At Kansas City’s first Native art market, an intertribal community comes together: ‘We’re still...

The inaugural market had more than 10 Indigenous vendors as well as dancing exhibitions and a vaccine station. Organizers said it brought people of many different tribes together and taught the public about Native American culture.
A first-of-its-kind art market and dance exhibition in Kansas City, Kansas, brought the local Indigenous community together on Saturday and helped attendees learn more about Native American culture.

More than 100 people cycled in and out of Rainbow Mennonite Church on Southwest Boulevard for the Kansas City Indian Center’s first major community gathering since COVID-19 interrupted its regular culture nights.

“If you Google ‘Native Americans,’ the pictures that are going to come up are all black-and-white photos of our ancestors,” said KCIC Executive Director Gaylene Crouser, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. “We’re really proud of them, but we’re still here.”

Visitors bought art from a variety of Indigenous vendors and snacked on fry bread and wojapi, a Native berry sauce. Throughout the afternoon, dancers performed seven traditional styles and attendees received flu and COVID vaccines.