Media Contacts MWGOE: Stephanie Mushrush, 562-265-8323 gatheringofelders92@gmail.com AGCC: Jasmine Williams, 310-519-0936 jasmine@angelsgateart.org
September 15, 2023
The 17th Many Winters Gathering of Elders
October 12, 13, 14 and 15 at Angels Gate Cultural Center
San Pedro, CA., September 12, 2023 – The Many Winters Gathering of Elders (MWGOE) Organizing Committee is excited to announce its 17th MWGOE, scheduled for Thursday, October 12 through Sunday, October 15, from 11 am to 6 pm at Angels Gate Cultural Center (AGCC) in San Pedro, CA on Gabrielino-Tongva territory. The MWGOE is a four-day gathering where Native/Indigenous Elders and knowledge-keepers from across the country gather to share teachings through oral tradition with the community. The Gathering also hosts Native ceremonies throughout the four days. MWGOE is held in partnership with AGCC, open to the public, free to attend and family friendly.
The MWGOE plays a vital role in the Native community of greater Los Angeles, with the participation and support of the original peoples of the land. The vision of the Gathering is to host a sacred space for people to come together, with the intention to learn, pray, support Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and to inspire a healthier future for Native people.
RED EARTH GAZE, a multidisciplinary exhibition featuring Indigenous relatives from local California Nations and the broader urban Native community across Tovaangar, will be on display at the AGCC Gallery in Building A. At the center of this exhibition are Contemporary Native voices and visual narratives that merge past and present techniques, alluding to the notion that Indigenous people do not live in the past, but the past lives within them. The intention of Red Earth Gaze is to share and celebrate the expansive diversity of Native peoples that continue to thrive and evolve in a sustainable way so that Indigenous cultural expressions can continue into the next generations to come.
The 2023 MWGOE Logo Art was created by Jackie Fawn (Washoe Tribal Citizen, Yurok, Filipina).
Elders from local tribes including Gabrielino-Tongva, Gabrielino Shoshone, Acjachemen, Fernandeño Tataviam, Chumash, and other California tribes have attended in the past and will join this October. Tribal elders from other regions (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, South Dakota and others) are expected, as well. The Gathering takes place under an arbor which serves as the traditional place of teaching and learning – where Elders pass on knowledge to the younger generation, and is part of intergenerational healing from historical trauma.
History of MWGOE
The first MWGOE was held on October 12, 1992, in response to the false narrative represented by the quincentennial celebrations of Christopher Columbus’ “discovery of America.” Today, the Gathering continues to be an important occasion for the Native/Indigenous community, to reconnect to and practice ceremony, and to celebrate over 530 years of spiritual survival. It also gives opportunity for the general public to learn, acknowledge, and honor the traditional knowledge and values that have supported and sustained Native lifeways.
During the Many Winters Gathering of Elders, no alcohol, drugs, cameras, pictures, video or other recording equipment are allowed; the MWGOE Organizing Committee requests that attendees respect and observe ceremonial protocol, including no pets. Angels Gate Cultural Center is located at 3601 South Gaffey Street, San Pedro, CA, 90731.
For more information regarding the 17th MWGOE, please visit the MWGOE site or call (562) 265-8323.
This event is presented through generous support from the Department of Cultural Affairs City of Los Angeles, the Pechanga Foundation, the Perenchio Foundation, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, Pala Band of Mission Indians, and The Associated Students UCLA. We would also like to thank the local San Pedro Neighborhood Councils including Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council as well as individual community members for their support.
About Angels Gate Cultural Center
Angels Gate Cultural Center (AGCC) emerged from a group of San Pedro artists in the 1970s that created art studios and exhibition space within the WWII era army barracks of Angels Gate Park near the Port of Los Angeles. Today, AGCC hosts over 50 artist studios in addition to a variety of programs to engage the diverse communities of the Los Angeles Harbor region, including arts education in local schools, community classes, cultural events, and exhibitions of contemporary art. More information about AGCC is available at angelsgateart.org.
Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St. San Pedro, CA 90731 310.519.0936 | www.angelsgateart.org