Summerlin honors Native American heritage at Summerlin Festival of Arts

In recognition of the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Summerlin honored the sovereignty, resilience and immense contributions that Native Americans have made to the community at the 26th annual Summerlin Festival of Arts via a cultural experience celebrating the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe and friends.

Hand handcrafted fine art and folk crafts from more than 15 local Native American artisans were featurd, along with colorful and festive Native American dances, each with a unique story or history and presented by Las Vegas Native Youth dancers, Calpulli Tlatelolco Azteca Chichimeca Dance Circle and Nuwu Woumeegah.

The Nuwu Art Collective, including fine art and live art demonstrations by celebrated local Native American artists, Fawn Douglas, Brent Holmes and Ashanti McGee, also was featured at the festival in October. With cultural revitalization and exploration as central themes for those who gather at Nuwu Art, the Collective includes drawings, paintings, sculpture, weavings and oral histories and stories inspired by Native American, Indigenous Latin American, African American and other cultural communities.

“We have deep respect for the rich history and cultural heritage of Native American populations that have long enriched our region and still thrive here today,” said Danielle Bisterfeldt, senior vice president of marketing and consumer experience for Summerlin. “We were very excited this year to expand our festival offerings to pay homage to and celebrate the traditions of the Las Vegas Paiutes and friends. We look forward to expanding upon our relationship with local Native American artists, leaders and influencers as we continue to develop our community.”

The significance and influence of our region’s Native American heritage has long been recognized and respected by the community of Summerlin and its developer, The Howard Hughes Corp. Evidence of this respect can be found in replicas of Native American rock art etchings in Red Rock Canyon that are prominently placed by HHC on overpasses along the 215 Beltway through Summerlin, as well as in HHC’s long history of ongoing work with federal and state governments and leaders of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe.

Of special note are two landmark land exchanges between HHC and the Bureau of Land Management in 1988 and 2002 that helped to establish the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area boundary, forever protecting it from development. The exchanges also enlarged the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and increased protection of American Indian rock art and cultural sites.

These land exchanges, along with consultation between tribal nations, the federal government and HHC, have been fundeamental to the delopment of Summerlin.

Now, in its 32nd year of development, Summerlin offers more amenities than any other Southern Nevada community. These include 10 golf courses; 26 public, private and charter schools; a public library and performing arts center; Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; houses of worship representing a dozen different faiths; office parks; and neighborhood shopping centers. Downtown Summerlin offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Resort and office towers. City National Arena is home of the Vegas Golden Knights National Hockey League practice facility. The Las Vegas Ballpark is a world-class Triple-A baseball stadium and home of the Las Vegas Aviators.

In total, Summerlin offers over 110 floor plans in 20 plus neighborhoods throughout eight distinct villages and districts. Homes, built by many of the nation’s top homebuilders, are available in a variety of styles — from single-family homes to townhomes, priced from the $400,000s to more than $1 million. For information on all actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com. Before you visit, call the builders to check on hours of operation. Phone numbers for each neighborhood are on Summerlin.com.