Santa Fe Days | Largest American Indian Art & Culture Celebration & POWWOW in North Texas @ Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum April 1st 2nd 3rd 2022 featured on Channel 5 News!

The largest North Texas AMERICAN INDIAN CELEBRATION coming to Cleburne, Texas.  

APRIL 1 -  Friday 3 pm – 8 pm 
APRIL 2 -  Saturday   9 am – 8 pm
APRIL 3 -  Sunday 9 am – 4 pm

UPDATED 02/13/2022

American Indian Arts and Culture event 
Event name: IIAmericas Celebration – Santa Fe Days
Event Sponsor:  Indigenous Institute of the Americas
Title Sponsor and Host:  
Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum
101 Chisholm Trail
Cleburne, TX 76033

Event contacts
Email:  iiamericas.org@gmail.com
Event Website:  https://iiamericas.org/santafedays/
Phone:  Carrie Reynolds 254-998-0261

The last event had 7,000 attendees.


The Indigenous Institute of the Americas is a 501 (C) 3 nonprofit, Texas organization that sponsors the 15th annual American Indian Arts and Culture event, IIAmericas Celebration -Santa Fe Days.  
 
The IIAmericas Celebration: Santa Fe Days honors the complex and diverse history as well as contemporary lives and resilient adaptations of American Indian culture today. 

This year's event will bring American Indian artists representing 40 or more Nations across the U.S.   Our artists present unique jewelry, pottery, and artwork reflecting these diverse Nations. 

Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum Gates will open to the public on Friday, April 1, 2022, at 3 pm.
 
Parking is what we call "old school style"; $10 per car.  Each person will receive a wristband that covers parking for the entire weekend. We appreciate cash payment which will make parking accessible and faster, so help us spread the word. Guests can purchase additional wristbands for $2.00 a person. (In case you drive a new set of people to the event because it's so much fun!) All parking proceeds will be donated to the repair and repurchase of Museum teepees lost by storms in recent years. 

Highlights
Friday, April 1st
Gates open: 3 pm to Public

Memorial Gourd Dance
Time: 4 pm to 8 pm 
Location: Pow Wow grounds
Drum:  Cedar Dale Singers

This ceremonial dance blesses the grounds for our event and is said to be founded by the Kiowa Nation. It has a rich history as a Warrior society. The Gourd Dancers have been honored; we say "brought into the circle" of this ceremonial dance. Gourd Dancers are selected from American Indian community members who contributed to the safety of this Nation as Active Duty or Veterans and the welfare of their home communities. The audience will see youth and adults brought into this dance society for the first time at our event. This ceremonial dance is reserved only for Gourd dancers. Our guests are welcome to bring their lawn chairs and watch this dance, but only members of a Gourd Dance society are allowed to dance. 

Meet N Greet featured artists Damon Neal and Irene Neal, Jicarilla Apache
Time:  6 pm to 7 pm
Location: Pavilion

The Neals will share their rich cultural history and background as artists. Damon Neal will use this event to inspire a new painting, come to visit them throughout the weekend to watch the artistic process. 

Saturday, April 2
Gates open:  9 am

Opening Ceremony and Grand Entry
10 am 
Location: Pow Wow Grounds
Daniel Alvarez will lead the opening ceremony, Apache U.S. combat, Silver Star recipient with the Renegade Nation Color Guard, and allies.  Opening Ceremony is open to Color Guards from throughout the Region; join us in this beautiful procession. Additionally, plains-style dancers, Aztec dancers, Community Leaders, Tribal Royalty, and Dignitaries will be present. The opening ceremony includes the Grand Entry with Memorial and Veteran's songs to honor our Military Active duty and Veterans. 

John Taylor Memorial Youth Pow Wow
10:30 am begins 
Location:  Pow Wow Grounds

The John Taylor Memorial Youth Pow Wow will present cash prizes and gifts for ages toddlers (who must be able to stand up on their own without help for 30 seconds) to age 18.  In addition, ages 18-25 can compete with proof of attending post-high school training or education.  Intertribal, social, and audience participation dancing will be scheduled on both Saturday and Sunday throughout the competition.  Adult community members who would like to dress out and help with demonstration dancing may sign-up at this link:  

Ribbon Shirts and Skirts Fashion show 
Time: Saturday TBA
Location:  Music Stage 
Judges include: 
Arthur Redcloud, a Dine' Native American actor, known for his role as Hikuc Academy Award-winning movie: The Revenant and Texas Christian University Featured Twirler, Haylee Chiariello, Cherokee Nation.

Professional Twirling Demonstration and Children’s Twirling Workshops by 
Featured Texas Christian University Twirler, Haylee Chiariello, Cherokee Nation
Time: TBA Saturday and Sunday
Location:  Music Stage
Haylee Chiariello, Cherokee Nation, will perform and talk about Twirling as a sport that led her pathway from the Cherokee Nation to Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas. She will have three workshops for children on Saturday, including a tiny tot workshop for ages 7 and under on Saturday. Haylee will be bringing batons of all sizes to the clinics so that everyone can practice and have fun!  Aunties and Grandmas - bring your batons for fun!  

