St. Paul plans 3-day Indian festival on Harriet Island

By Jackie Crosby

Star Tribune

St. Paul's Harriet Island will be the site of a new three-day festival that will celebrate the history and culture of Minnesota's Indians, St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly announced Wednesday.

Kelly and Karri Plowman, executive director of the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce, said that the event would run Sept. 9 to 11 and that it would attempt to be enlightening as well as entertaining.

Plowman said the family-oriented event would involve all 11 tribes in the state and would offer the work of Indian artists, businesses and restaurateurs. There also would be "dancing exhibitions," which Plowman said would be an informal way to learn about traditional dance clothing and the significance of songs and dances.

"St. Paul has been a gathering place for us before Minnesota was a territory and before it was a state," Plowman said. "We welcome the opportunity to continue this tradition of bringing people together to celebrate."

Plowman said he hopes the event, with free admission, will draw 10,000 to 12,000 visitors.