Preview: 2024 Many Nations One Land
by Ishmael Ali Khan Elias
The Many Nations One Land American Indian Music and Cultural Arts festival is back for an exciting third year on Sunday, June 2, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. People of all ages are invited to an afternoon of free activities, including Native food demonstrations, beading, and craft-making.
Hosts include American Indian Child Resource Center Title VI Indian Education Coordinator Manny Lieras (Navajo / Comanche) along with a co-host from Sogorea Te Land Trust. “This year we’re celebrating Land Back, particularly the win of the return of the West Berkeley Shellmound to Sogeorea Te Land Trust,” said comedian and Many Nations on One Land board member Jackie Keliiaa (Yerington Paiute / Washoe / Native Hawaiian). “We’ve also expanded the program this year to include emerging and youth artists.”
Keliiaa said the City of Oakland launched the Neighborhood Voices for Festivals program to highlight cultures in the city. “Oakland is the ancestral homeland of the Lisjan Band of the Confederated Ohlone Tribes and Native people have always been in Oakland,” she continued. “When the grant launched, the American Indian Child Resource Center and Sogorea Te Land Trust partnered to create a festival that highlights the diverse tribal communities right here in our backyard, with a focus on local Native talent. The festival highlights both traditional and contemporary Native artists, covering a wide array of music genres and talents, such as dance and comedy.”
The festival will be held at La Escuelita Elementary School Campus Outdoor Space, 1100 3rd Ave. in Oakland, and is sponsored by the City of Oakland, the American Indian Child Resource Center, Sogorea Te Land Trust, and the Oakland Unified School District.
Check out the event link for more details and to reserve a spot!
