Indigenous Peoples Celebration joins First Fridays Harvest Festival in downtown Goshen Oct. 2
GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen’s Indigenous People’s Celebration returns Friday, Oct. 2, with an expanded downtown program featuring the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Iron Bear Singers and Dancers.
The Community Relations Commission is partnering with the Pokagon Band and Goshen First Fridays for this year’s event, which begins at 5:45 p.m. at City Hall with the dedication of a new Potawatomi-Miami Trail marker.
The main program kicks off at 6 p.m. on the Historic Downtown Courthouse lawn, 101 N. Main St. Madalene BigBear, a citizen of the Pokagon Band, returns as emcee, with the Iron Bear Singers and Dancers performing at 6:15 p.m.
This year’s trail recognition adds another dimension to the celebration. The Potawatomi-Miami Trail passed through present-day Goshen as part of a trading thoroughfare between Fort Wayne and Chicago.
Indigenous People’s Celebration features returning performers
Iron Bear is a pow wow drum led by Sterling BigBear III, Ponca/Ihanktonwan, who serves as keeper of the drum named for his grandfather.
The Iron Bear Singers represent Indigenous nations from across the Chicago Treaty territory. Their songs offer blessings that help keep communities connected.
Last year, the downtown crowd joined the Iron Bear Singers and Dancers in song and traditional dance. This year, the audience will again be invited to take part in the performance.
BigBear is a Géknomaget, or “helper,” dedicated to preserving and advancing Bodwéwadmi customs and traditions. Her work focuses on strengthening cultural identity within her nation’s homelands and fostering respect across communities.
Kevin Daugherty of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi will offer the invocation at 6 p.m., followed by a recognition of the Potawatomi-Miami Trail. The Iron Bear Singers and Dancers begin their performance at 6:15 p.m.
New marker recognizes Potawatomi-Miami Trail
The evening begins at City Hall, 202 N. Fifth St., where the City will dedicate a sign marking the Potawatomi-Miami Trail, also known as the Bodéwadmi-Myaamia Trail.
Potawatomi and Miami people traveled the route for hundreds of years between the Maumee River and Lake Michigan. White settlers later followed the trail into Elkhart County.
Luke Gascho of the Potawatomi and Miami Trail Marker Group will participate in the 5:45 p.m. dedication. Gascho will continue the recognition during the main program at the Courthouse.
Visitors can also find Indigenous resources and recommended reading from the Goshen Public Library and local history from the Goshen Historical Society. The Community Relations Commission will share information about its work in Goshen.
Video: The Land Rembembers
Goshen celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day during the First Fridays Harvest event Oct. 3, 2025 with song, oral history and community conversation.
The short film “The Land Remembers” captures the evening’s reflection, dialogue and enduring connection between Goshen and the land’s first caretakers.