News from Native California

Indigenous Arts Market
2024-11-23 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Indigenous Art Market, 203 Cotter Street, San Francisco, California, 94112
Stop by the tribe’s Indigenous Arts Market this November 23rd. Open to the public, donation is asked at entrance. Come enjoy the family kitchen, Cali-Native exhibitors, dancers, songs, and prayer. Limited vendor space please reach out if interested. Email:​ crct1992@gmail.com

American Indian Educational Film Series: REEL INJUN
2024-11-23 12:30 - 15:30 | Dell’Arte International, 131 H St, Blue Lake, California, 95525
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Dell’Arte International is hosting a series of films and documentaries made by Indigenous artists. Join the company in discussions held by Samantha Williams-Gray (Tlingit) to explore the concepts and issues represented in the films. Dell’Arte invites you to turn their series into your new November tradition. Come out, learn, support and celebrate contributions of Native peoples.

The second film, Reel Injun, is a documentary that explores the portrayal of Native Americans in film and will be shown on Saturday, November 23rd.

Doors open at 12:30, and film begins at 1:00pm. At this event the company will have concessions for purchase and Native vendors will be selling their creations. Entrance is free, and first come, first served until the house is full.
Interested Native Vendors: call Julie Douglas (707) 668-5663

American Indian Educational Film Series: Smoke Signals
2024-11-29 12:30 - 15:30 | Dell’Arte International, 131 H St, Blue Lake, California, 95525
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Dell’Arte International is hosting a series of films and documentaries made by Indigenous artists. Join the company in discussions held by Samantha Williams-Gray (Tlingit) to explore the concepts and issues represented in the films. Dell’Arte invites you to turn their series into your new November tradition. Come out, learn, support and celebrate contributions of Native peoples.

The third film, Smoke Signals, a coming-of-age dramedy based on the short story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie, will be shown on Friday, November 29th.
Doors open at 12:30, and films begin at 1:00pm. At this event the company will have concessions for purchase and Native vendors will be selling their creations. Entrance is free, and first come, first served until the house is full.

Interested Native Vendors: call Julie Douglas (707) 668-5663

1st Annual Indigenous Artists Extravaganza
2024-11-30 09:00 - 18:00 | Eureka Woman’s Club, 1531 J Street, Eureka, CA, 95501
Support local Indigenous Artists and get some holiday gift shopping done without the chaos of big stores and events. Shop local & support small businesses!
To be a vendor, please contact 707-954-8160

A Poetry Reading for Gaza II
2024-12-05 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
Join Workshops for Gaza for their second online poetry reading featuring Indigenous poetic geniuses Natalie Diaz, Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. The reading will be followed by a short moderated discussion.
Natalie Diaz is Mojave and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian community. She is the author of the poetry collections Postcolonial Love Poem, which won the Pulitzer Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award, and When My Brother Was an Aztec. She teaches at Arizona State University.
Jamaica Heolimeleikalani is a Kanaka Maoli poet and the author of Remembering our Intimacies: Moʻolelo, Aloha ʻĀina, and Ea. She is an associate professor of Indigenous and Native Hawaiian politics at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg writer, musician, intellectual and member of Alderville First Nation. She is the author of eight previous books including the novel Noopiming: A Cure for White Ladies, and Rehearsals for Living, co-authored with Robyn Maynard.
To register, go to workshops4gaza.com/workshops, donate to the Sameer Project, and fill out the registration form!

LA NDN Flea Market
2024-12-07 11:00 - 17:00 | The Chapter House LA, 1770 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90026
Come thru for the LA NDN Flea Market on Saturday, December 7 from 11 AM to 5 PM! In partnership with Jana Schmieding and featuring vendors selling recycled clothing, handcrafted jewelry, art, and more, visit The Chapter House to refresh your closet, eat good food, and enjoy great music.
Recommended donation: $5
Reserve a spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-ndn-flea-market-registration-1024142456657

Klamath Unbound: Celebrating a Historic River Restoration
2024-12-07 12:00 - 16:00 | California Museum, 1020 O St, Sacramento, California, 95814
Saturday, December 7
12:00 – 4:00 pm
California Museum, 1020 O St. Sacramento, CA
Join the California Museum to celebrate the completion of the Klamath River dam removal project—the largest of its kind in U.S. history!
This FREE event features:
• Screening of the Patagonia short film “Undammed”
• Panel discussions with Native American leaders, ecologists, and environmental advocates
• Book talk and book signing of “River of Renewal,” and a screening of its companion documentary
• Basketweaving demonstrations
• Bigfoot Frybread on-site with delicious frybread and tacos available for purchase
• Access to all current Museum exhibits.
Celebrate this new chapter for the Klamath River and learn about this monumental achievement from Native American leaders and environmental advocates who led the way!
Reserve your spot at klamathunbound.eventbrite.com

