“Let us greatly respect one another. Let us celebrate who we are.”

This translation of the Mi’kmaw Honor Song, delivered by Sons of Membertou co-founder Graham Marshall, perfectly captures the spirit of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

The 2024 Festival officially opened on Wednesday, June 26, with an international, multilingual Welcome Ceremony in the National Museum of the American Indian’s Rasmuson Theater. The ceremony included an opening blessing, brief performances by participants in the Indigenous Voices of the Americas program, and remarks from leadership of the Smithsonian, Department of the Interior, and National Park Service.

Speakers and artists in order of appearance:

• Halena Kapuni-Reynolds (Kanaka ‘Ōiwi/Native Hawaiian), Curator, National Museum of the American Indian
• Zotigh Singers (Intertribal), musicians
• Sabrina Lynn Motley, Director, Smithsonian Folklife Festival
• Cynthia Chavez Lamar (San Felipe Pueblo), Director, National Museum of the American Indian
• Kevin Gover (Pawnee), Under Secretary for Museums and Culture
• Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian
• Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), Secretary of the Interior
• Nadia Larcher (Diaguita Calchaquí) and Sara Curruchich (Maya Kaqchikel), musicians
• Clifford Murphy, Director, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
• Charles “Chuck” Sams III (Cayuse/Walla Walla), Director, National Park Service
• Sons of Membertou (Mi’kmaw), musicians