About the Redhawk Native American Arts Council
The Redhawk Native American Arts Council is a small grass roots not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 and maintained by Native American artists and educators who reside in and around the New York City area. Each year we provide venues for over 200 different First Nations’ artists and educators to present and share their art forms with audiences around the world. We are dedicated to breaking stereotypes by presenting the traditions and societal contributions of Native Americans through song, dance, art, film, crafts, foods, and other forms of expression. Redhawk prides itself as organizers of four of the largest pow-wows/ Native festivals in the Northeast. Our events attract over 35,000 supporters of First Nations’ art and culture, as well as provide a source of revenue for Native American artists. The Redhawk Native American Arts Council supports artists from over 75 different Nations including those from South America, the Polynesian Islands and the Caribbean Islands.
Educational & Diversity Programs
From kindergarten to the university-level, Redhawk creates and presents educational programs in the tri-state area. Participants enjoy a unique opportunity to address prior notions they may have had about Native Peoples. As a result of our work with various educational institutions, we foster awareness about the need for an accurate curriculum, and provide economic opportunities for individual Native American artists and performers. We are also proud of our collaborative efforts with corporations and government organizations. A few companies that we work with include AT&T, Prudential Insurance, Verizon, J.P. Morgan Chase, Lucent Technologies, Viacom, the United States Postal Service, and others. We assist in providing cultural diversity programming to accurately represent contemporary Native Americans. Click here for more information on educational programs.
Native American Heritage Celebrations
Redhawk hosts four of the largest Native American Pow Wows in New York and New Jersey. Visitors enjoy Native food, music, dance, crafts, art and traditions. Annually our events include over 1,000 Native American artists, performers, and educators from across the Americas and provide a venue for cross-cultural interaction, and the survival of Native American traditions.
Native Outreach and Cultural Preservation
Redhawk plays and important role in the local Native community by providing economic opportunities for performers, artists, and educators. We provide contracts to individual artists for presentations to schools and corporations. Our Heritage Celebrations provide hundreds of Native Americans who travel far and wide with the opportunity to showcase and sell their works and wares.
Youth Council
The RedHawk Arts Council’s youth program teaches Native American dance, music, craft and regalia making to Native American youth from both North and South America. The Council encourages youth to take part in Native American celebrations, such as Pow Wows and other festivals. Our staff donate their time to sharing their knowledge with Native Youth but this program is also open to non-Native youth as well. Programs take place once a week at the Sunset Park Recreation Center and one Saturday each month. For registration information please contact Peter Stops or Martha Jones at 718-686-9298.
Click here to find out how you can help support Native Youth Programs.
Life Song
“An Outreach Program 4 Youth”
Life Song Arts “An Outreach Program 4 Youth” aims in building our youth into future leaders. We are a national resource that provides educational training programs for schools and centers as well as empowerment workshops for our youth.
Caribbean Cultural Department
The Caribbean Cultural Department is the newest addition to the Native American Arts Council. Many of our council members are Taino, therefore we felt it was a necessary addition. Our main focus is to help New York’s large population of Caribbean people understand more about their culture.
