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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - Indian Summer Festival celebrates this year's theme, "Coming Home," on Sept. 6-8 at Milwaukee's beautiful lakefront Henry Maier Festival Park. This year, the festival also welcomes the Fifth Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMMYS), to be held at the Marcus Amphitheater at the park's south end, Saturday, Sept. 7. The separate tickets required for the NAMMYS are available through Ticketmaster at (414) 276-4545.

Hosted by Crystal Gayle, the NAMMYS features over 30 awards presentations and ten live music performances. This year, the sounds and styles of the 82 nominees ranges from the traditional to contemporary. Nominees include Celtic, Latin and Christian-influenced music, from a tribal dance remix of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" to a pow-wow version of "Who Let the Dogs Out."

This year's NAMMY performers include Felipe Rose, nominated for Best Historical Recording & Song/Singer of the Year and best known for the past 25 years as the American Indian attired vocalist in The Village People; Micki Free, nominated for Best Pop/Rock Recording, Debut Artist of the Year, and Best Male Artist; Jana, nominated for Song/Single of the Year and winner of the Native American Music Association's (N.A.M.A.) 2001 Best Pop/Rock Recording; Martha Redbone, nominated for Best Female Artist, Debut Artist, Record of the Year and Best Video; Gary Small (with special Guest Graham Lear of SANTANA), Blues Recording, Songwriter of the Year; and Primeaux & Mike, Duo/Group, Traditional Recording.

New this year is the Indian Summer Festival School, coordinated by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Continuing Education. The two-day series of classes includes lectures on American Indian history and culture, interactive programs for teachers on art and cultural curriculum resources, and parent/child craft classes. Other options include introduction to flute playing, drum-making, alternative medicines and an educational taste of American Indian cuisine. For more information on the classes, held at the school's complex in the Shops of Grand Avenue, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave., phone: 414-227-3320.

"Coming Home", this year's Indian Summer Festival theme, celebrates the comfort found in a return to family and culture. Welcoming back veterans, bringing groups together through reunions, and reuniting adoptees and foster care children with their cultural roots are part of this focus.

On Friday, special tributes that pay homage to those who serve and protect the United States include a pow-wow Honor Dance, video and musical tribute, and a Wall of Honor featuring photographs of American Indian veterans. This display, which may be viewed throughout the festival, honors those who were lost while serving. On Friday only, the evening also includes a stirring national anthem presentation and spectacular fireworks display.

Saturday, festival organizers welcome families, schools, and organizations holding reunions at the festival. The genealogy area will be open every day to help all festivalgoers begin the process of tracing their roots. At the Saturday evening pow-wow, a special "Welcome Home" dance honors American Indian adoptees and foster care children, and all service care workers.

The phrase "Wiping Away the Tears" describes the special emphasis of Sunday's "Wablenica Ceremony", prayer and pipe ceremony, American Indian adoptees and foster care children are welcomed back to Native culture and their spiritual home. This ceremony also may help families who were separated by adoption or foster care begin the reconciliation process.

Festivalgoers are drawn to the drama and pageantry of the festival's competition pow-wow, with $35,000 in prize money. The pow-wow amazes with its glorious mix of sights and sounds. During special "Intertribal" dances, audience members are invited to join in the dancing. Grand Entries are held at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Festgoers of all ages will enjoy cultural demonstrators, five entertainment stages with a wide range of music, lacrosse games and demonstrations, fine arts area, vendor marketplace, American Indian foods, herbal area, and more. New merchandise can help visitors take Indian Summer Festival home with them. "The Way of the Pow Wow" is a new video/DVD about the history, tradition and meaning of the pow-wow, produced by the festival and Indigenous Pictures. "The Music of Indian Summer" is a CD compilation of music by festival favorites. At the souvenir shops on the grounds, a range of merchandise with the Indian Summer logo also is available.

Families appreciate the fact that since festival areas where cultural activities occur are blessed and thus considered sacred, alcoholic beverages are allowed only in the areas around contemporary music stages.

While Indian Summer Festival is proud of the role is playing in this year's Native American Music Awards, the festival has been bringing the best traditional and contemporary Native performers to Milwaukee for 16 years.

