The Living Earth Festival July 21, 2011

Potomac Atrium, Welcome Plaza, various museum locations.

Presented in tandem with the opening of the museum’s exhibition, Conversations with the Earth: Indigenous Voices on Climate Change, this festival celebrates indigenous contributions to environmental sustainability, knowledge and activism. Tribally owned food cooperatives discuss sustainability and local farmers offer organic produce, smoked sausage and traditional American Indian dishes in an outdoor farmer’s market, while local and Native chefs compete in an Iron Chef-style cook-off. Hands-on family activities include creating your own pottery and cornhusk dolls, Hawaiian games, hula lessons and basket-weaving demonstrations. The festival also includes a live outdoor concert, a special “Dinner & a Movie” event, and a symposium featuring economist and activist Jeremy Rifkin, Gregory Cajete (Santa Clara Pueblo) of the University of New Mexico, and Melissa K. Nelson (Anishinaabe/Metis) of The Cultural Conservancy.