Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival | Kids Out and About San Antonio <

Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival


*The event has already taken place on this date: Sat, 11/13/2021
Highlighting the continued vibrancy and artistic traditions of Native American communities – and the local tribes who helped shape San Antonio – the Briscoe Western Art Museum invites everyone to enjoy its annual Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival. The event is free and includes admission to the Briscoe, making it a perfect way to celebrate the important role Native Americans played in shaping the West while enjoying art and artifacts that highlight Native American history.

Please help us keep this calendar up to date! If this activity is sold out, canceled, or otherwise needs alteration, email mindy@kidsoutandabout.com so we can update it immediately. If you have a question about the activity itself, please contact the organization administrator listed below.

Offering a view into traditional and contemporary Native American culture, the free community festival features storytelling, artist demonstrations, pottery, weaving and carving, as well as Native American-inspired food. Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival also features workshops and lectures celebrating Native American culture. The event starts with a special blessing, followed by a ceremonial drum circle that invites everyone to join.

The annual event is named in honor of the Payaya people who were indigenous to the San Antonio area. “Yanaguana” was the word they used to describe what is now known as San Antonio River. The festival the groups with historical roots in the San Antonio area and highlights a core pillar of Western Art featured in the Briscoe’s collection. The festival has been held annually since the museum opened, with 2020’s event taking place virtually.

“Native Americans are a key component of the American West and one of the pillars of Western Art. The Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival offers the opportunity to see, interact and celebrate with Native American artists and performers,” said Michael Duchemin, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Briscoe Western Art Museum. “The performances and art tell a story that’s compelling for all ages, making the event a true family affair.

Free all-day community event!

Schedule of activities:

10:00 am
Blessing
Join us as the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions opens our annual market with a spiritual blessing.

10:00 am
Enemy Horse Drumming Performance
The Pow Wow-style drum circle kicks off the day of festivities.         

10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Chickasaw Storytelling with Amy Bluemel
A gifted storyteller and educator, Amy Bluemel’s appreciation for cultural awareness came early: raised in a military family, she lived in Germany, Okinawa, Turkey and Scotland before returning to her Chickasaw roots in America. As the great-granddaughter of Eastman Kaney (an original Dawes Commission enrollee), Bluemel is a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation and often performs with the dance troupe Chikashsha Hithla during nationwide tours. She shares Chickasaw customs (and those of other southeastern tribes) with audiences of all ages.

10:15 am
Pow Wow Dance and Drumming Performance
United San Antonio Pow Wow, Inc. and Enemy Horse Drumming
The intertribal USAPW, Inc. demonstrates and explains common pow wow dance styles:  Men’s Fancy Feather, Straight, Traditional, and Grass; and Women’s Jingle, Fancy Shawl, Straight, and Southern Cloth.

11:15 am
Enemy Horse Drumming Performace

11:30 am
Art & Ranching Talk and Workshop with Shane Hendren
Shane Hendren (Diné/Navajo)
Member of the Indian Arts & Craft Association (IACA)—an organization committed to promoting the integrity of materials—Hendren returns for a discussion on the art and ranching that ties to Native American culture.

1:00 pm
Ledger Art Workshop with George Levi
George Curtis Levi (Southern Cheyenne)
Ledger Artist George Levi leads participants through a historical and creative journey centered on ledger art—Plains-style narrative drawing.

2:00 pm
Tim Blueflint Contemporary Native Flute Performance
Tim Blueflint Ramel (Bad River Chippewa/Commanche)
Artist, educator, and performer Tim Blueflint draws his creative and musical influence from the memories and stories shared by his family and those who have graced his life. As a self-taught musician and artist, Blueflint has shared his improvisational traditional music, art and memories as a featured performer at venues throughout Indian Country and beyond.

4:15 pm
Tim Blueflint Contemporary Native Flute Performance


Crafts-happening throughout the day!

  • Pinch Pot
  • Leather Medallions
  • Traditional Basket Weaving
  • Big Community Basket
  • Paper Plate Baskets
  • Cardboard Loom Weaving
  • Coloring Pages
  • Roaming Bison Art
  • Carve-A-Canoe
  • Ledger Art Coloring Pages
  • Reading Zone
  • Katsina Carving
  • Flute Making
  • Jewelry

*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.

Location:

210 W. Market Street
San Antonio, TX, 78205
United States

Phone:

210-299-4499
Contact name: 
Information
Email address: 
The event has already taken place on this date: 
11/13/2021
Time: 
10:00 am – 5:00 pm