National Covid Mourning Memorial Dance Special
Time:  2pm
Location:   Pow wow Grounds
Saturday and Sunday, a Memorial Dance Special will bring together the American Indian community and our community guests to dance and experience the healing memorial songs of our ancestors. This dance will honor the loved ones who were lost the last few years during the pandemic.  Register the name of your friends and family members you want to honor.   The public is encouraged to join us.

Stickball Demonstrations and Workshops
Time:  All Day
Location:  Stickball field 
Enjoy daily Stickball demonstrations and workshops with Eli Hickman and the Little Brother of War organization.  All ages welcomed.

Sunday, April 3
Gates open at 9:30 am

All Nations Church Service
Time:  10 am
Location: Sound Stage
This service is for all denominations and is open to our guests.  Please bring your tribal hymns and share them that morning.  Help us bring the beautiful language of your people back to this land.  Open to the public.

John Taylor Memorial Youth Pow Wow
10:30 am begins 
Location:  Pow Wow Grounds

The John Taylor Memorial Youth Pow Wow will continue with finalists from the older divisions.    Guest will be able to participate in the Intertribal and social dances respectfully.  In addition, a fun potato dance competition will include dignitaries and members of the IIAmericas organizing committee. 

National Covid Mourning Memorial Dance Special
Time:  2pm
Location:   Pow wow Grounds
Saturday and Sunday, a Memorial dance special will bring together the American Indian community and our community guests to dance and experience the healing memorial songs of our ancestors. This dance will honor the loved ones who have passed away during the pandemic. The public is encouraged to join us.

Saturday and Sunday
DAILY PERFORMANCES:  

Mitotilliztli Yaoyollohtli with Evelio Flores- Aztec Dancers

Harold Rogers and the Championship Plains-Style dancers.

Family Cultural Path and Children’s Craft area
Location:  Cultural Path
 A large family craft and education area will teach loom beading, dreamcatchers, and more. Children will earn a prize by completing a journey to visit representatives of American Indian organizations. In addition, we will have educational displays honoring the sacred Oak and Acorns of the Cleburne area Crosstimbers.  

Concessions 
Enjoy Indigenous foods such as Indian Tacos, Frybread, Three Sister's stew, and other dishes made by the best cooks from Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. 

Indigenous Market Place
Purchase products inspired by the plants, foods, and other resources first used in the Americas. Join us at the  Native Book Authors Corner to meet the youngest Native Author, Aslan Tudor who wrote,  Young Water Protectors about his experiences in the Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock.

Friends and Allies Booths
Guest will have an opportunity to meet representatives from American Indian Tribal groups, nonprofit services helping American Indian communities, and educational booths about Texas Tribes and their history.

This event is sponsored by the Indigenous Institute of the Americas, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, the Inter-tribal Council of AT&T, Little Brother of War Organization.

Keep up-to-date with event details at https://iiamericas.org/santafedays/.

please email us at iiamericas.org@gmail.com

Please note that for this event, the term American Indian is used.  American Indian is a legal term that means our event strives to meet the Federal Guidelines for the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 for the sale of Jewelry, Arts and Crafts made by Registered Members of Federally and State Recognized Tribes.

American Indian Artist Application Link:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFm5XjHPLaqPon4LNd6rXzgxQHgqk_onMyeIFsOJ4sZOr9Dg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Native American Food Vendors Link:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFm5XjHPLaqPon4LNd6rXzgxQHgqk_onMyeIFsOJ4sZOr9Dg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Would your company like to sponsor or help with IN-KIND donations?  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeaL0ySFt2veDPmX5sVcFtipTBwTjaYhqMOcKf6n_COp_BQDg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Friends and Allies Free Booth Registration:  Services, Nonprofits, Tribes: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7kVsAX2ZF6rjdMtNpCvncxcFcL0ZsMBoNOc4GF4oeg9CjRA/viewform?usp=sf_link 

Indigenous Market Place Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-KvBkXDuP8sDgd0oFD7S8SvG46uNn2u5QQ_1i1ePIiEyYyQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Volunteer Application:   https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduAe2o-QfaKovVNECkSlBj1s51omEu-flKFpDULAfkL7CTNw/viewform?usp=sf_link


 
Addendum:

Event History
The event was originally the inspiration of Downtown Carrollton Texas Merchant Dave Oldfield and became an annual event of the Carrollton community. In 2010, the Indigenous Institute of the Americas (IIAmericas) was asked to guide cultural protocols for their event. We continued until 2014 when the I-35 highway corridor project and downtown Carrollton city projects prevented the event from using the Downtown Square.

In 2014, the IIA brought this popular American Indian event under the umbrella of our organization, and we were invited to Sandy Lake Amusement Park by the Frank Rush family. The Rush family had a 3 generation history of relationships with American Indian tribes in Southwest Oklahoma. Over 7,000 guests attended the last event!

In 2018, the Rush family retired and sold the land for Sandy Lake. Our search for a new venue included locations across North Texas. Several American Indian artists in the Ft. Worth area recommended Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum. We are very happy to work with the new staff that has brought amazing changes to the Museum.