The Heard Museum located in downtown Phoenix hosted their 66th Annual Indian Fair and Market last week. 

This distinguished event attracts thousands of people, bringing Indigenous artists from all over the U. S. and Canada to one weekend each year in the Valley. 

The event showcased Indigenous art, dance and storytelling through it.  

Hosting well over 600 hundred artists presented stories through their art and native traditions and customs that have been passed from generation to generation. 

“We got to encounter a lot of those people that have their own ways of presenting their art through their traditional customs— that’s one thing that we love about the Heard,” said Alvin John, a Diné artist from Northern Arizona.

Many of the artists travel around the nation to sell their work but also submit their works of art for the opportunity of being awarded thousands of dollars from a nationally recognized panel of judges that diligently judge each piece of work. 

The public is enriched through the authenticity of the Indigenous and regional culture in their own state and some attendees told Northeast Valley News that this is what they look forward to most.

Each piece of beadwork, pottery, or paintings are made in modern ways that still hold onto the traditions that are deeply rooted. “Everything you see isn’t from a normal gallery. This is a special place for native artists,” said Manaya Duncan, a young Fancy Shawl dancer.

Dennis Bowman Sr. the events announcer who has been an emcee for the past 33 years told Northeast Valley News that it’s “the people” who keep him inspired each year. 

“The people…all ages. Those little kids playing, the teenagers, adults, elderly. You know people.” 

The annual event is one of several in the Valley that contributes to the close-knit Indigenous communities across the state. 

Nations represented in performances include Pima/Akimel O’odham, Hopi, White Mountain Apache, and Mandan/Hidatsa, and Arikara

“It just makes me overjoyed and makes me just really proud of how far we are coming as people,” said one of the local dancers.

The Indian Fair and Market is a sensational weekend celebrating an alluring culture that is a historic part of U.S. history.