Massachusetts is home to several Indigenous tribes upholding vibrant cultures and active, engaged communities, and historically, Indigenous people lived in the state for thousands of years before European settlement. On Monday, we honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a celebration of their legacies, traditions, and heritage. Institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Arts/Boston and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will offer free admission. We’ve rounded up a few more events held in recognition of the holiday, and more, below.
Opening Thursday, Oct. 9
Organized by musician Jeffrey Gibson and independent curator Jenelle Porter, “An Indigenous Present” displays 100 years of contemporary Indigenous art that “represent personal and collective narratives, describe specific and imagined places, and build upon cultural and aesthetic traditions,” according to the ICA website. It features the works of 15 artists, including Diné composer and musician Raven Chacon, and Caroline Monnet, an Anishinaabe French and Canadian contemporary musician and filmmaker. [Want more visual arts exhibit recommendations? Check out our fall guide.]
Thursday, Oct. 9-Sunday, Oct. 12
The 20th annual HONK! Festival comes to Somerville for the weekend, bringing brass bands from around the world to the city’s streets. The event spotlights activist beat groups participating in social engagement or political protest. On Thursday, Tufts University will co-host the conference HONK! U, offering panels, workshops and presentations about the history of street beat activism. Concerts will be held in Union Square and Davis Square on Friday and Saturday, while the “Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes, and Feet” Parade will traverse the roads leading to Harvard Square on Sunday, joining the Harvard Square Oktoberfest (come for beer gardens, craft and vintage markets, and more).
Saturday, Oct. 11
A nicho is a small, embellished shadow box where mementos of deceased loved ones can be kept. At Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, multidisciplinary musician Brioch Ochoa will lead a two-hour workshop where participants will create these artifacts in honor of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Ribbons, patterned papers and acrylic paints will be used to fabricate the nichos, and imagination is encouraged. To register, members pay $30, while nonmembers pay $35. The fees include museum admission, and guests are welcome to stay before and after to explore the exhibits.
Closes Sunday, Oct. 12
A story about family and lost dreams comes alive at The Huntington. Helmed by artistic director Loretta Greco, Jez Butterworth’s “The Hills of California” follows four sisters who return to their childhood home by the sea, where their mother once aspired for them to become singers. And yet these ambitions also came with a rate. Weaving a poignant and compelling saga, Butterworth’s play is about past lives, memories and secrets, and thwarted visions of stardom. Tickets start at $31.90. [Read WBUR theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair’s review of the show here.]
Monday, Oct. 13
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day at Albemarle Field in Newton, with a free, outdoor, volunteer-run event. The program will begin with a traditional pipe ceremony, led by Chief Anthony Dean Stanton and will also feature a Host Drum called the High Rollerz (headed by Mishetaashin Conley), the central powwow drum group invited to guide the event by carrying songs and directing the flow of the gathering. Cultural performances will be shared by Native artists and community members, and over 60 Indigenous artisans and vendors will share food and drink, contemporary art and crafts. Snack on empanadas from Chiqui’s Kitchen while shopping for handcrafted items from Red Rock Designs and nature and animal-inspired items from Nitahana.
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