Venture down just about any twisting major road in Atlanta, and chances are you may be traveling down a pathway originally carved out by the original residents of the land it sits on — the Native American Muscogee nation. While many of the tribe’s historical names remain — Chattahoochee, Coosa, Etowah, Coweta and many others — the Muscogee people suffered an ethnic cleansing from white settlers in Georgia. The ones who weren’t killed were forced to leave their homeland in the 1830s and marched by the military to Oklahoma.
A strong effort to make the ties with Atlanta’s Indigenous past, present and future more visible and tangible — and to highlight some top-of-their-field artists in the process — will be front and center at this weekend’s first-ever First Voices Festival in Little Five Points.
The inaugural full-day event on Nov. 19, co-produced by 7 Stages, Little 5 Points Business Association, Turtle Island Trading and Zintkala Zi Powwow, will celebrate the rich cultural heritage and present-day craft mastery of Indigenous artists from around the country. The festival will also present a rare intown opportunity for audiences to witness and participate in an authentic powwow, a ceremony and communal gathering that goes back generations and — although it has many variations and has evolved over time — generally combines dance, rhythm, storytelling and costuming.
The First Voices Festival begins Saturday with the powwow at the Little Five Points Soccer Field from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Additional events include the “Art of Activism Meal & Dialogue” at the Wrecking Bar Saturday evening, with special guest William Harjo, a flute maker and Muscogee elder, and food provided by Three Sisters Soulfood.
Credit: Courtesy of Shelley Morningsong
Credit: Courtesy of Shelley Morningsong
The First Voices Festival will cap off with a performance at 7 Stages by visiting musicians (and husband/wife team) Shelley Morningsong, a renowned singer/songwriter and flute player who comes from a Northern Cheyenne and Scandinavian background, and Fabian Fontenelle, who is Zuni/Omaha and an original member of the American Indian Dance Theatre.
Ahead of the big day, ArtsATL chatted with co-organizer Carmen Halagahu of Turtle Island Trading in Little Five Points about how the event came together and what to expect from the multi-faceted occasion.
Credit: Courtesy of Carmen Halagahu
Credit: Courtesy of Carmen Halagahu
Q: Why is an event like the First Voices Festival important, especially in Atlanta?
A: It’s challenging in Georgia because there are no federally recognized tribes here. It’s hard when you live in a community without much representation. In other places in the U.S., it isn’t like that at all. I’m traveling in New Mexico and Arizona, and there are Indigenous people everywhere I go.
That said, Atlanta attracts Indigenous people the way it attracts anyone. People migrate to Atlanta for various reasons. And there are traces of the original peoples still here. You can find that in the name of places like the Chattahoochee, which comes from the Muskogee language. There are a lot of underlying structural components that people don’t realize were initially created by the first people living here because there’s a huge amnesia about it.
One of the objectives of forming this cultural festival is to raise awareness and begin that dialogue to say Indigenous people are still here. In some ways, your life is still influenced by what they created before your ancestors moved here. Look around, and you might be surprised.
Q: What drew you to Atlanta initially, and how did you become a co-owner of Turtle Island Trading?
A: I grew up in northwestern Wisconsin and migrated here a long time ago when I was much younger. I’m pleased to have been able to grow with this city. I worked in corporate America; then I retired, and the opportunity to buy (Turtle Island Trading) just came out of the blue in April 2021. We sell primarily handcrafted jewelry made by artisans from Indigenous nations. Each piece has its own style.
Q: How did you curate the various artists featured in this festival?
A: Like any group of people, many cultural expressions exist. So how to pick? The one thing that we wanted was to make sure that the Indigenous voice was at the center of that planning. My business partner’s brother is Buffalo Yellowbird, who is organizing the powwow. The obvious first call was, “Hey, how would you like to bring a powwow to Atlanta?”
Credit: Courtesy of 7 Stages
Credit: Courtesy of 7 Stages
Q: What can you tell me about the First Voices Festival powwow — especially for Atlanta audiences, many of whom may not have had a chance to attend one before? What are some things that people may not realize about it?
A: The original powwow was an activity where all these people from different nations gathered together. You could think of it as a family reunion or conference.
The drum represents the heartbeat of everything and leads everything, including the dancing. It sets the pace. Because this was historically a meeting of many different people of all different tribal nations, the singers didn’t sing in any one language but instead made sounds, so no one felt excluded. So that’s one aspect from the way-back times.
Then the dances are designed to tell stories. You don’t have to use your language, again, but instead, use your body language and movement. So, all the storytelling and spreading of news would take place over movement and sounds. That’s originally that’s how it started.
Later, Buffalo Bill kind of put his spin on it with his Wild West Show. That was how the powwow came into the (wider) American consciousness.
Q: What are you personally most excited about ahead of Saturday?
A: There are many threads woven into this ball of excitement in my stomach. First, I’m excited for the Indigenous people, who themselves haven’t had this kind of opportunity to display their craft and their beauty and their culture in Atlanta. I’m excited to be able to have a hand in making that possible. That is so meaningful, and we are so grateful to 7 Stages. Then I’m excited about all the fun we’re going to have. Powwows are designed to be fun. That’s the number one thing we want: for people to have a good time.
IF YOU GO
First Voices Festival
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 19 at Little 5 Points Soccer Field, 1136 Austin Ave. NE, Atlanta. Art of Activism meal and dialogue 5-6:30 p.m. at Wrecking Bar Brewpub, 292 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta. Evening performance at 7 p.m. $10-$40. 7 Stages Theatre, 1105 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-523-7647, 7stages.org.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
