BIG CYPRESS – “Honoring Our Matriarchs” is the theme for the inaugural Indigenous Arts and Music Festival (IAMF) set for March 4 and March 5 on the Seminole Tribe’s Big Cypress Reservation.

The event will take place at the Junior Cypress Entertainment Complex from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 5.

IAMF will showcase Indigenous speakers and performers from across the U.S. and Canada.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids (March 4) and the Seminole Tribe’s Spencer Battiest and Doc Native (March 5) are the headline performers.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids is a Haisla Hip-Hop duo from Kitimat Village, B.C., Canada, that has earned two Juno Award nominations and 10 Western Canadian Music Awards. Spencer Battiest and his brother Doc Native are MTV VMA and Native American Music Award winners.

A panel discussion March 4 will include female Indigenous leaders such as Representative Ruth Buffalo, serving as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 27th District, Honorable Ponka-We Victors Cozad, Norma Flying Horse, and others.

A fashion show by Red Berry Woman (RBW) will take place March 5. RBW is a fashion line that incorporates Native American traditional garment styles into contemporary couture garments and ready to wear for both women and men. RBW was created by Norma Baker-Flying Horse, an enrolled member of the Hidatsa tribe and a member of the Dakota Sioux and Assiniboine tribes as well as an adopted member of the Crow Nation.

RBW is the recipient of the 2020 International Designer of the Year, the 2022 Phoenix Fashion Week Designer of the Year, and the 2022 Cultural Recognition Visual Arts Grammy Award co-recipient. Her designs have been seen on various red carpet events such as the Grammys and the Oscars. RBW was named the first Native American contemporary designer to have a dress worn on the Oscar stage during an Oscar musical performance. Giving her business her Native given name, Red Berry Woman, Norma strives to create pieces that honor and celebrate her tribal bloodlines. 

The weekend will feature additional performances and shows by Lyla June, Fawn Wood, One Way Sky, Aye Five, Carradine, and the Inter-Tribal Bird Singers. The Freestyle Alligator Wrestling Competitions will take place on both days.

Event admission is free. Other offerings include Native food, art, crafts, and a carnival.  For event schedule and details, visit: https://indigenousamf.com/.