Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration with Yellow Bird Productions

Internationally renowned Yellow Bird Productions specialize in cultural presentations that celebrate the unique spirit of the American Indian. For the past 30 years, Yellow Bird Productions has curated a unique repertoire of songs, dances, stories and dialogue that entertain and educate audiences of all ages. This program is multi-faceted and will include:

• 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Storyteller and flute player Ken Duncan: Ken Duncan Sr., co-owner and Creative Director of Yellow Bird Productions, will provide a repertoire of stories representative of Native American culture including those from the Southwest, and specifically stories from the Apache culture. Enchanting ambient music and traditional attire will enhance the telling of stories.
  • Ken is an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, an accomplished cultural teacher, singer, flute player, artist, and storyteller. He is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM. Ken is currently a Cultural Education Consultant for the San Carlos Unified School District. Among his many accomplishments, Ken has lectured on American Indian cultures across the Unites States and throughout the world including the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York and Washington, D.C. Ken has served as a Native American consultant to the US State Department and the Department of Defense on numerous foreign goodwill tours to US Embassies and Consulates in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central and South America. Ken and Yellow Bird Productions were named Culture Keepers of Arizona by Arizona’s Governor’s office in 2004. Ken was also recognized with the Arizona Native American Business of the Year Award in 2015.

• 4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Presentation regarding The Healing Dance with Doreen Duncan: Doreen Duncan, co-owner and Business Manager of Yellow Bird Productions, will outline the significance and origin of the  contemporized pow wow style of dance known today as the “Jingle Dress Dance”. The Healing Dance is a unique form of ceremony and connection to Native American heritage representing the history of our ancestor’s resilience and perseverance. In the past it was an essential spiritual form of healing that has evolved into a dance of extraordinary proficient competition.
  • Doreen is a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations of North Dakota. She is a matriarch, mother of eight and grandmother of eight, past Tribal Museum Director, educator, entrepreneur and ambassador of Native American culture. Within all these roles and throughout her diverse life’s experiences, she continues to achieve her passion to promote a positive and correct image of Native American people. She is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Arizona State University. Doreen served as the Museum Director of the Huhugam Ki Museum for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community for 10 years and was employed at the Heard Museum in Educational Programs.

• 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Champion hoop dancer Talon Duncan: Talon Ree Duncan will create images from his environment, including an eagle, butterfly, turtle, clouds and a desert flower. The fast, exciting and colorful presentation will include interpretation of the significance of the dance and a land acknowledgement.
  • Talon is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations of North Dakota in addition to being an Apache. His Arikara name is Lighting Crow Dancer. Talon is a champion hoop dancer and is well known in the Native American hoop dance world, winning championships in competitions in Sante Fe, Salt Lake City and at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Talon has been dancing at Talking Stick Resort for over 10 years and will be spinning his hoop there during the 2025-2026 Session.

• 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Reception in the Courtyard with food and beverages

Program Info:

Monday, October 13
3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
FREE for Museum Members (Members, log-in first to reserve tickets)
FREE with Museum Admission
$10 for just the program