ABOUT
The Festival celebrates the richness of Anishinaabe history, culture, and people, and seeks to build intercultural knowledge and respect for diversity in the region through craft, visual arts, dance, food, storytelling, and fashion.
As entrepreneur developers, we see the significant contribution artists and their artwork can have on a local economy. Not only are they small business owners, they are also spokespersons for their subject matter, their culture, and their community. Art is just one of many opportunities to create a destination point to attract visitors to a community, with visitors patronizing the local businesses while they are there.
Some artists do not consider themselves artists. Some say, “I just make quilts” or “this is just a hobby.” However, their creations are spectacular and in the eyes of those around them, it is beautiful art. We strive to help identify these creative individuals and encourage them to share their creations with the public.
We see hundreds of artists in every community. Some have taken the steps needed to sell their art within the community while others have not. An artist may create a few items to sell to earn the money they need at the moment or choose to create a larger quantity while still maintaining their uniqueness as an artist. Each artist is unique with their own individual goals. However, one thing they all have in common is their struggle to reach a market that will pay what their creations are truly worth.
Our goal is to connect and build stronger relationships with our neighbors, while sharing our story as Indigenous people.
Anishinaabe is the Ojibwe word for “People." Historically, the only people known to the Ojibwe were themselves and other Tribes in the regions they traveled. Once other cultures began arriving on the continent, the distinction became more specific to mean Indigenous people of the continent. These new cultures of people then labeled the Anishinaabe “Indians” because Columbus mistakenly thought he landed on India. This later evolved into American Indians or Native Americans. However, each Tribe has their own language, thus their own word for “people."
Indigenous: This is an identification of people who were originally in a region before any other people of different cultures arrived there. The Anishinaabe people were on the North American continent before the arrival of other cultures. They are indigenous to this region.
The inspiration for our Festival poster
The floral design captures the essence of the Ojibwe people from the Woodlands region of North America. Woodland art explores the relationships between people, animals, and plants, and is rich with spiritual imagery and symbolism. Historically, you were able to recognize who created each piece because each family used their own unique signature design. Our floral designs are well known to our neighbors and well sought after due to the colorful and intricate designs. The quality of this artistry can be seen in ancient pieces still surviving as museum pieces today.