LA NDN Flea Market - After Dark
2024-12-07 18:00 - 19:00 | The Chapter House LA, 1770 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90026
After the LA NDN Flea Market is over, stick around for a comedy hour featuring Jana Schmieding and Brian Bahe from 6 – 7 PM!
Recommended donation: $10
Reserve a spot below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-ndn-flea-market-after-dark-registration-1063337082839

Fire Kinship Exhibition Preview: Artist Studio Visit with Leah Mata Fragua
2024-12-13 12:30 - 13:30 | CA
The Fowler’s second PST ART: Art & Science Collide exhibition, Fire Kinship: Southern California Native Ecology and Art, opens on January 12, 2025. It introduces fire as a generative element that connects us to our past and offers a collective path toward a sustainable future. The show presents a living history and expertise of the Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay communities. Contributing artist Leah Mata Fragua will share her art and practice during this studio visit.
Leah Mata Fragua is an artist, educator, and member of the Yak Tityu Tityu Yak Tiłhini (Northern Chumash) tribe located on the Central California Coast. A place-based creator, Leah embraces a kincentric approach, which seamlessly blends shared iconography with personal imagery, highlighting the impact each has on the other. She uses a range of materials, from found to organic, traditional to modern, to explore the interconnectedness of land, kinships, and self. Her art reflects how she prioritizes the protection of traditional materials and the continuation of art forms that are important to her community; and demonstrates the intersection between these values and her individual practice.

Indigenous DNA: Decolonized Native Art - Opening Ceremony
2024-12-13 17:30 - 21:00 | Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden St, Santa Barbara, California, 93101
13 Indigenous artists on Friday, December 13th!
Happens at the Olson Gallery inside the Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop starting at 10 AM with an Opening Ceremony starting at 5:30 PM.
Additional open gallery days on December 14th and December 18th with other viewings available by appointment.
ARTISTS INCLUDE: Solange Aguilar (@shesanargonnaut), John Kuhs, Kai Standy Manuelito (@manuelito.animations), Maura Sullivan, Lauren Nicole (@lauren.nicole.creations), Omepache, Monique Sonoquie, Helen Yanez (yanezs_art).

Winter Solstice & Holiday Boutique
2024-12-14 10:00 - 15:00 | Chumash Indian Museum, 3290 Lang Ranch Parkway, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91362, United States
Join the museum for their annual Winter Solstice & Holiday Boutique! Featuring Native vendors for holiday shopping, food and drinks, storytelling and the unveiling of their brand new mural featuring a talk from the artist!
Event and museum open at 10am
Chumash storytelling at 11am
Artist mural talk and unveiling 12pm.
Don’t miss out, bring your family and friends! Museum admission: $8 adult, $5 senior, student, child, military

Two Spirit/Indigiqueer Artist & Cultural Bearer Showcase 2024
2024-12-14 17:00 - 20:00 | SF LGBTQ Center, 1800 Market Street, San Francisco, California, 94102
Two Spirit/Indigiqueer Artist & Cultural Bearer Showcase 2024
Saturday, December 14, 2024
5-8 PM
SF LGBTQ Center, Rainbow Room, 1800 Market Street, SF
or Livestream on the BAAITS YouTube channel: @baaitspowwow6936
This amazing lineup of Artists and Cultural Bearers have put together vibrant presentations of work supported by the BAAITS Two Spirit/Indigiqueer Mini Grants. Please join the organization in celebration of their amazing contributions to community in the form of documentary, drag, digital art, drag, textile photography, and more!
Accessibility & Safety:

To protect the community, KN-95 face masks are required and will be provided.
There is an elevator at the center, which leads to the Rainbow Room on the 2nd floor.
Consider public transportation as street parking is limited. There are several MUNI stops within a block from the center; Civic Center BART is a 20 minute walk.
Livestream will be closed captioned and recorded for asynchronous watching.
Please reach out to mayra@baaits.org with any other accessibility questions or concerns.

