PERSEVERENCE PAYS OFF
The fact that the 2004 Indigenous Heritage Festival survived two postponements, the last postponement due to Hurricane Frances, made the event noteworthy. Having the first-time event achieve the accomplishments that it did makes the event a miracle. Although the Indigenous Heritage Festival did not achieve its projected audience size, the achievements it did reach will ensure that the festival has a strong foundation on which to grow.
The 2004 Indigenous Heritage Festival was an event that brought together indigenous tribes from Taiwan, Africa, and North America to showcase international indigenous culture to the Central Florida community. The event was held in conjunction with Diversity Week at the University of Central Florida in the spacious and modern Student Union Building. The Taiwanese indigenous culture, in particular, was the highlight of the festival, although bringing together tribes of other parts of the world gave spectators a glimpse into the colorful commonalities of the indigenous cultures of the world.
We would like to thank the 32 volunteers and the 14 event committee members who donated their time and efforts to make the event possible.
UNITING INDIGENOUS NATIONS OF THE WORLD
The event featured the Taipei Multicultural Arts indigenous performance troupe, which consisted of 25 talented singers, dancers and musicians. The troupe was led by Alice Takewatan, a member of the Bunun tribe who is well-known for her efforts to bring the tribes of Taiwan together for various projects. Taiwan-resident Philip Diller provided excellent translation and interpretation services. The Taiwanese troupe entertained the audience with two sets of colorful performances.
In the enormous Pegasus Grand Ballroom, Groupe Afric Azolou, led by Martin Zagbo, provided an exciting series of West African drum and music performances. Their breathtaking performances had the audience on the edge of their seats. Chief (Fihankrahene) Kwadwo O. Akpan I, leader of Fihankra International, from Ghana, Africa, gave a very passionate address about the importance of recognizing and preserving indigenous cultures. He stated the importance of the festival and had to say about its humble beginnings, "How do you take on eating an elephant? One bite at a time." To view more information about the participants, please visit the Performances web page at: http://www.indigenousfestival.org/Performances.asp and click on the links to the performers' media kits.
CULTURAL EXHIBITS
In the Cape Florida Ballroom were spectacular cultural exhibits. The Seminole Tribe of Florida displayed crafts and cultural attractions. The Navajo Nation also had their own display booth, shared by Pamela and Threehawk Attcity. ATAYAL, the Central Florida Taiwanese Association and the Taiwanese Student Association of the University of Central Florida anchored the exhibit area that featured spectacular displays of indigenous Taiwanese culture. The Taipei Multicultural Arts Group displayed intricate woodcarvings, colorful textiles and large banners. Well-known Taiwanese photographer, Kuei-shih Tien, showcased an exhibit of 20 museum-quality photographs of facial tattoo culture of the Atayal tribe. Hedy Yudaw Domzalski, an artist and animator of Taiwan's Truku tribe displayed her framed artwork. David Masaku and Andrew Mutiso, Master woodcarvers from Kenya, Africa displayed beautiful carvings of animals and African motifs. Fihankra International, of Ghana, Africa, also had an informative display booth. The Asian-American Chamber of Commerce (http://www.asianamericanchamber.org) took part in the exhibit. To view more information about the exhibitors, please visit the Exhibits web page at: http://www.indigenousfestival.org/Exhibits.asp and click on the links to the performers' media kits.
INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL
In the Sand Key Room, we featured the Indigenous Heritage Film Festival. The room held 80 people and continuously ran a cycle of films throughout the day. The films included Atayal (Taroko) Trail. This one-hour documentary film was created last year in Taiwan, with the help of the ATAYAL organization, featuring a historical account of the Atayal tribes that lived in the Taroko region of Taiwan. Not only does this film feature the beauty of the Taroko region of Taiwan, it describes the demise of the Atayal tribes as they resisted the Japanese colonial rule during the early 1900's. Other films featured were: Purple Petal by Hedy Yudaw Domzalski, and The Shirt and Honey Moccasin by Shelly Niro. To view more information about the films, please visit the Film Festival web page at: http://www.indigenousfestival.org/FilmFestival.asp and click on the links to the performers' media kits.
