The Aquarium of the Pacific will host its nineteenth annual Moompetam American Indian Festival on September 9 and 10. The event celebrates California maritime cultures and includes cultural craft demonstrations, storytelling, music, dance, and an award ceremony. Participants include members of the Tongva, Chumash, Acjachemen, Costanoan, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay tribes. American Indian artists will display and demonstrate cultural materials, such as basketry, items of adornment, and artifacts.
Moompetam (pronounced \’mohm peh tahm\), meaning “People of the Ocean,” is derived from the word for saltwater in the Tongva language. For the California indigenous coastal peoples, the ocean has always been a sacred entity. The ocean environment is reflected in all aspects of the cultures of the California coastal tribes, who have maintained strong connections to the ocean for hundreds of years and into modern times.
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
COST: Included with general admission: $44.95 per adult (ages 12+), $29.95 per child (ages 3-11), $41.95 per senior (ages 62+), and free for Aquarium members and children under age three / Advance reservations required
RSVP/INFO: aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/moompetam/ or (562) 590-3100
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