Photograph by Mike James courtesy Urban Native Collective
Cincinnati’s Urban Native Collective is preparing for its seventh annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Convergence celebration in observation of the holiday on October 13.
Urban Native Collective serves communities across Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, with the organization evolving rapidly since it being founded in 2019. This year’s convergence celebration, set for October 10-13, is expected to be its biggest yet.
“The first convergence [in 2019] was really small,” says Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard, UNC’s executive director. “In 2021 as we were sort of moving out of lockdown with the pandemic, we were again hosting an in-person event, our event numbers were relatively small [compared to 2020].”
It wasn’t until 2023 that the event saw real attendance growth—that was the first year the organization operated under its new name, the Urban Native Collective, after officially rebranding.
“2023 we hosted our first convergence as the Urban Native Collective, and last year, 2024 our sixth year doing the celebration, we saw the most numbers we’ve ever seen,” Mazzolini-Blanchard said.
The theme for this year’s convergence is “Ancestral Visions, Future Dreams.” It will feature four days of programming that highlight Indigenous culture.
The celebration begins Friday, October 10, with a gallery exhibition and reception party at the Contemporary Arts Center. Attendees can expect drinks, food from Indigenous Chef, and performances from Copper Face United Powwow Troupe and DJ Creepingbear. A second exhibition will also open next door at 21c on the second floor for attendees to view.
On Saturday, October 11, the convergence continues with an artist speaker series at Aronoff Center. The event will feature talks from Urban Native Collective artists such as Julia Orquera Bianco, Roquin Siongco, and Erika NJ Allen discussing their work for the Ancestral Visions, Future Dreams exhibitions. The speaker series will feature another performance from Copper Face United Powwow Troupe around midday.
Photograph by Tina Gutierrez courtesy Urban Native Collective
Sunday, October 12, features a more intimate event, a traditional CHamoru weaving workshop held at Urban Native Collective’s community space. These weaving workshops typically include materials like coconut leaf fibers and pandanus leaves. While both sessions have already sold out of tickets, which prioritized Indigenous community members first, it reflects the event’s growing popularity and the need for understanding Native culture.
The convergence will conclude Monday, October 13, where an Indigenous Peoples’ Day Feast will be held at Jacob Hoffner Park in Northside. Anyone and everyone from the community is encouraged to bring a traditional dish from their respective cultures to share, eating utensils, and a blanket or lawn chair. Copper Face United Powwow Troupe will also perform at this event.
“It’s sort of a four-day long celebration and we’re really working hard and excited about it. It is the largest we put on each year, and we’re eager to see what’s going to happen,” Mazzolini-Blanchard says. “The contemporary Native experience is often not one that many people are familiar with, especially in Ohio, where there are no federally, or state recognized tribal nations or reservations.”
The Indigenous Peoples’ Day Convergence will be held from October 10 to October 13. It is encouraged that attendees register for daily events to get a head count. Urban Native Collective
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