Native American Heritage Celebration Press Release

November 8, 2022 – Burpee Museum Celebrates Native American Heritage

ROCKFORD – Burpee Museum invites you to experience the Native American Heritage Celebration on Saturday, November 12, in collaboration with members of the Native American Awareness Committee (NAAC). The museum will be full of one-day-only activities for adults and children alike from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.!

In conjunction with our newest contemporary exhibition, “Of This Place: Native Nations in the Rockford Region,” a collaborative effort between Burpee Museum and Native American people from the Sac and Fox, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe Nations, we will have special guests, learning and interactive stations, and opportunities to grow as a collaborative community.

‘An immense honor to play a part in bringing the true realism of native culture to the forefront’

“With a long, proud life as an Anishinaabe (Ojibwa / Chippewa), I would witness the extreme amount of misinterpreted information being spread among the peoples in other societies and communities, as well as through different means of media, on a daily basis. And a great mission had been born! It is an immense honor to play a part in bringing the true realism of native culture to the forefront in places that have little knowledgeable means of attaining it.

“From the ancient to the present, to an unseen future, we place our life’s values and ancestor’s teachings first, in accordance with the rest of the world. Together, we make the circle stronger, and the sacred fires continue to burn. But it is the children that will carry these fires into the future. What we do today will absolutely affect those children seven generations forward. Miigwech (Thank You), Mii’iw (That is all)”, said Daniel Manyhawks, a member of the NAAC who will be performing a traditional dance during the celebration.

During this event, guests will have the special opportunity to experience and observe demonstrations, such as traditional dances and storytelling, from local Indigenous people and get the chance to try their hand at tomahawk throwing!

In addition, you will learn about Native American traditions and culture through interactive educational booths that highlight ecosystem maintenance and controlled burns, furs, Beattie Park Mounds, and the significance of the Rock River.

‘Celebrate a culture that is still alive and understand their stories’

“Events like these give Burpee the opportunity to celebrate a culture that is still alive and understand their stories,” said Alex Merry, Director of Operations and Guest Experience. “We partner with NAAC of Rockford to give people the knowledge and resources to learn something new!”

Be inspired by traditional dances and songs, and learn about the histories of the represented Nations from their own cultural educators and artists. Experience the living cultures, languages, and history of Native American people who are “Of This Place.”

To learn more information and to preregister for tickets, visit:

Media Contact: Mackenzie Seymour, Marketing Coordinator (mackenzie.seymour@burpee.org)