Featuring:
“RainLluvia” A Multimedia Prayer by Yoli Alma-Flor and Teatro de La Vida
“Footwork Our Spirit” A Documentary Trailer about Healing Through Dance by Ana Corella
“Earth Wisdom Liberation” A Community Crafting Display by Lidia Ruelo-Salazar
“Two Spirit” A Multimedia Theatrical Performance by Maribel Martinez
“Queer Identity in Ceremonial Spaces” Textile Art Photography by Alejandra Xoxikoyoltl Reyes and Omero Sanchez
“Yelamu Two-Spirits Our Story: IndigeQueers of the San Francisco Bay Area” A Documentary Short by Ximena Zhao

Indigenous Holiday Craft Fair
2024-12-15 11:00 - 17:00 | Gray Area Grand Theater, 2665 Mission St, San Francisco, California, 94110
Join the center for the Indigenous Holiday Craft Fair featuring local artists. Explore crafts, jewelry, and performances while supporting the Indigenous community. Don’t miss the opportunity to shop, connect, and celebrate!
Vendor form: https://form.jotform.com/242975687563172

Yurok Art Market
2024-12-16 08:00 - 17:00 | Ada Waukell Charles Community Center, 225 Klamath Blvd., Klamath, California, 95548
The Yurok Tribe is seeking vendors for the first ever Yurok Art Market on Saturday, Dec. 21 in Klamath.
Mark your calendar to shop for unique arts and crafts by Tribal artisans. The sale of food and drinks will benefit Yurok Parks & Recreation Department youth programs.
To reserve a vendor space, follow the link below, scan the QR code, or contact Anthony Ulmer at aulmer@yuroktribe.nsn.us or 707-599-5772.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScGDXCqsOULWnpYbGuabrpMx8h4toaYMRm16fDTifQvcp6nBQ/viewform

Lunch & Learn: Fire Kinship
2024-12-27 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
Join the museum for a conversation online with exhibition co-curators Daisy Ocampo Diaz and Lina Tejeda who will discuss key themes and highlights in the exhibition Fire Kinship: Southern California Native Ecology and Art.
Daisy Ocampo (Caxcan) earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Riverside in 2019. Her research in Native and public history informs her work with museum exhibitions, historical preservation projects, and community-based archives. She integrates critical race theory, decolonial praxis of tribal sovereignty, and community traditions to create a new direction of inclusivity in public history that visibilizes Indigenous people, voices, and community narratives.
Lina Tejeda (Pomo) recently earned her M.A. in history at California State University, San Bernardino. Her areas of focus are California Indian studies and museum studies/public history. She is passionate about working in institutions and advocating for the return of sacred cultural items to tribal nations to which they belong and telling the true histories of the California Indian people. Lina is a traditional Pomo dancer and a student of her cultural traditions, including basket weaving, gathering materials, regalia making, and singing.
Image: Marlene’ Dusek, Healing your heart and healing sóoval with kúut (Marlene’ managing sumac gathering area, an essential plant relative for weaving) Photo by Kim Avalos.

Kinsale Drake Celebrating: The Sky Was Once a Dark Blanket
2025-01-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Books on the Park on 9th Avenue, 1231 9th Ave., San Francisco, California, 94122
Join Books on the Park Monday January 6 for a welcome of Kinslae Drake in celebration of her poetry collection The Sky Was Once a Dark Blanket at 9th Ave!
About The Sky Was Once a Dark Blanket
The Sky Was Once a Dark Blanket traverses the Southwest landscape, exploring intricate relationships between Native peoples and the natural world, land, pop culture, twentieth-century music, and multi-generational representations. Oscillating between musical influences, including the repercussions of ethnomusicology, and the present/past/future, the collection rewrites and rerights what it means to be Indigenous, queer, and even formerly-emo in the twenty-first century.
About Kinsale Drake
Kinsale Drake (Diné) is a poet, playwright, and performer based out of the Southwest. She is a winner of the 2023 National Poetry Series. Her work has appeared in Poetry Magazine, Poets.org, Best New Poets, Black Warrior Review, Nylon, MTV, Teen Vogue, Time, and elsewhere. She recently graduated from Yale University, where she received the J. Edgar Meeker Prize, the Academy of American Poets College Prize, the Young Native Playwrights Award, and the 2022 Joy Harjo Poetry Prize. She was named by Time Magazine as an artist representing her decade “changing how we see the world,” and is the founder of NDN Girls Book Club (www.ndngirlsbookclub.org).

Native American and Indigenous Artists: Consultant Services
2025-01-10 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-01-13 17:00 - 18:00 | CA
The CAC will conduct an informative webinar on this request for proposal. Interested parties must register online to paticipate in this webinar. For those unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded and published online.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aPud310fRkC6wIwbjBGhXg#/registration
SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Arts Council (CAC) has announced a new Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified consultants to design a process and co-create a grant program specifically to support California Native American artists. This program intends to address and mitigate funding disparities and increase the visibility of Native American artists.
This RFP invites proposals from individuals, sole proprietors, and organizations based in California, including certified small businesses, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBEs), 501(c)(3) organizations, and private for-profit organizations.

