Indian Fair Days and Pow Wow canceled

NORTH FORK — The Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center is notifying the public and museum members that the 50th annual Indian Fair Days and Pow Wow has been canceled.

The event, planned for August 1-2, is canceled due to the public health emergency, COVID-19. Planning a large event requires careful thought and consideration and measures will need to be in place to ensure public safety.

In a joint statement, the Sierra Mono Museum Board of Directors explained:

It is with a heavy heart that we must cancel our event. For more than 49 years, we have come together to celebrate culture and traditions and we will miss seeing all of our vendors, dancers, cultural demonstrators, and friends and family.

The Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center, established in 1970, is home to many historical and priceless artifacts. The cancellation of this year’s Pow Wow and Indian Fair Days will provide the board of directors and volunteers additional time to plan, design, and implement exhibits in the brand-new and modernized facility that opens to visitors in the autumn of 2020.

This cultural treasure curates exhibits of native fauna and flora, historical photographs, artistic baskets and interpretive moments of education. The newly expanded and updated museum gives additional reverence to significant contributions of the Sierra Mono people of California.

Donations to the museum are accepted year-round and smaller events, such as the membership dinner and storytelling, will be planned in accordance with Madera County guidance.

The Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center is a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization. It hosts the annual Indian Fair Days and Pow Wow to promote culture and awareness while raising funds for museum operations.