Sun Mountain Gathering
Saturday, October 4

The seventh annual Sun Mountain Gathering will be held Saturday, October 4, from 10 am – 4 pm.

This is a free family-friendly event held outdoors at Milner Plaza on Museum Hill, sponsored by the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. With activities for every age and interest, the festival provides visitors with many opportunities to learn about archaeology and the ancient technology and traditional arts of Native peoples in the southwest.

Activities include Indian music and dancing on spectacular Milner Plaza, exhibits on traditional Native American gardening, as well as a mock archaeology dig. Demonstrations of Native American crafts will run through the day, including flint-knapping, arrow making, stone axe use, and making dyes from native plants. Visitors will also have an opportunity to learn about traditional arts by trying their hand at forming a coiled pot or making a replica of a stamped silver bracelet.

Another main attraction is the Atlatl Range. The atlatl and dart were the first true and natural weapons system of the human race, invented thousands of years before the bow and arrow and used longer by humans than any other weapon system yet developed. Spear throwing using replicas of prehistoric atlatls will go on continuously throughout the day.