Native Artist Professional Development Training
2025-01-11 09:00 - 2025-01-12 16:30 | California Indian Museum & Cultural Center, 5250 Aero Dr., Santa Rosa, CA, 95403, United States
Artists in the Santa Rosa area, mark your calendars for an empowering two-day Native Artist Professional Development Training at the California Indian Museum & Cultural Center! This workshop, led by expert trainers Tiffany Adams and Carolyn Kualii, is designed to give both emerging and experienced artists the skills to thrive in the arts industry.
From marketing your work and managing finances to crafting your mission statement, you’ll gain practical, real-world tools to grow your arts business. Don’t miss this opportunity to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey in 2025!
January 11-12, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
QUESTIONS?
Contact First Peoples Fund NAPD program staff at programs@firstpeoplesfund.org for more information.

Fire Kinship: Southern California Native Ecology and Art
2025-01-12 - 2025-07-13 | Fowler Museum at UCLA, 308 Charles E Young Dr N, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, United States
Exhibit Runs: January 12 – July 13, 2025
@The Fowler Musuem at UCLA

Mark you calendars for the upcoming exhibit Fire Kinship: Southern California Native Ecology and Art. It introduces fire as a generative element that connects us to our past and offers a collective path toward a sustainable future. The show presents a living history and expertise of the Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay communities.

Prior to the colonization of Southern California in the 18th century, Native communities throughout the region used controlled fire practices to ensure the vitality of their local ecosystems. Fire-based land management practices ranged from small burns to spur healthy plant growth, to larger ones that strategically eradicated invasive species and reduced fuel loads (preventing catastrophic fires). Fire Kinship counters the attitudes of fear and illegality around fire, arguing for a return to Native practices, in which fire is regarded as a vital aspect of land stewardship, community wellbeing, and tribal sovereignty. These conversations have been shaped by key community leaders throughout Southern California: Lazaro Arvizu (Tongva), Marlene’ Dusek (Payómkawichum, Kúupangawish, Kumeyaay, and Czech), William Madrigal (Cahuilla/ Payómkawichum), Wesley Ruise Jr. (La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians), Stanley Rodriguez (Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel), William Pink (Pala Band of Luiseño Mission Indians), Lorene Sisquoc (Mountain Cahuilla/ Fort Sill Apache), and Myra Masiel-Zamora (Pechanga Band of Indians).
The baskets, ollas, rabbit sticks, bark skirts, and canoes presented in this exhibition were made possible through the relationship between people, place, and fire. Commissioned video, sculpture, portrait paintings, and installations by contemporary artists such as Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva and Scottish), Emily Clarke (Cahuilla Band of Indians), Gerald Clarke Jr. (Cahuilla Band of Indians), Leah Mata Fragua (Yak Tityu Tityu Yak Tiłhini Northern Chumash), Summer Herrera (Payómkawichum), Lazaro Arvizu (Tongva), and Marlene’ Dusek (Payómkawichum, Kúupangawish, Kumeyaay, and Czech) respond to and rejoin the cultural and historical objects, spurring a dialogue of critique, reflection, and futurity. The exhibition presents a living history that centers the expertise of Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay communities. Fire Kinship reintroduces fire as a generative element, one that connects us to our past and offers a collective path toward a sustainable future.

Singing the Birds
2025-01-25 | Palm Springs High School, 2401 E. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs, CA, 92262, United States
Singing the Birds (Wikitmallem Tahmuwhae): Bird Song and Dance Festival
Agua Caliente Welcomes Everyone!

Saturday January 25, 2025
Palm Springs High School

2401 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Sand Acknowledgment in Action: Lazaro Arvizu Jr.
2025-01-26 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-02-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Fowler Museum at UCLA, 308 Charles E Young Dr N, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, United States
Sand Acknowledgment in action with flute-playing and artist-facilitated meditation in the installation space, focused on the meaning of the sand painting in the exhibition Fire Kinship: Southern California Native Ecology and Art.
Lazaro Arvizu Jr. is an artist, educator, musician, and researcher dedicated to the culture of the first people of Los Angeles. Born in the Los Angeles Basin, he is knowledgeable about the landscape and cosmology of the Gabrieleno culture. For over 20 years, he has facilitated creative and meaningful cultural experiences for people of all ages and walks of life, in many venues.

