Join Us for Our 48th Season of Indigenous Arts and Cultures

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, October 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Indigenous Peoples’ rights organization Cultural Survival is pleased to announce the return of its beloved holiday event, the Cultural Survival Bazaar, an annual festival of Indigenous arts and cultures, on December 5-8, 2024, at the Prudential Center in Boston.

The Cultural Survival Bazaars have been an annual Boston area holiday tradition for nearly five decades. Started by Harvard University Anthropologist David Maybury-Lewis and his wife, Pia, the first Bazaar was held in 1975 at Harvard University in an effort to educate the public about Indigenous Peoples and the issues they were facing. The Cultural Survival Bazaar was a result of the Maybury-Lewises’ passion for uplifting Indigenous Peoples, strengthening Indigenous cultures, supporting Indigenous-led solutions, and working towards securing Indigenous Peoples’ rights. The Maybury-Lewises recognized the importance of Indigenous artists being able to sell their art directly to an American market.

The Cultural Survival Bazaars provide an opportunity for the public to interact with Indigenous people and experience a different worldview. With a rich tapestry of arts and crafts from around the world, shoppers are sure to find something both unique and meaningful during this gift giving season. When purchasing arts and crafts from Indigenous artists and cooperatives, shoppers contribute to supporting millennia-old traditions and lifeways of Indigenous communities. Each year, the Bazaars generate close to $500,000 for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects benefiting Indigenous communities worldwide.

With free admission, the greater Boston community is invited to enjoy the annual event honoring Indigenous talent and traditions through handmade art, demonstrations, music, and dance. Enjoy jewelry, clothing, accessories, carpets, housewares, paintings, sculptures, and more from Indigenous artists and cooperatives from 30+ countries spanning 6 continents. Some of the participating artists include award-winning silver jewelry artist, Serzhan Bashirov (Naiman-Baizhigit) from Kazakhstan; intricate, popotillo grass painters Roberto Mejía Muñoz and Patricia García (Nahuatl) from Mexico; bark cloth processor, Afri-Root Collective (Baganda) from East Africa.

Bazaar Events Manager Candyce Testa (Pequot) invites you to “become a part of the Cultural Survival Bazaar experience. When you shop Indigenous, you support Indigenous lifeways, and you honor our ancestral connection to Mother Earth. As you enter the Bazaar, you'll be welcomed into a space filled with joy and resilience, where the air is alive with music and the presence of Indigenous vendors and cooperatives sharing their culture and stories. With artists, staff, and volunteers traveling from across the globe to bring this event to life, we are thrilled to be able to share this special Indigenous arts Bazaar with you.”

Painter Deborah Spears Morehead (Wampanoag) says, “The Cultural Survival Bazar is important to me because I can explain my culture in connection to this land, how we live in a reciprocal way, where we take care of the Earth and the Earth takes care of us, and we take care of each other as a community.”

Wire artist Bernard Domingo (Shona) says, “When I come here, we are family. Cultural Survival has done so many things for me and my group. They promote the Indigenous people like my Shona Tribe, only found in a certain area in Subama. Cultural Survival changed my life.”

Cultural Survival Executive Director Aimee Roberson (Choctaw and Chickasaw) explains, “The Bazaars are an important part of what we do at Cultural Survival because they bring people together from around the world who are representing Indigenous communities. It gives us an opportunity to start building relationships with Indigenous people who might be interested in our other programs. It's also a way for our organization to spread the word about Indigenous communities and their beautiful arts, their cultures, but also the struggles that they're facing. It's really a part of a much bigger picture of what we do at Cultural Survival to support Indigenous communities.”

Enjoy an atmosphere that pays respect to ancient craft and tradition while welcoming the opportunity to learn from and connect with Indigenous artists. This holiday season, shop Indigenous!

High-resolution photos available upon request.

Event Information:
December 5-8, 2024
The Prudential Center
Belvidere Arcade, Next to Postoffice
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199

December 5-7: 11am - 9pm
December 8: 11am - 7pm

Free Admission
Register for the event on eventbrite.

Register to volunteer at www.bazaar.culturalsurvival.org/volunteer

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About Cultural Survival
Cultural Survival (CS) is an Indigenous-led NGO and U.S. registered non-profit that advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience, since 1972. Based in Cambridge, MA, for over 50 years, Cultural Survival has partnered with Indigenous communities to advance Indigenous Peoples' rights and cultures worldwide. CS envisions a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance. The core of Cultural Survival’s efforts rests on the principles of supporting, amplifying efforts, and raising awareness of self-determination for Indigenous communities. To learn more, visit www.cs.org

Agnes Portalewska
Cultural Survival
email us here

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