- Details
- By Elyse Wild
For starters, the American Indian Center in Chicago is holding a special sewing class to learn to make your own regalia. Plus, an artist collective in Houston hosts Indigenous leaders, scientists, and historians to explore how Indigenous knowledge can work alongside western science. Finally, New York Times best-selling author, Pulitzer Finalist and Indigenous author Tommy Orange joins Brown University to talk about his writing and life's work.
Here is Native News Online’s weekly round-up of arts, culture and entertainment offerings around Indian Country.
Open Stitch and Sew
Friday, Feb. 24, 4:00 — 6:00 p.m.
Chicago, IL
Learn basic sewing skills and design your own regalia at the American Indian Center in Chicago. Classes will include sewing techniques and sewing safety. Participants will design and create their own regalia (ie. ribbon shirt, skirt, jingle, fancy shawl, men’s fancy, grassdance and both men/women traditional).
Flagler County Native American Festival
Saturday, Feb. 25 — Sunday, Feb. 26
Palm Coast, FL
Experience the 8th Annual Flagler County Native American Festival at Princess Place Preserve on February 25th and 26th. Take a leisurely walk through the trading booths and discover the wildlife exhibits. Kids can participate in specially designed activities, while you watch Native American dances and live demonstrations of weapons. Food and refreshments will be available.
Two-Eyed Seeing: Elevating Indigenous Knowledge, Presence, and Worldviews for a World in Ecological Crisis
Saturday, Feb. 25, 9:00 — 11:00 a.m.
Houston, TX
This event will begin with a rich dialogue between Indigenous leaders, scientists, and historians to explore how Indigenous knowledge and worldviews can be elevated and work alongside western science and historical traditions (known as “Two-Eyed Seeing”) to create a healthier, more just world. Attendances will have the opportunity to witness an Artist performance by Danza Azteca that shares the legacy of Mesoamerican culture. Their sacred rhythms and movements will connect all those who bear witness.
Native Pride Dancers in “Dance for Healing
Thursday, March 2, 10:00 — 11:00 a.m.
St Paul, MN
Dancing builds energy, healing and connections across multitudes of cultures. Exhibition dance includes the Eagle dance, the Men’s Grass Dance and Fancy Dance and the Women’s Jingle Dance and Fancy Shawl dances.
The Art of Time: Documenting History through Native Art
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7:00 —8:00 p.m.
Online
How have Native cultures documented the passage of time? And what can we learn from Native art forms about preserving moments that are important to us? Join Miranda Belarde-Lewis (Zuni/Tlingit), assistant professor at the University of Washington’s Information School, for an exploration of the artful documentation of time.
Duality: Contemporary Works by Indigenous Artists
Friday, Feb. 24 — Thursday, March 2
Longmont, CO
Nationally-recognized activist and artist Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe) guest curates this new contemporary Native American art exhibition presenting the work of locally and nationally-known Indigenous American artists. The exhibition showcases paintings, ceramics, sculpture, beadwork, video, and more.
CPEP Seminar – This Land is Our Land: Native Lands Partnerships in Conservation
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 4:00 —5:00 p.m.
Madison, WI
This presentation by Starlyn Miller, Native Lands Partnerships Director of The Wilderness Society will provide an overview of the history and development, past partnership work, and current priorities and partnerships of the Native Lands Partnerships Program at The Wilderness Society, a non-profit conservation organization. The presentation will also provide some insights on best practices in beginning your own journey to being an authentic ally when working with Indigenous partners.
Writers’ Panel: Tommy Orange in Conversation with Joan Naviyuk Kane and Paula Peters
Tuesday, Feb, 28, Noon — 1:00 p.m.
Providence, RI
In this panel, Tommy Orange will be joined by poet Joan Naviyuk Kane and scholar-writer Paula Peters in a conversation moderated by Matthew Shenoda (Brown University Literary Arts), about their writing and life’s work.
An Evening with Oscar Hokeah
Thursday, March 02, 7:00 — 9:00 p.m.
Livingston, MT
Oscar Hokeah’s debut novel is Calling for a Blanket Dance. This “electric debut takes us into the life of Ever Geimausaddle, whose family—part Mexican, part Native American—is determined to hold onto their community despite obstacles everywhere they turn.” The novel was recently nominated for a Pen/Hemingway Award and longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
Hokeah is a regionalist Native American writer of literary fiction, interested in capturing intertribal, transnational, and multicultural aspects within two tribally specific communities: Tahlequah and Lawton, Oklahoma.
Strategies of Resistance & Negotiation
Thursday, March 02, 6:00 p.m.
Overland Park, KS
Join Dr. Kim Warren, Professor of History at the University of Kansas, for a special presentation on “Strategies of Resistance and Negotiation: Native American and African American Students Fight for Themselves.”
During the height of segregated schools in the United States, Native American and African American students still felt the need to advocate for their own learning, identities, and livelihoods. Their acts of resistance included running away, breaking work tools, and sometimes setting fires in their school kitchens. Acts of resistance also included embracing educational opportunities, joining sports teams, and revamping courses to include their own versions of ethnic and racial studies. With a focus on students and their families, Dr. Kim Warren will compare experiences at Native American and African American schools to reveal civil rights activities dating back to the early part of the 20th century.
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