Skateboarding is a way of being in physical dialogue with the space around you, and although you can skate alone, its power is in convening and bringing community together.

At the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, we sought to open such a space. So, on the corner of Jefferson Drive SW, in front of the National Museum of the American Indian, we set out a modest course of ramps, bars, and a shallow halfpipe. We were guided by the Indigenous athletes invited to present their talents and artistry: Di’Orr Greenwood (Diné), Manny Santiago (Taíno), Keith Secola, Jr. (Anishinaabe/Ute), and the eight women of the Imilla Skate crew based in Cochabamba, Bolivia. They set the tone for this Native space, and naturally they wanted to open things up for members of the Washington, D.C., skating community to skate with them. In they came (after signing waivers) to fly—and fall—alongside our participants.

Set to the sounds of the Pasatono Orquesta, who also performed that day, this video captures some of the vibes of our mini Folklife skate park.

Cristina Diaz-Carrera is a co-curator of the Indigenous Voices of the Americas program at the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival focusing on music dance, and sports.

Trinity Le is a video intern at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and a film student at George Mason University.