13th Annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival: A Celebration of Native American Art, Music, & Cultures. Scroll down for info about performances, vendors, children’s activities, food and more.

Saturday, August 1 & Sunday, August 2

10 am – 5 pm

Unity Park Waterfront, Turners Falls, MA

This year, 2026, the festival will include memorable, inspiring presentations by:

• Beloved Mohawk Elder Tom Porter
• Beautiful mesmerizing flute music by Nipmuck flute maker Hawk Henries
• Aquinnah Wampanoag singer songwriter Thea Hopkins
• Nipmuc culture bearer Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines, who will share Eastern woodlands skills demonstrations and lead social dances on Sunday only which all are invited to participate in
• Abenaki story tellers and musicians Joseph and Jesse Bruchac (Saturday only)
• Penobscot Rez Dog Singers
• Liz Coldwind-Santana Kiser, Elder, Council member, and the THPO of the Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck Indians will offer opening words of Welcome.
• Justin Beatty will emcee
• The History Tent will feature talks by Marge Bruchac, “Recovering Histories of Native Presence”; members of the Native Land Conservancy, “Indigenous Land Rescue”; and Evan Pritchard, “Lost Cosmologies of the Algonquin People”
• David Brule will share brief local historical insights derived from his popular ‘King Philip’s War in Your Backyard” presentations at intervals between presentations.
• Scott Strong Hawk Foster, Nipmuc photographer whose exhibit is on display within walking distance down the bike path at the Great Falls Discovery Center, will be present for conversations at his booth both days.

There will be children’s activities including corn husk doll making with Mashpee-Wampanoag Kitty Hendricks-Miller, Indian Education Coordinator for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and fish printing with FirstLight/DCR. We host about 40 outstanding Indigenous artists and authors in a colorful and diverse marketplace that extends the full length of the riverside bike path on both sides.   It is a wonderful, uplifting, multi-generational, accessible and free event people look forward to every year. We hope to see you there. RAFFLE OF ITEMS OF DONATED ITEMS BOTH DAYS WITH ON SITE DRAWINGS TWICE BOTH DAYS. DONATIONS APPRECIATED! CLICK HERE FOR PARKING MAP.

 WEEKEND SCHEDULE

MAIN TENT
Saturday 8/1/26	Sunday 8/2/26
10:00 am Welcome, Liz Coldwind Santana-Kiser Opening, Justin Beatty and David Brule	10:00 am Welcome, Liz Coldwind Santana-Kiser Opening, Justin Beatty and David Brule
10:30 am Rez Dogs Drums	10:30 am Rez Dogs Drums
11:30 am Tom Porter	11:30 am Tom Porter
1 pm Joe and Jesse Bruchac	1 pm Hawk Henries
2 pm Hawk Henries	2 pm Social Dancing with No Loose Braids
3 pm Thea Hopkins	3:00 pm Thea Hopkins
4 pm Rez Dogs Drums	4 pm
4:45 pm  Closing	4:45 pm Closing
HISTORY TENT (large tent at the west end of the festival)
Saturday & Sunday
11:15 am Evan Pritchard “Lost Cosmologies of the Algonquin People”
12:30 pm Native Land Conservancy, Marlene Lopez and Diana Ruiz  “Indigenous Land Rescue”
1:45 pm Marge Bruchac  “Recovering Histories of Native Presence in the Kwinitekw Valley” “
SCHEDULE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE www.nolumbekaproject.org/festival

VENDORS/ARTISTS/AUTHORS

1. Willow Green.       
2. Liz Charlebois
3. Evan Pritchard
4. Rudy Lazaro and Pete Yazzie
5. No Loose Braids
6. Andrea Hunter
7. Michael Descoteau
8. Wes Pecor
9. Linda Sheehan Longtoe
10. Thea Hopkins
11. Hawk Henries
12. Tom Porter’s family member
13. Tom Porter 
14. Rebecca Yamberla
15. Marlene Lopez
16. Amalia Four Hawks
17. Sito Araica
18. Jaynie Clark
19. Eddie Cuevas, Taino Trinkets
20. Mona Antonuzzo
21. Marcelo Chachiguango
22. Joyce Vincent
23. Ron Welburn
24. Vincent Cruz   
25. Stephanie Waterman
26. Christina Gwalsaqui.     
27. Marge Bruchac,
28. Joe Bruchac, Jesse Bruchac, Saturday only
29. Deborah Spears Moorehead
30. Jeanette McCauley
31. Up the Creek Traders, Cindy Shelley
32.  Roxanne Jackson
33. Liz Santana Kiser
34. Danni Walley
35. Jacob Ortega
36. Scott Strong Hawk Foster
37. Rez Dogs
38. Jack Kuehl
39. Brianna Tobey
40. Danny Dennett
41. COMMUNITY TENTS INCLUDING NOLUMBEKA PROJECT MAIN TENT- RAFFLE OF ITEMS DONATED BY FESTIVAL ARTISTS AND AUTHORS; TEE=SHIRTS AND OTHER ITEMS FOR SALE; DISPLAY FROM WISSATINNEWAG GARDENS, ACTUAL MISHOON (DUGOUT CANOE) ON DISPLAY NEAR TENT; INFORMATION ABOUT THE ONGOING INDIGENOUS DESIGNED MONUMENT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
42. CORN HUSK DOLL MAKING
43. STORY WALK 1 “MOBAS AND THE MAGIC FLUTE”
44. STORY WALK 2 “BOWWOW POWWOW” (SHORT WALK ON BIKE PATH TO GREAT FALLS DISCOVERY CENTER)
45. FISH PRINTING FirstLight/DCR
46. WESTERN MASS RIGHTS OF NATURE (PLUS CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY SUNDAY)
47. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ART DISPLAY
48. INDIGENOUS MONUMENT CAMPAIIGN
49. COMMUNITY LAND AND WATER COALITION
50. NPS BATTLEFIELD STUDY OF TURNERS FALLS MASSACRE REPORT
51. NEW HISTORICAL SIGNAGE CREATED BY NPS BATTLEFIELD STUDY GROUP
52. BUILDING BRIDGES MURAL

FOOD VENDORS

All Things Maple: Fried Dough

The Bear Cub Grill: Burgers, Dogs, Sausage

El Soltano Tacos

Mohawk Falafel

Stone Soup Cafe

CremeBru.LA

Lelos Ice Cream Truck

Saturday: Wake the Dead Donuts + Coffee

Sunday: Stout Pigeon Coffee

Interested in becoming a sponsor?

Please contact us at nolumbekaproject@gmail.com

For more information, follow us at facebook.com/nolumbekaproject