On March 18, 2019, after a tradition of 32 years, the Indian Summer Festival Inc. Board of Directors officially announced in a press release that Indian Summer Festival will no longer be at Summerfest. 

Majority in the Milwaukee Indian Community were surprised to hear this news since there is no evidence that Indian Summer Festival Inc ever contacted the Milwaukee Indian Community or the 12 tribes of Wisconsin to let anybody know they were in a financial crisis, needed emergency funding during the last 3 years that they were in the red according to IRS, and they were even considering to leave Summerfest. Many in the community stated they felt blindsided, sad, and betrayed in social media and in a survey by this press release. 

We believe that the Indian Summer Pow Wow  needs to Be Brought Back at Summerfest 2022! But this year we will make sure it is a Traditional Pow Wow with no sales of alcohol or alcohol Sponsorship! This 2022 Pow Wow will be called Medicine Woman Charlene L. Hawpetoss Wheelock Indian Summer Traditional Pow Wow. Or Charlene's Indian Summer Pow Wow for short.

1. Indian Summerfest Inc stated that their mission right on their website was created to run the Indian Summer at Summerfest since 1985. 
2. Indian Summer Festival needs to be brought back at the Summerfest grounds 2022 because Indian Summer will sharply decline like other ethnic festivals that have left Summerfest including African World Festival which was last at Summerfest in 2012. The African American community had fought 6 years battle to bring back an African Festival to Summerfest. We are trying to avoid that battle in the Milwaukee Indian Community.
3. We believe that Indian Summer Festival Inc leaving Summerfest Definitely hurt the Milwaukee Indian Community. 
4. To honor the memory of Menominee Medicine Woman Charlene L. Hawpetoss Wheelock who was a WE Indians Counselor at Allen-Field Elementary School told us Native American students that she was part of the creation of the Indian Summer Festival and it was her dream that it be held at the Lakefront as an alcohol free Traditional  Indian Summer Festival arena at the Summerfest grounds was also where Charlene Wheelock crossed over with her last breathe in September 1987 enjoying the very Pow Wow she helped bring to fruition starting with the creation of the Indian Summer Festival Inc Board in 1985. My Veteran Mom Army Major Nurse Joann Gardner Schedler made a valiant effort to breath life back into Charlene Wheelock. RIP
5. Milwaukee is known in the native language as the Gathering of the Waters. Having the Indian Festival at the Summerfest grounds is a 32 year old tradition of celebrating along Lake Michigan which makes it a sacred tradition.
6. We believe that Indian Summer Festival Inc needed to come to the Milwaukee Indian Community and the 12 Wisconsin Tribes to let us know that Indian Summer Festival Inc was in a financial crisis for the last three years according to the records they submitted to the IRS that they needed emergency funding, and they were considering leaving Summerfest anytime during those last 3 years way in advance of the March 18 press release.
7. We believe that through community efforts like crowdfunding and seeking alternative funding that we as a community can help financially support our beloved Indian Summer Pow Wow at Summerfest 2022.

Read Article for More Information:

http://wenonagardner.com/2019/03/28/response-to-the-march-18-press-release-that-indian-summer-festival-no-longer-at-summerfest/

Sincerely,

Charlene's Indian Summer Traditonal Pow Wow at Summerfest 2022 Supporters.