Award-Winning Band Highlights UA’s Moundville Native American Festival

MOUNDVILLE, Ala. – Injunuity, the Native American Music Award-winning band, highlights the 2011 Moundville Native American Festival from Wednesday, Oct. 5, to Saturday, Oct. 8, at The University of Alabama’s Moundville Archaeological Park.

Originally from Oklahoma, Injunuity has traveled the country playing alternative rock that incorporates the Native American flute. The band will perform Friday and Saturday. Other acts include Tuscarora singers Jennifer Kreisberg and Pura Fe, historical dancers the Warriors of AniKituwah and storytellers Sandra Faulk and Lewis Johnson.

Another addition to the festival is Cherokee artist John Grant. Guests can see his work, talk with him and learn about stone carving and working with wire through his sculptures.

Excavations will take place throughout the weekend by UA archaeology students. Visitors are encouraged to observe and ask questions.

Visitors can also walk through campsites while enactors play the parts of Native Americans, traders and other people from the late 1800s and explain their day-to-day lives. The festival includes a Knapper’s Corner, where visitors can learn how Native Americans made tools, and a children’s area.

In addition to the artists, musicians and re-enactors, the festival features a food court and a trader’s circle and arts market.

Ranked as one of the finest and most comprehensive events of its kind, the festival presents storytelling and a variety of arts and craft demonstrations, living history enactments and musical performances. Numerous school groups are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and the general public is encouraged to attend Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct 8.

Each year, the festival celebrates Southeastern culture. Shop for arts and crafts, play ancient games and climb Alabama’s tallest mound. Call 205/371-8732 or go to http://moundville.ua.edu/. UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park is 13 miles south of campus off Alabama 69. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission to the festival is $10 for adults; $8 students; free for children ages 5 and younger. Group discounts with reservations are available.

Described as the Big Apple of the 14th century, Moundville was America’s largest city north of Mexico 800 years ago. This National Historic Landmark, part of UA Museums, contains 320 acres with more than 20 preserved prehistoric Indian mounds, campgrounds, picnic areas, boardwalk nature trail, theater, Riverbend Lodge and a museum of some of the finest Mississippian-era artifacts in North America.