Moundville Park is holding its annual Native American festival beginning today, with activities going on through Saturday. The park opens at 9 a.m. each morning and will close around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The festival features many of its usual venues, all of which are educational and historically driven. According to Moundville’s website, different demonstrations, including basket weaving, stone carving and pottery will be set up around the mounds. Different groups will perform Native American dances, and musical groups will play as well.
“Injunuity, who won an Emmy for best new duo, will play at the festival,” Betsy Irwin, director of the festival, said. The group from Ada, Okla., mixes Native American flute sounds with other instruments. Musical performances by Jennifer Kreisberg and Pura Fé will also be held, among others. The dance troupes planning to perform will include a demonstration of stomp dancing, Choctaw dance, and other Southeastern Native American dances.
Besides music and history, Moundville has numerous other interesting attractions for festival-goers. Storytellers will be placed throughout the park, telling Native American tales. By the river, a fisherman will demonstrate the common ways of catching food during the time period. In the museum’s food court, as well as sporadically around the park, visitors can experience true Native American cuisine. Foods such as shuck-roasted corn, buffalo burger and roasted turkey legs will be available.
Attendees will have the chance to shop, too. Artists’ booths throughout the park will sell goods such as jewelry, leather products, shell carvings and reproduction knives and points. One craftsman’s group will demonstrate how to carve the stone tools and points and then sell the finished product.
Moundville is the site of a homestead of prehistoric Southeastern Indians, who lived and operated under a chiefdom stratification system. In this type of society, nobles achieved status by birth, and power passed through families. Historical demonstrations will be held during the festival in order to further educate people about the type of society that was in place at Moundville at its height.
“The festival has been held annually since 1989, and I have coordinated it since 1992,” Irwin said. Students are invited to take part in the festivities, as the University is a sponsor of the park.
Rachel Mach, a freshman majoring in computer science, said she would be interested in going to Moundville for the first time.
“I think a lot of times, we don’t choose to learn more about other cultures,” Mach said. “The fact that the University promotes this and supports Moundville is great.”
The UA Anthropology Club supplies some of the volunteers for the festival; four students help the whole day each of the four days. Anthropology students at the University who are interested in archaeology also have the option of doing field work for a semester at a time at Moundville. The students get hands-on experience in their avenue of study by taking part in archaeological digs on site.
“This festival is a homecoming for many Native Americans who were removed from the Southeast,” Irwin said. “They come to socialize and because they want to teach people about their heritage.”
Entrance fees are $8 for students (including UA students), and $10 for adults. For directions to Moundville, visit the park’s official website, moundville.ua.edu.
[IF YOU GO]
What: Moundville Native American Festival
When: Today – Oct. 8
Where: Moundville Park
Cost: $8 for students, $10 for adults
More information: moundville.ua.edu
