Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
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Hunter Mountain Festivals, Inc., The Native American Music Association & Elbel Productions, Inc., present Indian Summer 2000 at Hunter Mountain.

New York - Hunter Mountain Festivals Inc., the Native American Music Association, and Elbel Productions are proud to announce "Indian Summer 2000 at Hunter Mountain". This very special collaborative Native American fesitval is scheduled for Saturday, September 2nd and Sunday September 3rd during Labor Day Weekend at Hunter Mountain. Tickets are $10.00 per day or $17.00 for two days, and $8.00 for groups and N.A.M.A. members. "Indian Summer 2000" will be a special cooperative event commemorating the highest levels of artistic quality from Native America. Although this will be an intertribal event, regional focus will also be given to the surrounding local communities of the Six Nations Iroquois.

By showcasing the best of Native America as it is today, the "Indian Summer 2000" festival will present a vibrant, culturally diverse art presentation that also celebrates and preserves past traditions while boldly embracing new artistic initiatives. "Indian Summer 2000 At Hunter Mountain" will serve as a great family outing for both the Native and non-Native communities, as well as, an educational and entertaining gathering showcasing the rich and diverse culture of Native America. This festival will feature dance demonstrations and explanations, traditional Native American arts and crafts, an authentic Indian Village, traditional and contemporary music performers, dancers, storytelling, foods, and more.

Special guests of "Indian Summer 2000" include dance performances by: Gathering of Nations Travelling Dance Show, Deer Chaser (children’s Lakota dance), Danza Azteca, and the Iroquois Smoke Dancers. Featured musical guests include: Joanne Shenandoah (Folk), Robert Tree Cody (Flute), Six Nations Women Singers (Traditional), Gypsy Red (Rock), Yarina (South American), and Jimmy Wolf (Blues). Educational demonstrations will include: Native American Horse Teachings & Wisdom, Birds of Prey, Archery, Bonecarving. Lacrosse, and much more.

Previous attendance for Hunter Mountain's Native American Festivals have ranged from 10,000 - 20,000. A portion of all festival proceeds will be donated to the Native American Music Association’s scholarship fund. MTV Networks will also be on the premise to recruit Native American employees.

Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Hunter Mountain Summer Festival looks forward to celebrating a mission of bringing together diverse communities by presenting a variety of Native American cultural programs in a professional open air environment. Located in New York's beautiful Northern Catskill Mountains, the 25th Annual Hunter Mountain Summer Festival season is expected to be their biggest and best yet. Originally held on gravel and grass under one tent, the festival surface has since been paved and expanded its grounds to comprise over three performance tents. The main performance tent is now one of the biggest in the United States at 140 ft. x 340 ft. in size, equivalent to a football field or an Olympic 100-meter dash. The vendor booth area will remain the same as in previous years with over 35 arts and crafts vendors present.

The Native American Music Association & Awards have been highly acclaimed for its professionalism, beauty, and inspiration. We have been featured in; the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Associated Press, New York Times and the Boston Globe among other leading national publications. As the presenters of the annual Native American Music Awards, each year, along with production by Elbel Productions, they have commemorated November as "National Native American Heritage Month" with the Nammys,; the highly successful and consistently sold-out Awards show. Other recent activities of the Native American Music Association include: 1) Formatting a commemorative event for the 5th Anniversary of the Native American Music Awards as a Cultural Olympiad program during the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002, 2) Establishing a new Native American Music category in the world renown Grammy Awards, 3) Providing educational scholarships, and 4) Establishing the nation’s largest national Native American Music Archive featuring over 3,500 hours of Native American Music recordings.

Tentative Schedule

INDIAN VILLAGE & OUTDOOR STAGE

11:00AM - 12 Noon    Educational Demonstrations at/in Teepees & Wig Wams
   Horse Wisdom & Teachings - Clint Chartier
   Children’s Storytelling - Marvin Clifford, Lance Magpie
   Lacrosse Demonstration
   Birds of Prey Archery - Ray Cook
   Traditional Iroquois Games - Bill Crouse
   Wolves - Karen DiPietro

DANCE: Host: Bill Crouse
12:00 NOON Grand Entry
12:30PM - 1:15PM Iroquois Smoke Dancers Iroquois
1:15PM - 2:00PM Deer Chasers Children’s Lakota
2:00PM - 2:45PM Gathering of Nations *** Intertribal
2:45PM - 3:30PM Danza Azteca Aztec Dance

MUSIC: Host: Kae Kotarski
3:30PM - 4:15PM Yarina Music of the Andes
4:15PM - 5:00PM Six Nations Women Singers Traditional
5:00PM - 5:45PM Jimmy Wolf *** Mohawk Blues
5:00PM - 5:45PM Joanne Shenandoah *** Folk/Contemporary
5:45PM - 6:45PM Educational Demonstrations repeat in the Village
Sunset - Campfire Set w/Gypsy Red Mohawk/Acoustic Set

MAIN TENT & VENDOR AREA

MUSIC: Intro By Kae
1:00PM - 1:45PM Six Nations Women Singers
1:45PM - 2:30PM Jimmy Wolf
2:30PM - 3:15PM Gypsy Red
3:15PM - 4:00PM Joanne Shenandoah
4:00PM - 5:00PM Yarina

DANCE: Intro By Bill
5:00PM - 5:45PM Danza Azteca
5:45PM - 6:30PM Lance White Magpie
6:30PM - 7:15PM Deer Chaser
7:15PM - 8:00PM Gathering of Nations
8:00PM - 8:45PM Iroquois Smoke Dancers

*** Native American Music Awards Winner
** Native American Music Awards Nominee

NOTE: All Times & Performers are tentative and subject to change