National Museum of the American Indian Hosts Multicultural Festival and Ball as Part of Inaugural Events, 1/18-20

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will host "Out of Many: A Multicultural Festival of Music, Dance and Story" from Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, through Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. The three-day program to commemorate the inauguration of President Barack Obama will feature daily performances of live music, dancing and storytelling in the museum from a variety of cultural traditions. All performances are free and open to the public.

More than 12 groups will appear, including:

• Alma Boliviana, who perform traditional dances of the Andes
• Loren Anderson , an Alutiiq storyteller
• Arax Armenian Dance Ensemble
• Buddhist Ekoji, Taiko drumming
• Flory Jagoda Trip, Sefardic music
• Halau O 'Aulani, who will perform Native Hawaiian music and dance
• KanKouran, West African dancers from Senegal
• Vicky Leyva , Afro-Peruvian singer
• The Wild Zappers, a hearing-impaired dance troupe

In addition to the inauguration festival, the National Museum of the American Indian will open a photo exhibition, "A Century Ago...They Came as Sovereign Leaders" Jan. 15, 2013, in the Sealaska Gallery. In honor of the inauguration, the exhibition focuses on President Theodore Roosevelt 's 1905 inaugural parade and the six great chiefs who participated in the procession: Buckskin Charlie (Ute), American Horse (Oglala Sioux), Quanah Parker (Comanche), Geronimo (Chiricahua Apache), Hollow Horn Bear (Brule Sioux) and Little Plume (Piegan Blackfeet). The exhibition goes beyond the intent of Roosevelt's inaugural committee, which was to add color to the show. The six Native leaders had questions and actively sought Roosevelt's attention to their concerns, arriving with their own purposes in mind and representing the needs of their people. The exhibition remains open until Feb. 25, 2013.

The museum will host the Native Nations Inaugural Ball Jan. 21 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the museum's Potomac Atrium. Situated only blocks from the U.S. Capitol building, the museum is the perfect location to mark this historic event and to highlight the self-determination of Native nations. The Inaugural Ball will feature music, dancing and Native cuisine. Funds raised will support the educational programs of the National Museum of the American Indian. Individual tickets are $1,000. For further details and to purchase tickets, the public can visit http://nmai.si.edu/inauguralball/.

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