On a late-summer Saturday in Sioux Falls, the lawn of the Levitt Shell will fill with the sound of drum groups, the flash of regalia, and the hum of a crowd that has come for something more than a concert. The occasion is the fourth annual Mitakuye Owas’iƞ * All My Relatives * Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ Festival, a free, day-long celebration of Native American music, art, and culture that returns to Levitt at the Falls on August 29, 2026. For organizers, the festival's name is not decoration. Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ is a Lakota phrase that translates roughly as "all my relatives" or "we are all related," a prayer of oneness with every form of life. The festival's ambition is to make that idea literal: to gather the people of Sioux Falls and the surrounding tribal communities into a single, shared afternoon of excellence.
The event is the product of a partnership between Levitt at the Falls and the Wokini Initiative of South Dakota State University. The festival's roots reach back to an earlier collaboration: the Levitt, the Smithsonian, USA Skateboarding, and the Wokini Initiative came together for Innoskate, a one-time celebration of skateboarding culture that forged meaningful connections with tribal communities doing grassroots work in the sport. Through that effort, Wokini supported youth living on the Pine Ridge Reservation through an organization called Ground Control. The experience left organizers wanting more.
"From that, we said we really want to keep these relationships going and continue to build out this work," recalled Rose Ann Hofland, vice president of programming at Levitt at the Falls. "What can we do here in Sioux Falls to really put a spotlight on Native artists and continue to grow these partnerships?" The answer was a festival devoted entirely to Native excellence. This year's edition, the fourth, is supported in part by the Smithsonian's "Our Shared Future: 250," a Smithsonian-wide initiative created to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary and advance the institution's vision for the next 250 years.
The 2026 lineup reflects the festival's commitment to showcasing Native artists. The day opens at 10 a.m. with the Wakiyan Sapa Singers and a presentation of tribal flags, followed at 10:30 by a family show from Jackie Bird. The afternoon brings the Toka Nuwan Singers and Dancers, a student spotlight featuring the Wokini Initiative, Amiyah Weston, Outlast Arts & Education, and Ground Control, and a set from Kobe Jordan. Two fashion showcases will present designs from Sa’ic’iya Design, Jackie Bird, Sage Mountainflower, Shinin’ Star Style, Inspired by LCR, and Breezy Designs.
The evening's mainstage performance belongs to Mato Wayuhi and Tia Wood, who close out the day at 7 p.m.
Beyond the stage, the festival extends into the visual arts. At Rehfeld's Art & Framing, an exhibition of Indigenous artists runs through August 28, with a closing reception that evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Gallery director Alix Kyrie curates the exhibition, which features Holly Young, Jon Isaiah Pepion, Amanda Provost, Jane Williams, Henry Payer, Travis Blackbird, Glenabah Tulley, and Savannah Cheney, alongside a collaborative piece by Hawthorne Elementary's Circle of Courage. The day also includes a vendor fair of local artisans, food trucks, and interactive activities for children and families.
For Nancy Halvorson, the venue's president and CEO, the festival is all about Native excellence. "It's all about Native excellence and shining a spotlight on that," she said. Hofland echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of honoring the people who have shaped the region's cultural fabric. "I think it's important for us to be continuing to shine a light on those folks who have contributed so much to what is the fabric of our cultural heritage here," she said. On August 29, that light will fall on the Levitt stage, on the walls of Rehfeld's, and on a community gathered under the open sky — all of them, in the festival's own words, relatives.