From: "Mario A. Caro" <carom-AT-evergreen.edu>
Subject: Indians' Indians: (Re)Presentation of Native American People in the Arts
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 19:06:38 -0700


Native Americas: Hemispheric Journal of Indigenous Issues 
http://www.nativeamericas.com 
1-800 9-NATIVE 
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***PRESS RELEASE*** 

CORNELL ARTS GROUPS AND DEPARTMENTS COLLABORATE  
ON YEAR-LONG LOOK AT NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAYALS 

ITHACA, NEW YORK -- With Native American representation continuing to be
a nationwide controversial topic, departments and programs at Cornell
are collaborating on a year-long examination of Indian identity through
the creative and performing arts. Beginning with events in September,
this program, titled "Indians' Indians: (Re)Presentation of Native
American People in the Arts," will explore through events and symposia
the contemporary representation of Native American culture. This program
is sponsored in part by the Cornell Council for the Arts. 

The "Indians' Indians" program was initiated after the Cornell
Department of Theatre, Film & Dance decided to produce the play The Rez
Sisters by First Nations playwright Tomson Highway (Cree) in the fall
2001. "We wanted to bring the work of a Native American playwright to
our program and, in the process, bring to the forefront issues of Native
American portrayal in literature, art, theatre, etc., both historically
and in the contemporary," said Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
Artistic Director David Feldshuh. The Rez Sisters portrays seven
present-day Native American women on a reservation. Playwright Highway
will be visiting the department for discussion of this play and his
other award-winning works. Cornell alumnus Randy Reinholz, MFA'88, will
bring his Choctaw heritage into play as director of the production. The
Rez Sisters will be performed October 24-November 4. 

The "Indians' Indians" program will kick off with a Traditional Opening
on September 6 at noon on Ho Plaza. A Thanksgiving Address will be given
by Jason Corwin  '02 (Seneca) and remarks will be made by Feldshuh and
Daniel Usner, Director of the American Indian Program. An Honor Song
will be performed by the drum group Thunder Lizard Singers. Events will
continue throughout the 2001-2002 academic year -- all either performed
by Native Americans or related to Native American representation. 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 

Traditional Opening * September 6 * Noon * Ho Plaza (Rain Location:
Memorial Room, WSH) 
Opening remarks by David Feldshuh, Artistic Director, Schwartz Center,
and Daniel Usner, Director, American Indian Program 

Truman Lowe * September 25 * 5:30 pm * Tjaden Gallery, Olive Tjaden Hall

Lecture by Truman Lowe, sculptor and curator of Contemporary Art at the
National Museum of the American Indian. Sponsored by the Department of
Art. 

American Indian Dance Theatre * October 4 * 8:00 p.m. * Kiplinger
Theatre, Schwartz Center 
An integrated company of dancers, singers, and musicians from various
tribes, the American Indian Dance Theatre is an internationally
acclaimed touring dance company. Sponsored by the Department of Theatre,
Film and Dance. 

Akwe:kon * Week of October 8 * Akwe:kon, Triphammer Road 
Native American Heritage Week.  Exploring myths of discovery. Sponsored
by American Indian Program. 

James Luna * October 18 * 5:15 pm * The H.F. Johnson Museum of Art 
Lecture/performance by Native American performance artist James Luna.
Luna's performance art examines Indian/White relations with irreverent
wit and an unconventional viewpoint. Sponsored by the H.F. Johnson
Museum of Art. 

Tomson Highway * October 18-19 * Schwartz Center 
Artist-in-Residency: Playwright Tomson Highway. Lecture and staged
reading scheduled. Sponsored by the Department of Theatre, Film and
Dance. 

The Doe Boy * October 18-19 * Willard Straight Theatre 
Filmmaker Randy Redroad presents a program of his award-winning short
films and his feature film debut, The Doe Boy, winner of the
Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award at the 2000 Sundance Film
Festival. Sponsored by Cornell Cinema. 

The Rez Sisters * October 24-November 4 * Class of '56 Flexible Theatre
* Schwartz Center 
The Rez Sisters, an award-winning play by First Nations playwright
Tomson Highway (Cree). Sponsored by the Department of Theatre, Film and
Dance. 

"The Truth of El Dorado" * Early November 
"The Truth of El Dorado: Indigenous Peoples and Anthropologists," a
conference which will discuss Patrick Tierney's book, Darkness in El
Dorado, which sparked an explosive discussion of research ethics and
methods used by anthropologists to interpret Indian societies. Sponsored
by the American Indian Program. 

Design and Culture * Early November * 11:15 am * Warren Hall B45 
Special lecturer on Design and Culture. Sponsored by the Department of
Design and Environmental Analysis. 

Coming to Light * November * Willard Straight Theatre 
Documentary filmmaker Anne Makepeace presents Coming to Light: Edward S.
Curtis and the North American Indians. Sponsored by Cornell Cinema. 

Jim Welch * November 14 * 4:30 p.m. * Goldwin Smith Hall, Room D 
Jim Welch (Blackfeet), fiction writer. Author of The Heartsong of
Charging Elk, Winter in the Blood, and Fools Crow. Sponsored by the
Creative Writing Program. 

In the Light of Reverence * Late November 
Symposium on Sacred Sites, Religious Freedom, and Indigenous
Environments. A screening of the documentary film In the Light of
Reverence will be the occasion for a panel discussion on the
significance of sacred sites in American Indians' relationship to the
land and to the United States. Sponsored by Rurul Sociology. 

The Adventure of Coyote * March 25 * 5:00 p.m. * Film Forum, Schwartz
Center 
"The Adventures of Coyote: A Readers Theatre." Traditional stories about
Coyote, a comic trickster who survives through his cunning and creative
gifts, are told by Indians throughout the western U.S. The performance
includes both traditional stories and contemporary poetry. Sponsored by
the Anthropology Department. 

Spiderwoman * April 5-6 * Class of '56 Dance Theatre, Schwartz Center 
Critically acclaimed performance group, Spiderwoman, will present their
original works based on Native themes, present a workshop for students,
and participate in a symposium. Sponsored by the Department of Theatre,
Film and Dance. 

Pow Wow and Smoke Dance * April 4-6 * Barton Hall 
Annual Pow Wow and Smoke Dance Competition. This annual event draws to
Cornell outstanding drum groups and dancers from around the country.
Organized by Native American Students at Cornell. 

Indians' Indians Symposium * April 5-6 * A.D. White House 
Symposium with members of the performance group Spiderwoman. The
symposium will address issues of Native American representational
practices as well as practices of representing or displaying Natives by
non-natives in society. Sponsored by the Department of Theatre, Film and
Dance. 

Luci Tapahonso * April 12 * 7:30 p.m. * Goldwin Smith Hall, Room D 
Luci Tapahonso, Native American poet. Sponsored by the Creative Writing
Program. 

Joanne Shenandoah * April 26 * 8:00 p.m. * Statler Auditorium 
Music performance by Joanne Shenandoah, Native American singer,
songwriter and performer. Sponsored by the Music Department. 

Additional events may be added. For current listings see:
www.arts.cornell.edu/cca/indiansindians or call the Schwartz Center Box
Office at 254-ARTS. 

--30-- 

Leslie Morris 
Manager of Marketing and Public Relations 
Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts 
430 College Avenue 
Ithaca, NY 14850 
607-254-2730 
lm60-AT-cornell.edu 

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American Indian Program 
Cornell University 
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1-800-9-NATIVE 
nativeamericas-AT-cornell.edu 
http://www.nativeamericas.com 


Mario A. Caro
(360) 867-6612
http://www.evergreen.edu/users6/carom/





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