5/09/2004

UN ART EXHIBIT "IN CELEBRATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES"

ART EXHIBIT "IN CELEBRATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES" TO OPEN AT UN HEADQUARTERS, 11 MAY

The exhibit "In Celebration of Indigenous People", featuring indigenous art from around the world, will open on Tuesday, 11 May at 6:30 p.m. in the Visitors' Lobby of the United Nations Headquarters.

It showcases "Kickin' Up Dust," a photographic exhibit of Aboriginal sacred rites and ceremonies, co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations and the Australian Consulate-General, as well as photos by National Geographic photographers and artwork from indigenous artists -- sculptures from Easter Island, Bushmen art, works by a Maori artist from New Zealand and indigenous artwork from North and South America and the Caribbean.

With Roberto Mucaro Borrero (Taino) as master of ceremonies, Australian Aboriginal musician Cameron McCarthy will open the event with a piece played on the didgeridoo, an Aboriginal wind instrument. Remarks will be made by Jose Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Peter Tesch, Australia's Deputy Permanent Representative, and Ole-Henrik Magga, Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum of indigenous Issues.

Ulali, a three-member a cappella group of native women will perform a musical interlude, their singing accompanied by hand drums, followed by a statement by Noeli Pocaterra, Second Vice-President of the National Assembly of Venezuela and a member of the Wayuu nation. Yarina, a women's music and dance group from Ecuador, will offer a dance in hounor of indigenous women, followed by the four-member indigenous Ecuadorian group Salasaca Kuna, which as in previous years will play music at the end of the ceremony for participants to dance.

The exhibit marks the third session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which is meeting at United Nations Headquarters (Conference room 2) from 10 to 27 May focusing on the theme "Indigenous Women".

The event is sponsored by the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the NGO Committee on the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the Tribal Link Foundation and the Ingrid Washinawatok Flying Eagle Women's Fund for Peace, Justice and Sovereignty.

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