photo credit: kathycsus on flickr.com

The Verde Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society announced that tickets are
now available for films and concerts during its first annual Festival of Native American
Culture to be held from June 5 through 13, 2009, at the Red Rock District Visitor Center, south
of the Village of Oak Creek and at the Sedona Visitor Center in Uptown.

In association with the Sedona International Film Festival, activities begin with a Native
American Film Festival featuring documentaries, fiction and music videos by Native
American filmmakers.

Here’s the line-up of events:

Friday, June 5: two Navajo films entitled Turquoise Rose and A Gift From Talking God: The Story
of the Navajo Churro.  At the Clarkdale Memorial Clubhouse. 7:00 pm.

Saturday, June 6: The Radisson Poco Diablo Resort will host a Dinner Theatre, with special guest Michael Blake, the Academy Award® winning screenwriter and author of Dances With Wolves, who will show and discuss his film The
American West: On The Road With Michael Blake. 6:00 pm.

Film Festival at the Harkins Theatre in Sedona
Sunday, June 7:

• 6:30 pm show – the Canadian Inuit film Before Tomorrow, which will be preceded by Sandpainting Healing with Walking Thunder.
• 9:00 pm show – brings back two highly popular films from the Sedona International Film Festival earlier this year, American Outrage and CHE AH CHI: The History of Boynton Canyon.

Film Festival at the Canyon Moon Theatre in The Village of Oak Creek (VOC) Two unique events never before held in Arizona.

Monday, June 8: Films by indigenous filmmakers from Latin America.

• 3:00 pm matinee – Films from Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador.
• 7:00 pm show – Films from Guatemala and Bolivia.

Tuesday, June 9 – The Film Festival concludes on  with a series of short
subjects by members of the Native American Producers Alliance. 7:00 pm.

The Festival ends with a Celebration of Native American Music and Dance.

Friday, June 12: Canyon Records recording artist Gabriel Ayala will perform in concert at St. John Vianney Church, Sedona, of Classical, Tango, Flamenco and Contemporary guitar. 7:00 pm.

Saturday, June 13: An Evening of Native Dance will close the Festival  in the Sedona
Hilton Tequa Ballroom. The Halau Hula Napuaokalei’ilima troupe will perform Hawaiian
dances as performed for the Heard Museum’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. They will be
followed by the internationally-known Dancing Earth, a collective of performance artists
representing the First Nations who create experimental yet elemental dances that reflect their
rich cultural heritage to explore their identity as contemporary Native peoples.  7:00 pm

Tickets can also be purchased online. Other ticket outlets are being added. Details of the Festival events are available at www.festivalofnativeamericanculture.org, or by
calling 928-284-4764.