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ImageAURORA, NY – Wells College announced that the Peachtown Native American Festival will return to campus on Sunday, September 21. The formerly annual event is making a comeback and will be held rain or shine on the front lawn of Main Building from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on the beautiful Wells campus in Aurora. The festival is free and the public is invited to join in the fun.

In conjunction with the Native American Homecoming Festival taking place at Tutelo Park in Ithaca the day before, Wells is pleased to offer this important educational event as an opportunity to honor the First Nations people of the area, increase awareness and unity, and to recognize the past and present contributions of Native American culture and the history of Aurora, or Deawendote: “village of constant dawn.”

Chonodote, or “Peachtown,” is another original name of Aurora, named after the Cayuga people’s 1,500-tree peach orchard which was destroyed in 1779 during the Clinton-Sullivan campaign. The first Peachtown festival took place on the Wells campus in 1998, the first local celebration to recognize native culture in nearly 200 years. The festival is purposely planned for the end of September in keeping with Native American traditions, the timing of the fall harvest, and the approximate date of the Clinton-Sullivan campaign’s destruction of the area.

This year, participants will gather on the College’s front lawn for the festival, which will feature dancing, demonstrations, crafts, food, music, and more. Confirmed vendors, artists, and performers are listed below; more are expected on festival day:

  • Dan Hill of the Cayuga Nation will be the day’s master of ceremonies and will play traditional native flute throughout the day
  • Sherri Waterman-Hopper of the Beaver Clan organizes and dances with the Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers, a social, non-ceremonial dance group consisting primarily of members of the Onondaga Nation
  • Mohawk Mike Tarbell will perform bow and atlatl demonstrations, and sell his wares
  • Buffalo burgers, Indian tacos, fried corn bread, and other authentic foods will be available for purchase from Rhonda Powless of Iroquois Kitchen and Pam Ramsey of Happy Eating Grounds
  • Southwest Collections by Sharon Livingston include authentic handmade jewelry, art, wood furnishings, and gifts
  • Distant Drums by Doug and Mickey Sky Jones present pieces that respect Mother Earth and are themed around sustainability
  • T Whirlwindhorse Native Creation by Thea Whirlwindhorse, an Oglala Lakota of South Dakota, features traditional beadwork, stone sculpture, and drawings
  • Mohawk artist Albert White’s paintings depict the sensitivity and power in wildlife, people and the land
  • Moccasins, beadwork, and jewelry by Ann Green
  • Dave Green of Early Rising Sun Studio will demonstrate his stone carving methods and sell his works
  • Rights for All Indigenous Nations, Inc. (RAIN) is a non-profit educational/action-oriented organization that works with and in support of the traditional native peoples for self-determination and sovereignty

Featured artist and master of ceremonies Dan Hill is best known for his recordings of Native American flute music. Hill is an accomplished musician and live performer whose credits include film and television appearances.  He is a much sought-after lecturer, storyteller and teacher, and has traveled extensively across North America and beyond. Hill makes flutes and is a talented silversmith who specializes in traditional Iroquois and exquisite original designs.

The Peachtown Native American Festival is featured in partnership with the Tutelo Native American Homecoming Festival taking place the day before, on Saturday, September 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Tutelo Park, Bostwick Road (off Route 13A), in Ithaca. The weekend’s kick-off concert, featuring award-winning Native American R & B band Corn Bred, will be held on Friday, September 19 at 9:00 pm at Pancho Villa Restaurant, 602 W. State St. in Ithaca.

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