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Culture Extravaganza in the Everglades to Feature Native American Arts, Crafts, Food and Live Entertainment
Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Fla. (October 15, 2018) – The Seminole Tribe of Florida Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is pleased to announce the highly anticipated annual American Indian Arts Celebration (AIAC) November 2 – 3, 2018.  Now in its 21st year, the AIAC is one of the top festivals in the Southeast.  Celebrate Native American Heritage Month in the heart of the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation!
The event will feature an exciting array of arts, crafts, food, hands-on activities, musical performances, dance demonstrations, and wildlife presentations. The Indian market, featuring 50 vendors, will showcase some of the finest native craftsmen, including prize-winning Seminole artisans. Daily performances will include an opening ceremony by Seminole Tribal elder Bobby Henry and his team of dancers; Nakotah LaRance—six time world championship hoop dancer; and Native Pride Dancers from Minnesota—an internationally known high-energy show featuring an innovative blend of modern and traditional Native American dance styles.  Wildlife shows will be provided by Billie Swamp Safari and alligator wrestling by Billy Walker, who has been wrestling alligators since the 1980s.   Be sure to check out live demonstrations, including wood carving by Daniel Tommie, swamp cabbage cooking (with samples) by Billy Walker, Seminole food samples by Geraldine Osceola, and archery by Jake Osceola.
Modern Seminole musicians will light up the stage!  Friday’s musician RC North gives us a taste of alternative rock, and on Saturday hear the soulful tunes of Kowako Billie, followed later in the day by rappers Aye Five, featuring Carradine and DC.  Saturday’s line-up will additionally include a fashion show highlighting Seminole clothing throughout the years.
Our headliner for this year’s AIAC will be John and Kenn Little, members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, who will be presenting their documentary, More Than a Word at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.  The film traces how the word “r*dskin” evolved from being a term of racist derision and slander to being embraced as the name of one of the NFL’s most beloved franchises. It also draws on the voices of Native American activists and scholars to place this controversy within the wider context of Native American history and racial stereotyping, more generally.  A panel discussion with the directors will follow.
The event will take place outdoors at the festival grounds across from the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation.
Admission is $10 for adults; $7.50 for seniors and students (5-18 years, or with a college ID). Tribal members, children four years and under, and Museum members are free. Admission includes entrance to the event and the Museum. Parking is ample and free.
For more information on the 21st Annual AIAC, please visit www.ahtahthiki.com/events or contact Carrie Dilley at 863-902-1113 extension 12211 or [email protected].
About the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum
The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Situated in the Everglades on a 66-acre cypress dome on the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, the Museum offers more than 5,000 square feet of gallery space. Exhibits feature rare artifacts and lifelike dioramas that depict Seminole life at the turn of the century. In 2009, the Museum became the first tribally-governed museum to be accredited by the American Association of Museums. Open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the museum is located 17 miles north of Interstate 75 at Exit 49. For more information, visit www.ahtahthiki.com or call 863-902-1113.

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