Native American festival features Oscar-related speakers

People of Native American heritage and those who want to learn more about the culture are invited to this weekend’s festival in Des Moines. Ben Allaway, the festival’s artistic director, says several prominent Native American speakers and performers will be at the Drake University campus for the three-day event. Allaway says Bryan Akipa, a Native American flute player from South Dakota, will be playing his music. Chief Albert White Hat will be speaking during a symposium. He was the Lakota language consultant for the movie “Dances With Wolves.” There will also be traditional dancers, drummers and a master storyteller. Allaway says the headliner for Saturday night’s event is Buffy Sainte-Marie, who he calls a legendary Native American singer and songwriter. Sainte-Marie won an Academy Award for the song “Up Where We Belong” which was featured in the film “An Officer and a Gentleman.” She’ll be performing with her band Saturday night at 8. Allaway says one of the popular events will be traditional feast, scheduled for 5:30 on Saturday night. The menu will include buffalo stew, corn stew, fried bread, a fruit compote and wild rice. The full event is the fifth annual “Thresholds Arts Festival to a Culture of Peace.” It runs through Sunday at Drake University and at First Christian Church, across from Old Main.