“sii agua sí” Indigenous + Native American Waterway Dance Performance (SF)

Dance Mission Theater and Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers have come together for a day-long street closure to activate the Native American Heritage Site at Dolores Park and remember the waterways on the 18th Street/Mission Creek Corridor (between Church and Dolores Streets) via art and cultural events. In partnership with Ohlone leaders, local artists, Mission High School, and the American Indian Cultural District, this ritual performance intervention will bring awareness to the blocked and soil-filled waterways in Yelamu (what is now known as San Francisco) and will memorialize the 5,700 Indigenous ancestors buried in the Mission Dolores cemetery during early colonization.

sii agua sí means “water water yes”, “sii” being the Ohlone Ramaytush word for “water.” With a temporary sidewalk art by Adrian Arias and Pancho Pescador to guide the audience and dancers in the daytime and installing Ben Wood’s large scale video projections of water to light up the site at night, the October 1st festival will take place within a watery landscape. Water blessings, land acknowledgements, traditional and contemporary dances, ofrendas (ancestor altars) and a creek water sound installation by DJ Ras K’Dee of Audiopharmacy will decolonize the area replacing the usual presence of buses and cars from 3-8pm.