OPENING CEREMONIES
Leaders from the local to global level were invited to speak to honor the indigenous people of the world. Florida State Representative Sheri McInvale welcomed the visitors and stated Florida's commitment to indigenous and international cultures. Samuel Wu, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami welcomed the indigenous visitors and made a statement of the importance of the indigenous cultures to Taiwan and the world. Also speaking were Eric Chen, President of the Taiwanese Students Association of the University of Central Florida and Tony Coolidge, founder of the non-profit organization, ATAYAL. A ribbon-cutting ceremony kicked off the celebration.
AWARDS CEREMONY
It is important to acknowledge and publicly recognize people and organizations that have made a difference for indigenous peoples of the world. This will encourage more to do the same. We recognized individuals and organizations for eight categories of the 2004 Indigenous Heritage Awards by presenting them with a beautiful engraved crystal award. Award winners included:
David DeHass - Indigenous Heritage Award for Leadership - Hollywood, FL Representative of the Board of Directors and an established leader of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Marvin Couch - Indigenous Heritage Award for Philanthropy - Retired Florida legislator who contributed generously to make possible the creation of ATAYAL and the Indigenous Heritage Festival.
Disney - Indigenous Heritage Award for Visual Media - Recognized for their portrayal of indigenous cultures in popular animated films, Brother Bear and Pocahantas. Accepted by Ray Bagwell, Director for Minority Business Development for Disney.
Cultural Survival Quarterly - Indigenous Heritage Award for Print Media - Publication dedicated to indigenous people and issues of the world.
Kuei-Shih Tien - Indigenous Heritage Award for Visual Arts - Photographer who beautifully chronicled the disappearing facial tattoo culture of the Atayal tribe of Taiwan.
Thirza Defoe - Indigenous Heritage Award for Performing Arts - Accomplished performer and visual storyteller from the Ojibwe and Oneida tribes.
nila northSun - Indigenous Heritage Award for Literature - Accomplished poet and storyteller from the Shoshone culture.
The Council of Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan, Taiwan ROC - Indigenous Heritage Award for Public Policy - The branch of the government of Taiwan committed to indigenous issues. Advances in public policy have helped to improve the landscape for Taiwan's indigenous people over the past several years. Accepted by Samuel Wu, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.
IMPACT OF THE EVENT
Although turnout was lower than expected, several hundred visitors experienced parts of the festival throughout the day. Key members of the media were able to share the event with the public, including Erin Ailworth, a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. Her nearly full-page article graced the Local & State section of the Sunday edition, which reached 350,000 readers in Central Florida. Wendy Chen also covered the event for the World Journal, a Mandarin Chinese newspaper in Florida.
Several visitors also requested to work with our organization to expand the Indigenous Heritage Festival to Detroit, Michigan and Largo (Tampa area) Florida. Growth is in the horizon. Ray Bagwell of Walt Disney World declared the event and its performers world-class and looked forward to future participation with Disney in the future.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE
The Taipei Multicultural Arts troupe was able to develop relationships with members of Fihankra International of Ghana, Africa and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Tony Coolidge and Philip Diller were able to arrange for a cultural exchange tour for the troupe with the Seminole Tribe of Florida (http://www.seminoletribe.com) in Hollywood, Florida. On Monday, October 18, 2004, the indigenous Taiwanese delegation visited the headquarters of the Seminole Tribe and performed in their auditorium. On Tuesday, October 18, the Taiwanese delegation toured the Ah-tah-thi-ki Museum and the Big Cypress Reservation to experience Seminole culture. Their performance was broadcast on live television (Seminole TV) to thousands of households in Florida. Even though some of the tribal elders could not speak to each other, the two groups developed a close bond and deep appreciation for each other. Two teachers discussed having a student exchange program between the two indigenous nations. The Seminole Tribe also invited the Taiwanese delegation to return in February for an international festival, which will provide further opportunities to strengthen ties.
To view photos of the festival, please visit our Photo Gallery page at http://www.indigenousfestival.org/photogallery.asp.
