|
INDIGENOUS EXPRESSIONS'
"WINTER GATHERING" |
Festival
at ECHO February 19th & 20th |
 A
unique opportunity to experience the Lake Champlain Basin’s
indigenous culture first hand will take place at the “Winter
Gathering,” at ECHO on February 19th from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. and
February 20th 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The festival will feature Abenaki
chiefs and tribe members, and showcase, among other activities,
dancing, drumming, games, a roundtable, and the premiere of the
“Circle of Courage” photography exhibition by Native teenagers.
“Winter Gathering” features eclectic activities for all ages,
including:
- Eastern Woodlands dancing, drumming, and singing.
- Special presentation of “Materials of Culture: 10,200
Years of Abenaki Clothing, Ceremony & Implements.”
- Indoor and outdoor games featuring hands-on atlatl (a
spear-throwing, hunting tool) training and snow snake (a
hunting agility drill) competition.
- Clay working, storytelling, and an “Artifact Road Show.”
- Roundtable discussion on the state of modern indigenous
culture.
| A featured portion of the February 19th event
will be the premiere of a new, contemporary Native
photography exhibition, “Circle of Courage.” This
extraordinary collection grew from the Swanton,
Vermont afterschool program of the same name, where
Ned Castle — the acclaimed photographer/curator of
ECHO’s “INDIGENOUS EXPRESSIONS” Contemporary
Portrait Gallery – mentored the Abenaki teenagers.
Castle states, “The ‘Circle of Courage’ program
provides the tools for visual exploration of the
world. This (exhibition’s) images present various
stories of the Abenaki students, and the world as
they see it.” The original exhibition of the
INDIGENOUS EXPRESSIONS Contemporary Portrait Gallery
will continue to be available for viewing at ECHO
until the end of February.
For a complete listing of “Winter Gathering” events go to
echovermont.org/events/calendar.
Additional “Winter Gathering” programming, including special
ECHO Encounters, are scheduled for the New York and Vermont
school vacation weeks. The event on the 19th is free for Members
and $7 for the general public; on the 20th, admission is free
for Members, but non-Members may receive discounted admission
through ECHO’s Open Door community access program, the Vermont
and New York discount.* |
 |
The “Winter Gathering” is a special event of ECHO’s permanent
exhibit, INDIGENOUS EXPRESSIONS: Native Peoples of the Lake
Champlain, and is made possible by a grant from the U.S.
Department of Education through the support of U.S. Senator
Patrick Leahy; with additional support from the ECHO Annual
Fund, KeyBank, the Vermont Arts Council, and from a 2009
Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership Grant from the
Lake Champlain Basin Program.
*Offers allows $2 off for everyone in a party, requiring just
one valid ID from either state. |
1.802.864.1848
