FEDERATION OF ABORIGINAL NATIONS OF THE AMERICAS
First Annual Meshanicut Cultural Placemaking Confestival
(For expedience, the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas will be written as FANA. )
I was able to attend the First Annual Meshanicut Cultural Placemaking Confestival in Providence, Rhode Island on behalf of FANA which was held August 17 – 20, 2023.
Below is a synopsis of the events and proceedings that took place. I will break down each day in follow-up articles as there is so much to report and it will be less confusing if I write about the highlights of each day.
I usually report on the events, however, this time I was unable to take notes for the first two days as my assistance was needed for other things. Fortunately, I was able to be in the auditorium while the events were taking place.
I would like to thank FANA’s Director, Chippinuonk Sachem Raymond Two Hawks Watson, for sending this synopsis to me as it highlights all the events that were held over three days. The fourth day was the closing ceremony where we said goodbye to all the dignitaries and representatives, many of whom had traveled great distances to be a part of this groundbreaking event.
The multi-day Confestival consisted of a living culture festival highlighting and demonstrating concepts and initiatives articulated and explored at an accompanying cultural placemaking conference, with a mission "To advance the cultural placemaking sector and stimulate interest and investment in cultural placemaking as a premier strategy for promoting tourism and equitable economic development."
Hosted at the Providence Public Library, the two-day Meshanticut Cultural Placemaking Conference featured presenters and discussions to ideate initiatives, policies, and strategies to promote and support the international cultural placemaking sector. The specific goal of the Conference was to facilitate and encourage relationship-building within the international cultural placemaking sector and to present speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities to inform and educate the cultural placemaking sector and the public.
The two-day inaugural Conference had more than 70 attendees including Ambassador Matzatzin Casas-Acosta (FANA), Ambassador Aaron Cardinell (FANA), Ambassador Cynthia Ellis (Garifuna Nation of Belize), Ambassador Cruz Gonzalez (FANA), Chief Luis Marcos (Maya Nation of Belize), Dr. Aundrea Matthews (Buffalo Soldiers Association at West Point Academy), Queen Ama Nimley (The Republic of Mali), Ambassador Stephen Kojo Sackey (United Nations Association – Ghana), and Chief Natcisso Eusebio Torres (Maya Nation of Belize).
The inaugural conference also featured cultural placemaking-related presentations from I. Lanre Ajakaye (25 Bough Street), Helen E. Dukes (Juneteenth Rhode Island), Barnaby Evans (Waterfire Providence), Principal Chief Dr. Ronald Yonaguska Holloway (FANA), Donald W. King (Providence Cultural Equity Initiative), Jonathan Lewis (Nonviolence Schools of Rhode Island), Richardson Ogidan (Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island), Lydia Perez (Puerto Rican Institute for the Arts and Advocacy), Dr. Silas Pinto (City of Providence), Antoinette Pitcan (Promote West Africa), Shey Rivera (Studio Loba LLC), Peter Rogina (Peace Lights Project), Gregorio Scarpella (Global Cultural Districts Network), Ambassador Modou Lamin Sima (The Republic of the Gambia), Jonny Skye (Skye Gallery), Chief Darrel Waldron (Rhode Island Indian Council), and Dr. David Weed (Sowams Heritage Area).
The Confestival also served as the platform for FANA to announce and establish several international agreements. Specifically, the Federation officially announced a cooperation agreement it previously established with the State of the African Diaspora, signed a cooperation agreement with the Garifuna Nation, signed an international treaty of commerce and trade with the Samaaka Tribe of Suriname, and signed a telehealth services agreement with UniDoc Health Corp
In addition to the conference and treaty signings, the Confestival was also a celebration of culture and art beginning Thursday evening with the closing ceremony for the Providence Biennial which was co-curated by FANA Principal Chief Tureygua Taino Cay and hosted at the Waterfire Arts Center.
The celebration continued Saturday evening at Waterfire with capoeira performances and a capoeira graduation ceremony hosted by New Wave Martial Arts & Fitness, followed by a torch honoring ceremony including attendees from the Confestival. Music was also a major component of the Confestival with performances from Stefan Charisius (Stuttgart, Germany), Tribal Legacy (New York City, NY), DJ Digital Ancient Dubb, (Boston, MA), YORUBA 3 (Pawtucket, RI), Boo City (Providence, RI), the Pomham Singers (Providence, RI), and New Wave Martial Arts & Fitness (Warwick, RI).
The Confestival culminated on Sunday with a closing ceremony hosted at the Michael S. VanLeesten Pedestrian Bridge which afforded attendees the opportunity to share words of gratitude and positive affirmations for their time spent at the Confestival, and also well wishes for future gatherings, before preparing to head back to their respective homes.
Given this State’s intimate history with English colonization of the Americas, its pivotal roles in the King Philips War and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the historic legacy and presence of its American Indian and African heritage communities, attendees and presenters alike agreed that Rhode Island was the appropriate location to continue exploring the cultural placemaking concepts identified and discussed during the Confestival. Accordingly, planning has already begun to annually host the Meshanticut Cultural Placemaking Confestival in Providence, Rhode Island
.The First Annual Meshanticut Cultural Placemaking Confestival was produced by the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative, FANA, and NACTIP. In-kind and financial sponsorship for the Confestival was provided by Ambassador Modou Lamin Sima, the City of Providence, Cox Charities Northeast Region, FANA, the Office of the General Treasurer of Rhode Island, the Global Cultural Districts Network, New Wave Martial Arts & Fitness, the Mount Hope Community Center, the Providence Public Library, the Providence Revolving Fund, the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, Roger Williams University, Roger Williams University School of Law, the State of the African Diaspora, Unidoc Health Corp/Hewlett-Packard, and United Way of Rhode Island.
For more information about the 2023 Meshanticut Cultural Placemaking Confestival, or for information about sponsoring the 2024 Meshanticut Cultural Placemaking Confestival, contact meshanticutconfestival@provcei.org or 401.264.6120. All contributions are tax-deductible.
For more information about the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative go to www.provcei.org.
.For more information about NACTIP go to www.nactip.com.