Gather by the river for a Native American Cultural Celebration.

1 – 2:30 pm:
Michael “Laughing Fox” Charette with storytelling for children and flute music. Learn about Laughing Fox.

• The RiverFest Native American Celebration is Saturday, July 26 in the Lakefront Park Bandshell in Hudson. Michael Charette (Laughing Fox) will lead off the program at 1pm Saturday afternoon. He’s an artist, musician, writer and performer and a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe). As a Native American flute player, he enhances his stories with flute music and storytelling performance. Growing up surrounded by the beauty of Lake Superior and the woodlands led him to dedicate his gifts as an artist to teaching about Indigenous history, culture and heritage. His work as both a visual and performance artist is varied and tied together by the traditional wisdom of the Anishinaabe people, which is respectfully incorporated into his work. Laughing Fox captivates audiences with his relaxed style.

• Joining “Laughing Fox” onstage will be Miskobineshiin (Kevin Soulier). He’s a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. He’s worked as a vocalist, singer for Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua near Bayfield, WI. Kevin has lent his vocal talent to the Historical Musical “Anishinaabe” presented by The Big Top Chautauqua.

• The third guest is Severin Behnen, musical director at the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua. He’s a Los Angeles-based composer and performer whose work spans traditional and experimental musical forms. He has collaborated with a wide range of ensembles including Latin, Korean, orchestral and oratorio. In 2022 he composed Butterfly Moon, a suite for flute and small ensemble with Native American flautist and storyteller Michael Charette. He’s an innovator in multimedia composition, motion graphics and is currently focused on developing musical scores within interactive 3D environments.

2:30 – 4 pm:
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin with pow-wow dancing, singing, drums and storytelling.

1-4 pm:
Come and see the Ojibwe Pony. Learn more.
Native American food Concession by Lisa Mosay family.
Native American arts and crafts for sale.
Indigenous books available for purchase from Chapter2 Books.

Program Sponsors:

Did you miss the “Indigenous Scars: Wisconsin Massacre & Boarding Schools” presentation?

You can watch a video of the program on YouTube.

Thank you to the River Channel for recording and sharing this video.

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This program was presented on July 22, 2023. 

Speakers Kevin and Patsy Alderson talk about the Bad Axe Massacre and the Wisconsin Boarding School at Tomah

Kirby Metoxen shares the story of the reinterment of Oneida children returned from Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania

Taste the Native influenced bites and beverages with indigenous inspired appetizers by chef Carey Castner. Learn more about Carey at Tailored Table.

This program addresses serious subjects and is recommended for teens and adult audience.

View this suggested video to provide background information about the Bad Axe Massacre: Battle of Bad Axe by Jim Jorstad
An educational video which traces the history and aftermath of the 1832 Battle at Bad Axe