Favorites who will be returning to the festival's entertainment stages this year include Brule, Douglas Spotted Eagle, Wade Fernandez, Freddy Fender and Star Nayea. Newcomers to Indian Summer are Keith Secola, Mitch Factor, Jeff Ball, Andrew Thomas and Xavier Quijas Yxayoti. The festival also welcomes NAMMY performers Jana and Micki Free on Sunday night.

The Aztec dances of Ballet Folklorico, and the Dineh Tah'Navajo Dancers will thrill the crowd throughout the weekend. Other cultural performers add to the uniqueness of the festival, with their storytelling, magic and more.

Visitors to the festival can watch people from many different American Indian nations demonstrate traditional skills that were, in many cases, learned from parents or grandparents. Families can watch and ask questions as artisans do quillwork, make moccasins, demonstrate basketmaking, explain finger-weaving, carve totem poles and effigies, weave blankets, and create pine needle art.

Indian Summer's villages, where traditional dwellings are recreated, bring to life time-honored traditions. Plains, Menominee, Stockbridge-Munsee, Ojibwe and Oneida villages welcome visitors. Nearby, rustic encampment captures the daily life of the traders and settlers that lived and worked with American Indians.

Demonstrations and games bring the exciting action of the original American Indian sport, lacrosse, to the festival. At the Indian Summer sports area, volunteers from the audience are given hands-on instruction in this centuries old game.

The Circle of Fine Art Exhibition displays fine art with American Indian themes. Many of the country's best-known Native American artists display works for viewing and for purchase. New artists this year Charlie Pratt, sculpture, Gallup, N.M.; Ron Taohani Jackson, paintings and jewelry, Tempe, Az.; Geri Schrab, watercolor petroglyphs, DeForest, Wis.; and Venus Tyler, hand-carved sterling silver jewelry, Lyles, TN.

The Indian Summer Marketplace is one of the most popular areas at the festival. 100 American Indian vendors from throughout the U.S. and Canada offer an array of Native American crafts, artwork, books, music, pottery, blankets, jewelry, beads and a variety of regalia wear and accessories. In both the marketplace and the Circle of Fine Art, shoppers will find an abundance of turquoise jewelry, the latest "hot" fashion accessory.

Eating always is a favorite festival activity. Traditional American Indian foods are available, including Indian Tacos, Buffalo, Venison, Turkey, Wild Rice, Corn Soup, Wojape (pudding), and Fry Bread in a variety of flavors. Thirty-three vendors are on the grounds serving American Indian food, Vegetarian Tacos, Mexican Favorites, BBQ, Chicken, Pizza, Chili, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Ice Cream and other desserts.

Education Day, unique to Indian Summer, will be held this year on Friday, Sept. 6th from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The grounds are open only to students for hands-on learning experiences, pow-wow demonstrations and special programs and activities. The festival then opens to the general public at 4 p.m. on Friday.

On Sunday, there is a non-denominational Prayer Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in the Marcus Amphitheater. The ceremony is opened with the traditional blessing and burning of sweet grass, and includes American Indian singing and drumming. Those attending the ceremony are admitted to the festival free of charge. Admittance to the Prayer Ceremony is at South Gate #6 of the festival grounds.

Dylan's 5K Run & Walk for Autism again is a part of the festival on Sunday. The event is a 5K Run & Walk around Summerfest grounds and Harbor Island, followed with free entry into Indian Summer Festival and an awards ceremony at the Miller Stage. The goal of Dylan's Run is to heighten awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders, raise funds for the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin (ASSEW) and autism research. For more information contact; the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, 9733 S. St. Martins Road Franklin, WI 53132, by phone: 414-427-9345, e-mail: assew@execpc.com or visit the ASSEW web site.

Regular festival hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Ticket prices are $7 (advance) $9 (gate) for adults; $4 (advance) $5 (gate) for children 6-12 and elders over 55; children under 6 are free. Advance tickets are available at the Indian Summer office, 10809 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite #101, West Allis, WI 53227, phone: 414-604-1000 and/or visit the Indian Summer web site.