Cheyenne Frontier Days ready to open brand new Morning Star American Indian Village
After spending the past year under construction, Cheyenne Frontier Days is preparing to officially open its new Morning Star American Indian Village, a space organizers say will celebrate Native American history, culture and the long-standing role Indigenous communities have played in the annual event.
The 3.8-acre village, located on the east side of the Wyoming rodeo arena, opens July 17 and replaces the previous Indian Village with a larger, permanent space designed for performances, education and Native American artists.
"We are sitting in the brand new Morning Star American Indian Village at Cheyenne Frontier Days," said Renee Middleton, executive director of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Foundation.
Middleton said Native Americans have been part of Cheyenne Frontier Days since it began.
"There have been American Indians at Cheyenne Frontier Days for all 130 years of Cheyenne Frontier Days' existence," Middleton said.
Bill Oates, chairman of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Indian Committee, described the new village simply as "great stuff."
The village includes multiple performance stages and spaces for learning, as well as shopping.
"We have multiple stages: storytelling, artisans, as well as flute playing, and then of course the Native American dances. So it's big," Oates said.
At the center of the village is a new dance arbor, where six Native American dance performances are scheduled each day. Middleton called the structure CFD's version of Cinderella's Palace.
Throughout the venue, visitors will also find vendor spaces featuring Native American artists, educational displays and a custom-built tipi that guests can enter.
"All of the vendors are participants in the American Indian Arts Act that was passed in the 1990s by the United States Congress. So, you're going to see true American Indians plying their art, selling their art," Middleton said. "Then there's a whole bunch of educational signage. There's original American Indian art on all of the end walls of the vendor buildings."
Oates said he is eager to welcome visitors when the village opens.
"I can hardly wait," Oates said.
Both organizers said they hope the new space deepens visitors' understanding of Native American culture while expanding a tradition that has existed since the first Cheyenne Frontier Days.
"This is an amazing thing. This literally is a place of learning. It's a place of cultural respect," Middleton said.
"This will be able to amplify the Native American presence that has been here for 130 years," Oates said.
The Morning Star American Indian Village officially opens July 17. Admission to the village is included with entry to the Cheyenne Frontier Days grounds, meaning visitors must have a grounds admission ticket or a ticket to that day's rodeo or concert to access the village.
