To ring in 2011, the Pokagon Band will offer a family-friendly, drug- and alcohol-free evening of Native music and laughter at Dowagiac Middle School’s Performing Arts Center, 57072 Riverside Drive.

Native American comedian Don Burnstick will begin the evening.

Burnstick is a Cree from the Alexander First Nation outside of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

After surviving a rough adolescence and drug addiction, Burnstick now promotes healing through humor and performance.

His message speaks to a proud heritage and his desire to leave a better world for future generations.

He has established himself as one of Canada’s best comedians, and his highly-acclaimed show You Might be a Redskin: Healing Through Native Humor, wittily portrays First Nations people, their habits, likes and dislikes.

Singer-songwriter Bill Miller, a Mohican citizen, will perform next.

Winner of six Native American Music Awards, including a 2007 Lifetime Achievement honor, Miller has earned three Grammy Awards, among them his most recent in for Spirit Wind North, which was named Best Native American Album in 2010.

Miller has become one of the Nashville community’s most respected talents, working with Vince Gill, John Carter Cash and other Music City stars.

He has recorded nearly 20 albums—both as an independent artist and for Warner, Integrity, Vanguard and other labels.

The evening’s hosts will be award-winning actress Irene Bedard (Inupiat/Cree), best known for her performance as the voice for Disney’s Pocahontas and for her role in Native American writer (and Dowagiac visitor) Sherman Alexie’s Smoke Signals, along with Pokagon Band citizen and local radio personality Roger Rader.

The crowd will welcome the New Year with a midnight song from South Bend-based drum group Ribbontown Singers. The event is free and the public is welcome. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the performance begins at 9 p.m.

Attendees will be welcome to browse and purchase work from Native vendors at the venue.