Nativefest will take place next week


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Photo courtesy of Ziibiwing Cultural Center

The Ziibiwing Cultural Center will host a four-day celebration of American Indian culture with the tenth annual Nativefest from July 21-30. The event will serve as a groundbreaking for the national Pow wow which will take place July 24-26. 

The festival will begin with Car Bingo from 6-9 p.m. on July 21. Registration sales open at 4:30 p.m., and it is $15 to participate. 

Bingo started on the Isabella Reservation in the 60s, and has now become a way to remind the community of beginnings in the gaming industry. Car Bingo was started by the Tomah Club as a fundraising effort. 

"That's how gaming started with the tribe," said Glenna Genereaux, events coordinator at Ziibiwing. "They used to sit at the campground and play Bingo in their cars, and they would honk if they won." 

The game is played with a "runner," who originally had to shout out the number and letter combinations by cupping their hands around their mouths. The runners are still used to check on the Bingo cards of the players. Winning a game of Bingo usually ends in yelling the word "Bingo," but during car bingo, participants honk if they win. Some participants choose different vehicles, such as golf carts and boats. 

Tents, tables and chairs will be available for onlookers. Refreshments will be served and funds will be donated to support revitalization of language in the tribal community. During Bingo, there will be inflatable bounce houses for children, face painting, balloon animals and caricatures for $5. 

On July 22, there will be a free comedy and music night, starting off with karaoke from 6-6:45 p.m. The comedy show will begin at 7 p.m. with an adult and youth comedy slam, followed by Ricardo Cate, a comedian and author. All week, Cate's work will be on display in the lobby of the center. On July 23, he will host a book signing from 1-3 p.m. His book "Without Reservations" will be available for purchase at the gift shop.

"As far as the musicians and comedians, participants are all Native," Genereaux said. "The purpose is to provide a contemporary platform for music and comedy."

Starting on July 23, a collection show will run at the cultural center until July 30. The Tribe will showcase a rare, 13-star Peace Flag gifted to the Anishinabek of the Great Lakes. The flag represents a time when the 13 colonies were seeking independence. 

Genereaux said funds raised by Nativefest will benefit the Ziibiwing Cultural Center.

"The money helps with our cultural activities, like the school groups that come in," she said. "We use it to by supplies so we can continue taking the culture to the children."

 

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Sydney Smith is a super-senior at Central Michigan University. She comes from metro Detroit ...

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