Indigenous Peoples’ Day Rocks!
Saturday, October 9, 2021 from 12:30 – 6:30 p.m.
(Rain Date Sunday, October 10, 2021)
Town of Stowe Mayo Farm Fields, Weeks Hill Rd.
Stowe Vibrancy will celebrate the second Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Stowe. It promises to be day long event of culture, education, and music, including blessings by Chief of the Abenaki Nation, Abenaki drummers, Native American singers, authors and storytellers, vendors and many musical performances. Check back for more information closer to the event.
A HUGE thank you to our sponsors and partners, the generous contributions of our 2020 donors, the incomparable Joanne Shenandoah, members of the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe, musicians and performers, and you the attendees of this event.
Fire Keepers (Gifts of $1000+)
The Alchemist
Barr Law Group
Ferro Jewelers
John Fusco and Richela Renkun
The Green Mountain Inn
No Bull Project
Stowe Aviation
Stowe Music Center
Allies (Gifts of $500 – $1000)
Inntopia
In Company Clothing
Edelweiss
Everybody Water
Guayaki Yerba Mate
Friends (Gifts up to $500)
Edward Jones
Akwesasne Boys & Girls Club
Jesse Bowman Bruchac, is a Nulhegan Abenaki citizen, traditional storyteller, musician, and Abenaki language instructor. As one of the last fluent speakers of Western Abenaki, he works vigorously to revitalize the language and culture. His efforts have led to the creation of a Western Abenaki website, Youtube channel, Facebook group, and a number of bilingual publications.
As a musician he has produced several albums of Abenaki music, including traditional drum, rattle and flute. He has opened for The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and performed at Woodstock ’94. He won the Best Storyteller Competition at Indian Summer in Milwaukee in 1995. Jesse has also acted as consultant, translator, composer, and language coach for programs on AMC, National Geographic, and PBS.
Jesse began learning stories, songs, and language as a child from elders and his father Joseph. He has traveled throughout the United States visiting schools and universities to share Northeastern Native American traditional stories, music, language, history and culture for over two decades. He continues to learn and teach the language, including at the University of Southern Maine.
Bryan Blanchette, a Nulhegan Abenaki artist, brings 10,000 year old traditions in music and performance into a 21st century setting. A contemporary song may be sung in an Algonquian language, or a traditional pow wow song might be fused with Euro American musicology. His music is the continuation of millenniums of music tradition of the land that flourished before America was America. Beautiful music and Abenaki heritage combine to create one of New England’s most original artists.
Blanchette’s musical talent is unquestioned. Whether singing at a pow wow or performing solo at Vermont’s Flynn Theater, his voice makes listeners stop and take notice. He plays multiple instruments, writes his own music and lyrics. His contemporary music is critically acclaimed throughout New England.
His group,The Blackhawk Singers, are extremely popular and have performed internationally to critical acclaim. They have released two CDs.
John Fusco, award-winning writer and film maker in the film and TV industry, has written more than a dozen major-motion pictures and TV series. He is widely known for his works that explore the American West and Native American rights issues and protection of sacred Native American sites. John received the Humanitarian Award and Best Film Award at the in 2003 American Indian Film Awards.
earning two nominations for a Blues Music Award for Best Soul/Blues Album, winning the International Blues Challenge ‘Best Self-Released CD Award’, and being chosen for Downbeat Magazine’s ‘Best Recordings of the Year’.
Peter Schmeeckle, Musical Director of Indigenous Peoples’ Day Rocks, grew up in Barre, Seattle, and Los Angeles. He served as a drummer in the Marines and has been active in the jazz scenes in Honolulu, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Diego.
Jeremy Hill is one of Vermont’s top double bassists. Hailing from Waterbury and teaching in Waitsfield, he is one of the area’s finest jazz musicians and has been a part of the Stowe Jazz Festivals’ after-hours house band at Doc Ponds with the Sklarkestra every year of the festival.
his forty years plus performance credits include engagements and recordings with artists such as Phish, Black Uhuru, Sun Ra, and Science Fixion just to name a few. Kenneth shares a Native American heritage and currently hails from Barre, Vermont.
