitors a sense of what the Native Americans ate,” explained Gilbert. Native-inspired foods, such as roasted turkey legs, shuck-roasted corn, hominy and frybread will be available. Gilbert hopes to include a variety of buffalo entrees as well. Of course, more contemporary fare will also be available.

Last year, the Moundville Native American Festival was designated a top 100 event in North America by the American Bus Association. It is also one of Alabama’s Top 20 Tourism Events and holds several other awards. Moundville is located 13 miles south of Tuscaloosa off I-20/59 at Exit 71A. School groups are welcome, and group rates are available. For more information, phone 205/371-2234, 205/371-2572, or visit the Web site, http://moundville.ua.edu.

For a schedule of events, a PDF file is available for download HERE.