Discovery Park of America Announces Open Call for Native American Demonstrators and Artisans for Third Annual Event to Celebrate Native American Culture
March 7, 2025
(Union City, Tenn., March 7, 2025) — Discovery Park of America’s third annual Native American Educational Weekend will be held on Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Native American artisans and vendors with documented tribal affiliation are invited to apply for a complimentary booth to display and sell their handmade items. Thanks to financial gifts and support from partners, the dancers, storytellers, artists and others who showcase Native American culture will receive compensation for their participation.
Discovery Park is working with Al Santos and his wife, Nicole Pavatea-Santos, on the production of the drum and dance portions of the event, with one program to take place on Friday and two on Saturday. They are versatile artists who have performed with the American Indian Dance Theater and appeared in the Marvel/Disney series “Echo” and Apple Films’ “Fancy Dance,” for which they also composed all the original powwow music. Al is the founder and lead singer of Ottertrail, a Native American Music Award and GRAMMY-nominated drum group.
Other performers and guests will be announced soon.
Artisans interested in a booth, dancers, storytellers, artists or others who demonstrate Native American culture who have CDIB or any other certificate of tribal affiliation card will find more information and an application at discoveryparkofamerica.com/nativeamerican2025. They may also contact Dawson Dale at ddale@discoveryparkofamerica.com for answers to questions or for more information.
“This will be our third event celebrating Native American culture, and it promises to be the biggest one yet,” said Dawson Dale, Discovery Park’s educational events coordinator. “Those attending should also plan to spend time in our Native American Gallery.”
Discovery Park’s Native American Gallery takes guests from the ancient past through European contact and up to today. There are numerous artifacts on display in the gallery, including more than 4,500 arrowheads and spear points mounted to the walls. Also included in the museum’s exhibit are painted vessels and works of art, a holographic presentation of legends, myths and storytelling and an exploration of Tennessee tribes and the Trail of Tears.
Photo caption: Chuck Mesteth performs
during the men’s traditional dance competition
at last year’s Native American celebration at
Discovery Park of America.
