To Danielle Culp, a member of the Cherokee Nation, finger weaving is more than just craftsmanship. It is a way to honor her ancestors while keeping Cherokee heritage alive — and soon, she’ll be sharing that heritage on the National Mall at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
“Yes, we are still here,” she told NBC4.
After several years highlighting world cultures, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Peru and China, this year’s edition of the festival features two programs rich in history: “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region” and “Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S.”
The Ozarks is a mountainous region that runs through parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois and the southeastern corner of Kansas. Throughout history, it's welcomed migrants from all over the world.
Culp, a member of the Cherokee Tribe and a finger weaver artist, shared why this year’s theme is so special.
“Traditionally, before America was America, the Ozarks would have been land that belonged to other tribes and a lot of people who are in the Ozarks are people that have been transplanted there. That is one thing this festival celebrates, the diversity within The Ozarks,” Culp said.
The events will run from June 29 to July 4, pausing briefly before returning from July 6 through July 9. Attractions will last from 11 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., plus there will be free concerts on most nights.
Through storytelling, flavorful food, dance performances and a Celestial Stories Soundscape, the Folklife festival offers all types of sensory experiences, bringing the diverse region of the Ozarks to thousands of visitors.
You'll have multiple chances to catch many of the popular programs. Here's the full schedule. Some highlights include:
- Eating the Ozarks: Foraged Feasts with Rachael West (schedule)
- Genealogy research (schedule)
- A wooden mountain bike trail on the National Mall, featuring riding and trail-building demonstrations (schedule)
- A Community Square Dance and other dance classes (schedule)
- Old-timey and twangy jams at the Pickin' Parlor (schedule)
“This year marks a much-desired return to programs featuring cultural stories found throughout the U.S.," the festival’s director Sabrina Lynn Motley said.
The Americana theme challenged festival organizers and staff to “bring fresh eyes to the familiar, push beyond tired stereotypes and highlight diverse sources of creativity and community,” Motley said.
The purpose of the festival's theme this year is to strengthen and preserve traditions by sharing them on the National Mall, the Smithsonian said, including those of Native American and Indigenous communities.
At the Folklife Festival, Culp, who is also a producer for OSYO TV, a network dedicated to highlighting the voices of the Cherokee community, is set to demonstrate basket weaving and the process of tying individual feathers to shoulder-length capes traditionally worn by Cherokee people.
Culp said that some people express shock when she tells them about her native identity and craftsmanship.
“There are literally still people today who say ‘Oh, I didn’t know Indigenous people were still here’ or ‘you guys are still around?’”
According to Culp, the festival is a way of saying: “Yes, we are still here."
“We get to highlight that we as Cherokee people are also part of the Ozarks. While we have our own culture and our own traditions, we are also part of the bigger cultural region of The Ozarks,” explained Culp.
According to KSMU, the NPR affiliate in the Ozarks, some of the Native American tribes that have resided in the region include Osage, Quapaw, Caddo, Delaware, Kickapoo and the Cherokee.
Just as the tribes who arrived at the Ozarks had to adapt to the region’s climate and resources, some Indigenous traditions have adapted to modern times.
“When I weave my purse baskets, that is not the traditional way the basket would have been used. So, I have taken this traditional basket and traditional pattern and I have made it this modern purse,” said Culp.
Entry to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is free. You can take the Blue, Silver or Orange lines to the Smithsonian Station, although watch out for crowds on July 4.
Learn more about the event here: Smithsonian Folklife Festival (si.edu).
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