View of Pier 62, Overlook Walk, and Seattle's Waterfront. Photo by Erik Holsather.
MALI’E’ • TÁTAOTAO
Pier 62 | Free
Thursday August 21, 3–5 pm
An evening of celebration of indigeneity, solidarity, and ancestral brilliance through cultural dance and music forms.
Family‑friendly!
Visitors enjoying a Spotlight at Waterfront Park event on Pier 62. Photo by Jo Cosme.
About this Event
Friends is honored to partner with Gi Matan Guma’ and Dakota Camacho to bring a re-imagining of the Matao/CHamoru art form of Mali’e’ to the waterfront. An evening of improvisational dance and music with artists and cultural practitioners from various artistic mediums calling and responding to each other.
Set on Seattle’s waterfront on Pier 62, enjoy an evening of celebration of indigeneity, solidarity, and ancestral brilliance with the seas, mountains, and city as your backdrop!
MALI’E’ • TÁTAOTAO is a multi-disciplinary ritual performance activation, and a prayer for humans to awaken to our Unity with Creation.
MALI’E’ • TÁTAOTAO is created with support from yehaw Indigenous Creatives Collective, National Performance Network, 4Culture, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Creative Capital, and New England Foundation for the Arts.
Meet Dakota Camacho & Gi Matan Guma'
Meet Dakota Camacho
Born, raised, and based in Coast Salish Territory, Dakota Camacho is a Matao/CHamoru multi-disciplinary artist / researcher working in spaces of indigenous life ways, performance, musical composition, community engagement, and education.
Camacho weaves knowing from both yo’-ña (their) bloodlines and the diverse lineages that inform yo’-ña indigenizing journey. Creating opportunities for inter-indigenous exchange as a method for indigenous knowledge development is central to Camacho’s creative philosophy.
Camacho’s artistic training and practices reflects commitment to building community with a diversity of creative lineages spanning from Hip Hop, Danza Mexica, Capoeira Angola Palmares, and traditional/contemporary indigenous dance.
Meet Gi Matan Guma’
Gi Matan Guma’ is a community of Matao/CHamoru culture bearers and creatives walking the ináfa’maolek na chålan (the path of harmony and balance with all life) by enlivening Matao/CHamoru ancestral lifeways. They advance Matao/CHamoru self-determination & community development through restoring Matao knowledge systems. Gi Matan Guma’ provides opportunities for Matao/CHamoru creatives to develop proficiency in fino’ håya (their indigenous language) and pengga’ (cultural practices) of cultural protocol through ceremony, chant, language education, in-person & digital workshops, artistic residencies, and community activations.
An exploration...
TÁTAOTAO is a part of a larger creative research project by Dakota Camacho. MALI’E’ explores new forms of Matao/CHamoru creativity inspired by ancestral technology of Mali’e’. Now-a-days called kåntan CHamurita, historically called Mali’e’, the art form serves to reveal & record ‘what has been seen’ by the people. Embodied musicality takes shape as oral history and prophecy converge.
In a time of uncertainty and disconnection, this event aims to be a way for different communities to share their stories and draw closer together through cultural and creative exchange.
Join us on the Salish Sea to commemorate the ways in which water connects us and how the ocean is able to hold all of us and our stories. We are as interconnected with our environment as we are with one another.
MALI'E' • TÁTAOTAO was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.
MALI'E' • TÁTAOTAO is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum in partnership with On the Boards, Friends of the Waterfront Park and NPN. The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation.
Support for MALI'E' • TÁTAOTAO by
Arts & Community programming at Waterfront Park is powered by
Free community programming is made possible with generous support from
Waterfront Park Grand Opening Season Sponsor
Pier 62. Photo by Jo Cosme.
Accessibility
Friends strives to ensure Waterfront Park, and our events are inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to everyone.
About Pier 62 Amenities: an outdoor space providing various amenities such as wheelchair accessible seating, shade, water stations, cooling fans, and ADA accessible restrooms.
About Pier 62 Event Resources: ASL Interpreters, Assisted Listening Devices, Sensory Tent, Courtesy wheelchairs, and Sensory Kits including noise-reducing headphones, ear plugs, blankets, scented and weighted neck wraps, fidget toys, etc.
Learn more about accessibility resources at Waterfront Park here.
Waterfront Park is still under construction until 2025, accessible routes/navigation may be impacted.
Please email [email protected] with any questions or specific accommodation requests for events.
Please fill out our park experience survey HERE with any feedback on how we can make your experience more comfortable and accessible.
