NEW ORLEANS (CelebrityAccess) – Bringing together global Indigenous music industry, culture leaders, and artists to honor tradition and forge new paths forward, the second edition of the International Indigenous Music Summit is set to take place in New Orleans in partnership with Folk Alliance International, from Jan 21-26, 2020.

The inaugural International Indigenous Music Summit took place in Montreal in February 2019. Programming included community outreach, stakeholder discussions and, of course, showcases by Indigenous artists from around the world. The Summit also welcomed iconic songwriter and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie and FAI’s 2019 Keynote Speaker Tanya Tagaq for book readings and, in the case of Sainte-Marie, a special address for Summit attendees. Summit delegates also gathered for a group discussion on wide-ranging topics surrounding one of IIMS big-picture goals: to imagine, connect and work towards fostering a music industry model rooted in Indigenous experience and values.

This year, the International Indigenous Music Summit will again welcome keynote speakers and round table discussions alongside its music programming. The first wave of official artist selections, announced today, include Polaris Music Prize 2019 Short List artists Elisapie and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, both from Canada, Austin, TX Americana artist Josh Halverson and traditional Sami musician and composer Vassvik.

IIMS acknowledges that this year’s gathering takes place on Bulbancha, the ancestral lands of the Atakapa-Ishak, Caddo, Chitimacha, Choctaw, Houma, Natchez, and Tunica peoples, and the Petites nations. According to a release, the IIMS would also like to recognize the Alabama, Biloxi, Koasati, and Ofo peoples, and others who were pushed into Louisiana from their ancestral lands.