Annual Chumash Day Powwow Celebrates Malibu's Native American History

MALIBU, CA -- The city of Malibu will host the 19th Annual Chumash Day Powwow and Intertribal Gathering at Malibu Bluffs Park, 24250 Pacific Coast Highway, on Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9, 2017.

The entire community is encouraged to attend the festive cultural celebration honoring Malibu’s original residents and First Americans, the Chumash Indians.

Continuing a generations-long tradition of Powwows in California, Native Americans from hundreds of tribes all over the western and southwestern states will gather at Malibu Bluffs Park to sing, dance, socialize and heal. Each day, the event will begin with a performance of gourd dancers led by well-known Native American actor Saginaw Grant, as well as an invocation and prayer led by Chumash-Tataviam elder Alan Salazar.

The event will feature a variety of Native American foods including traditional Native American fry bread, arts and crafts, Native American tribal ceremonies, dances, special guest performances, Chumash history storytelling, and an arts and crafts project for children.

This family-friendly cultural festival is free and open for all to attend. Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a Grand Entry at 1 p.m.. On Sunday, hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a Grand Entry at noon. Parking is available on the corner of Civic Center Way and Webb Way, with free shuttle rides available up to Malibu Bluffs Park and back.

For more information, call the Malibu Parks and Recreation Department at (310) 317-1364 or visit www.malibucity.org/chumashday.

-- News release of the city of Malibu. Courtesy photo