Sherenté and Nkéke Harris

Performance Time and Location:
Saturday, September 7th at 12:10 to 12:40pm on City Hall Stage

Sherenté and Nkéke Harris will be sharing traditional Narragansett song, story and dance, as citizens of the sole Indigenous nation in Rhode Island.

Sherenté Harris
Sherenté Mishitashin Harris uses image, dance, song, and story to remind their neighbors, near and far, of their history and commitments to Wamee Kuwamuneetonk Nutonksuog (All Our Beloved Relations). Born a citizen of the Narragansett Indian Tribe and a descendant of the House of Ninigret, Sherenté seeks to uplift their people, the sole Indigenous nation in Rhode Island. Sherenté is a renowned advocate for the Twospirit (LGBT Native) community after their battle for acceptance in the Powwow circuit was recorded in the documentary “Being Thunder”. For this work, Sherenté was named a 2019 LGBT History Month Icon. Sherenté has walked in NYFW, has been featured in news sources including the NYT, NBC, Yahoo!, and NPR, is a 2018 Presidential Scholar, was a 2019 Tedx Speaker, was admitted into the 2022 cohort at Yale Norfolk School of Art and is a graduate from Brown University (Magna Cum Laude) and Rhode Island School of Design (with Honors) through their 5 year Dual Degree Program. Sherenté has received their Masters Degree in American Studies, and is currently enrolled in the American Studies PhD program at Brown University. Sherenté is currently publishing their first book.

Nkéke Harris
Nkéke Waupianoohom Harris resides with parents and six siblings adjacent to tribal reservation lands. A member of the Narragansett Nation, Nkéke is a traditional artist, carrying on stories and teachings as passed down for time immemorial. Nkéke practices visual and performance art, with a passion for obscure pop culture, socio-political activism, art equity, Indigenous visibility, and empowerment. Working to convey the histories of peoples while being a culture bearer, Nkéke is a champion Eastern War, Smoke, and Grass Dancer.

Most recently Nkéke starred as Audrey II in Brown University’s Musical Forum’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors”. Nkéke was the lead in Brown University’s Inaugural Indigenous Theatre production in 2019, collaborating with Rites and Reason Theatre of the Africana Studies Department. Performance credits include the 2017 production of “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Rep Theatre, Providence Performing Arts Center stage-production, a cultural arts celebration at Trinity Rep Theatre, and the opening ceremonies for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2018 and 2023. Nkéke is a member of the Nahaganseck Singing Group, performing at cultural and community events. Nkéke’s traditional arts have been showcased at The Warwick Museum of Art, winning first place for a piece submitted to the Narragansett Tribe’s annual Elder’s Day Youth Art Contest. Nkéke’s newest visual art collection was showcased at the University of Rhode Island’s “Yo Noweekun” (We Dwell Here) show and at the Atrium Gallery in the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) Youth Council’s inaugural show, where Nkéke acted as a co-curator. Additionally, Nkéke co-hosted the Rhode Island Senate event: Arts Education Creates a More Vibrant Rhode Island.

Nkéke’s advocacy around arts education and equity has led to invitations to the National American’s for the Arts Youth Arts Advocacy Exchange in Washington, DC, and the annual New England Educational Equity Summit. Nkéke is a finger-weaver, basket maker, fashion designer, illustrator, dancer, writer, singer, and storyteller, weaving past stories with a vision for the future. As a writer, Nkéke won a statewide essay contest hosted by the Newport Historical Society, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous visibility in Rhode Island.

Nkéke’s work in the arts has been recognized by Rhode Island Governors Raimondo & McKee and Senator Gallo. Nkéke served on the RISCA Youth Council and the Narragansett Tribal Chief Youth Advisory Board. Additionally, Nkéke interned at one of the oldest continuously producing Black theatres in the nation, Brown University’s Rites and Reason Theatre in the Department of Africana Studies, employing the research to performance method and collaborating on research components for two productions; “50 Years Since 68” and “Sustantia Negra…by association” by Vatic Kuumba. Nkéke served as an education intern at Tomaquag Museum, Rhode Island’s only Indigenous museum dedicated to sharing culture, arts, and history from a First Person perspective. Presently, Nkéke is in their 3rd year at Brown University.