Good Medicine at the San Fransisco Sketchfest
2025-01-31 19:00 - 20:30 | The Lost Church, 988 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, California, 94133
See Good Medicine perform at the San Francisco comedy festival SF Sketchfest!
Good Medicine is a national comedy showcase featuring the best and brightest Native comedians across North America. In 2020, Good Medicine launched virtually to fundraise for tribes impacted by COVID-19, raising over $11,000 for charitable causes. Since the show’s humble beginnings, Good Medicine has sold-out venues across the country and featured comedians hailing from over 35 tribal Nations who have been seen on Comedy Central, Netflix, ABC, NBC, FX and more! Don’t miss this nationally acclaimed showcase featuring fresh and diverse Native voices.
With Brian Bahe, Siena East, Jackie Keliiaa, Gigi Modrich, and Dash Turner!

Meet the Artist: Emily Clarke
2025-02-08 10:00 - 16:00 | Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, 140 N Indian Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA, 92262, United States
Meet the Artist! Come see Emily Clarke, from the Cahilla Band of Indians, for her trunk show t the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum with Febuary 8, 2025.
Emily Clarke is an enrolled member of the Cahuilla Band of Indians and a poet, bead artist, and traditional Bird Dancer. She is currently serving as the Academy of American Poets Poetry Coalition Fellow for Indigenous Nations Poets. Emily is a 2022 Pushcart Prize nominee and a recipient of the Hayden’s Ferry Review National Inditneous Poets prize. When she is not writing poetry, Emily creates beaded jewelry and art for her small business, Cahuilla Woman Creations. While Emily’s poetry navigates her experience as a Native woman in the 21st century, she sees her beadwork as a personal representation of Indigenous femininity and creativity. In her free time, Emily enjoys collaborating on communal arts and culture programming with various Native-led organizations and can be found cuddled up with a good book and her three cats.

Handmade with Love Pop-up Shop
2025-02-08 11:00 - 16:00 | Yurok Country Visitor Center, 101 Klamath Boulevard, Klamath, California, 95548
Find local artisans at the Handmade with Love Pop-up Shop! Discover unique, handcrafted goods from talented vendors. Support local crafts and find perfect gifts or treats for yourself and loved ones.
Contact Antoinette Hecker: ahecker@yuroktribe.nsn.us or call (707) 482-1555

Fall in Love with Your Culture: Ribbon Shirt & Skirt Making
2025-02-09 12:00 - 15:00 | Anaheim Church, 800 South Lemon St., Anaheim, California, 92805
Check out this workshop put on by the Gabrielino-Tongva Nation: Ribbon shirt and skirt making! Contact Patti to sign up and for supply list: (951) 712-6026 .
*This is a Gabrielino-Tongva Nation Event – Prefernce given to GTN Tribal citizens.
*Need to be willing to purchase own supplies.

Native Artists Winter Gathering: Craft Show and Sale
2025-02-22 10:00 - 2025-02-23 17:00 | Black Oak Casino Resort, 19400 Tuolumne Road North, Tuolumne, CA, United States
Come to the Native Artists Winter Gathering Craft Show and Sale.
Saturday, February 22, 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday, February 23, 10 am – 1 pm
The Native Artists Winter Gathering Craft Show and Sale is hosted by Dorthy
Standage Family Memorial Fund. Come and meet local Native artists selling their
jewelry, beadwork, featherwork, stickers, clothes, and more!

Free admission, all are welcome.
For more information and for vendor inquiries, contact: Sunny at sdelgadilo@mewuk.com

Fall in Love with Your Culture: Ribbon Shirt & Skirt Making
2025-02-23 12:00 - 15:00 | Live Again Fresno, 1145 W Hedges Ave, Fresno, California, 93728
Fresno area and virtual participants! Check out this workshop put on by the Gabrielino-Tongva Nation: Ribbon shirt and skirt making! Contact Regina to sign up and for supply list: (559) 892-3849 . Join in-person at Live Again Fresno or online over zoom.
*This is a Gabrielino-Tongva Nation Event – Prefernce given to GTN Tribal citizens.
*Need to be willing to purchase own supplies.

Native American Beadwork Workshop
2025-02-28 04:00 - 17:30 | Joe Balderrama Community Center, 709 San Diego St., Oceanside, California, 92058
February 28, 2025. 4:00-5:30 PM. Join the organization for an inspiring masterclass on the traditional art of Native American beadwork, a featured part of their Kids and Youth Class & Workshop series. (Ages 10 – 18) Discover the deep history behind this intricate craft and enjoy a hands-on opportunity to create your own unique beaded masterpiece. Don’t miss this journey into culture, creativity, and tradition!
