Join us on Saturday, July 29, from 1 – 5 p.m. at Father Hennepin Bluff Park (420 SE Main St, Minneapolis) for the Owámni: Falling Water Festival, a celebration of indigenous Minnesota cultures. Owámni is what the Dakota called the area at St. Anthony Falls. It means, “whirling or falling water” in the Dakota language, making it an appropriate name for this festival along the Mississippi River.
This free, family-friendly event, co-presented by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the St Anthony Falls Heritage Board, celebrates indigenous Minnesota culture with music, art, food, and more! Enjoy the many event offerings with the opportunity to try your hand at lacrosse; view and learn more about artifacts from the collection of the Minnesota History Center’s collection; picnic in the park with Native foods from Dream of Wild Health and other food vendors. The music portion of the festival will be highlighted by a performance from nationally known Keith Secola.
Art
An arts fair area focused on American Indian contemporary traditional and fine arts will showcase the talents of indigenous visual artists. Explore the arts area focused on American Indian contemporary traditional and fine arts. Hands on art opportunities will also be available.
Music
The Owámni Falling Water Festival will celebrate indigenous voices, connecting both locally and nationally through music featuring Hoka Hey Drum Group, Bluedog, Frank Waln and Keith Secola.
STAGE LINE-UP
Keith Secola – Rock/Folk
Keith Secola is Anishinaabe. He is an icon and ambassador of Native music. He is one of the most influential artists in the field today. Keith is a songwriter of the people. Critics have dubbed him as the Native versions of both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. A seven-time Native American Music Award winner, Secola has earned NAMMYs not only for his music, but also his abilities as a producer, to include The Best Linguistic Recording for producing ANISHINABEMOIN (2007).
Frank Waln
Frank Waln is an award winning Sicangu Lakota Hip Hop artist and music producer from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. A recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, Waln attended Columbia College Chicago where he received a BA in Audio Arts and Acoustics. Waln’s awards include three Native American Music Awards, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development 2014 Native American 40 Under 40, the 2014 Chicago Mayor’s Award for Civic Engagement, and the 2016 3Arts Grant for Chicago Artists.
Bluedog – Blues/Rock
Bluedog is an award winning band from Minneapolis and was the Native American Music Award Winner for Group of the Year (2010). In July of 2010, Bluedog’s single “Get Up, Get Out” was nominated for best blues recording for the Indian Summer Music Awards.
Hoka Hey Drum Group
Twin Cities Native American drum group. They have performed at various events all across the Twin Cities area.
Food
Pow-Wow Grounds, Sioux Chef and Austin Barthold will be making and selling local indigenous foods.
This event is made possible by a grant from the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board. Event partners include the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, Minnesota Historical Society, and Dream of Wild Health.