ALLENTOWN, Pa. — With each graceful note flowing from his wooden flute, Sicanni Purizaca hopes to inspire the crowd to come together.
Purizaca, a flutist and composer, will headline the Museum of Indian Culture's 44th annual Roasting Ears of Corn Festival.
"I realize that it's not easy to get people united," said Purizaca, of the Inca tribe of Northern Peru.
"Religion tried it. Instead of uniting people, sometimes religion divides. Politics divide people, rules divide people. But music is one of the few things that can unite people."
The two-day festival, symbolic of the corn harvest, is set for Saturday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 18.
It serves as a fundraiser for the museum at 2825 Fish Hatchery Road.
Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and ages 13-17, and free for ages 12 and younger.
Proceeds from ticket sales will go toward next year's Roasting Ears of Corn Festival, along with maintenance costs for the museum and educational programs — both in-house and virtually.
"We always want to make sure that we are constantly providing an outreach program in order to provide supplemental education to schools and other social groups and visitors to the museum," Executive Director Pat Rivera said.
This year, the museum hopes to raise $60,000.
Celebrating Indigenous culture
Purizaca has been performing for 25 years and toured across the U.S. in 18 states.
"My mission is to share. I compose too. Most of my songs are about nature, about the spirit. It's like a meditation,"Sicanni Purizaca
"My mission is to share. I compose too. Most of my songs are about nature, about the spirit. It's like a meditation," he said.
He'll perform at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on both days.
At noon on Saturday and Sunday, the Grand Entrance will mark the start of the powwow, a sacred gathering that will showcase flags of tribal nations, dances and prayer.
David White Buffalo, of the Rosebud Sioux of South Dakota, will serve as emcee.
Lead drums will be by the Youngblood Singers, of the Shinnecock tribe of New York, and Black Bull Moose of the Anishnawbek tribe, of Ontario, Canada.
Joining will be lead dancers, Darren McGregor, of the Anishnawbek tribe, of Ontario, Canada, and Kim Wheatley of the Ojibway tribe, also of Ontario, Canada.
"If you ask about 90% of the parents [coming here], they're going to say, my father used to take me to the powwow, or my uncle used to tell me about the powwow, so those who come for the first time, they will never forget it."Sicanni Purizaca
"When people bring their kids, some of the kids may look like they're not interested, but they're gonna remember this day," Purizaca said of the cultural showcase.
"If you ask about 90% of the parents [coming here], they're going to say, my father used to take me to the powwow, or my uncle used to tell me about the powwow, so those who come for the first time, they will never forget it."
Additionally, the Salina family from Mexico City will present traditional Aztec dancing on both days.
Rivera has been the executive director of the museum since 2003.
What started as a small community event in the 1980s has now become the state's longest-running Native American Indian Festival.
It draws 5,000 people annually, filling up the parking lot and grounds next to the Lenape Trail at Little Lehigh Parkway.
"The festival itself is really important because we actually bring in people from all nations, not just North America, there's Canada, Mexico, and now Peru this year," Rivera said.
"We've been so fortunate to develop a relationship with some wonderful, quality artists and vendors who helped the festival to blossom and grow."
About 30 vendors will be on-site selling handmade products like sweetgrass, handcrafted Zuni and Navajo silver jewelry, Wampum jewelry, beadwork, kachina dolls, pottery and other artisan goods.
There will also be demonstrations like Atlatl and Tomahawk throwing, flintknapping, primitive fire making, flute making, and Lenape cooking and an artifact displays by the Indian Artifact Collectors Association of the Northeast.
Tours of the museum
Although the Museum of Indian Culture won't be open during festival hours, it's worth a return trip for those who haven't yet been inside.
Current exhibitions include a multicolor display of Native American beadwork (including head-ties and other clothing).
Each piece of curated regalia, worn in ceremonies, features beadwork with special meanings and embellished family motifs.
Also on exhibit: an impressive display of ancient agricultural tools, trade goods and spear-throws belonging to the Delaware/Lenape and other Northeastern tribes.
Guided tours offer informative and historical tidbits and last 45 minutes.
For info on museum hours, click here.
