Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Chickasaw Nation, and Cherokee Film headline sponsorships, bringing national cultural programming to the annual Indian Market

SANTA FE, N.M., July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is pleased to announce its tribal partnerships and sponsor programming for the 104th annual Santa Fe Indian Market. This year's lineup is anchored by subjects of cultural preservation and sacred sites advocacy, Indigenous film and storytelling, and market-wide philanthropic support from tribal nations spanning Oklahoma to California.

Cultural Preservation and Sacred Sites Advocacy

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is co-title sponsor of the 104th Santa Fe Indian Market. Their first event is Sacred Sites Protection: Then and Now, a panel discussion on Friday, August 14, from 1:00–2:30 p.m. at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC), featuring filmmaker Sterlin Harjo (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma), comedian and activist Dallas Goldtooth (Mdewakanton Dakota/Diné), Governor Mark Mitchell (Tesuque Pueblo), RaeLynn Butler, Secretary of Culture and Humanities for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and representatives from Hickory Ground, in conversation about sacred places, cultural survival, and the role of storytelling and art in protecting what matters most. The panel is directly connected to Justice for Hickory Ground, an effort to protect a sacred Muscogee (Creek) burial site, return ancestors to their rightful resting place, and stand with the living descendants who continue to be affected by the site's history. 

Friday's panel discussion will be followed by Sacred Places 2026: A Night of Music, Storytelling, and Art, presented by Artists for Hickory Ground. Sacred Places 2026 is an evening celebrating the power of Indigenous artists to protect culture, preserve memory, and inspire action. Featuring performances by some of Indian Country's most celebrated musicians and storytellers—including Keith Secola, Gary Farmer, Frank Waln, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo—the event also includes a fireside conversation with Dark Winds star Zahn McClarnon and acclaimed filmmaker Chris Eyre, along with an original theatrical performance written by Mary Kathryn Nagle. More than a concert, Sacred Places 2026 reflects a growing movement of Native artists using music, storytelling, theater, and film to elevate the importance of Indigenous sacred places across North America. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the 6:15–9:45 p.m. event at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Watch for the link to purchase tickets to both events on SWAIA's and Justice for Hickory Ground's social media accounts: @santafeindianmarket and @justiceforhickoryground.

Indigenous Film and Storytelling

The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation is the lead sponsor of the 2026 Get Indigenous Film Festival (GIFF), presenting an exclusive documentary showcase of Maara'yam: The Yuhaaviatam Story on Friday, August 14, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the New Mexico History Museum. Admission is free with a ticket, available online soon at swaia.org.

Cherokee Film, with the mission to reclaim Cherokee and Native narratives by increasing representation across film and media, also joins as sponsor of this year's Get Indigenous Film Festival (GIFF).

The Chickasaw Nation expands on the film and storytelling theme with the Chickasaw Nation Productions: Preserving the Past, Creating the Future panel, on Saturday, August 15, 2:00-3:00 p.m. on the Plaza Stage. 

Market-wide Philanthropic Support 

"Indian Market is the place where Indian Country comes together every August," said SWAIA's Executive Director, Jamie Schulze (Northern Cheyenne/ Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate). "When Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Chickasaw Nation, and Cherokee Film all invest in the market in the same year, it underscores that Santa Fe Indian Market has become a national convening point for Native art, storytelling, and policy dialogue. We are grateful to our tribal sponsors from across Indian Country who partner with SWAIA's mission to bring Native arts to the world."

This year's Tribal sponsorships represent four separate financial commitments from four sovereign nations, each supporting a different facet of Indian Market at its own level of investment. For some, this partnership continues a relationship built over several years; for others, 2026 marks their first year supporting the market. Together, these contributions reflect Indian Country's growing investment in the artists, culture, and the future of Santa Fe Indian Market — support that directly furthers SWAIA's mission through economic development, cultural preservation, and community collaboration.

"Native artists have always been essential to carrying forward our cultures, our histories, and our identities," explains Principal Chief David Hill. "But the sacred places, lands, and traditions that inspire them are increasingly under threat. That is why the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is honored to support Native artists through SWAIA and the Santa Fe Indian Market and to help draw attention to the threats facing sacred places across Indian Country and the urgent need to protect them."

Native American Art Magazine is the official magazine of the 104^th Santa Fe Indian Market. 

About The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA):
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) cultivates excellence and innovation across traditional and non-traditional art forms, developing programs and events that support, promote, and honor Native artists year-round. SWAIA creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market™, the largest and most prestigious Native art market in the world, Native Fashion Week, and Winter Indian Market. www.swaia.org

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SOURCE Southwestern Association for Indian Arts