In this class we will discover the cultural imprint of the first inhabitants of North America. In learning about the history and culture of Native Americans, it is important that we acknowledge that the relevance of their culture is ongoing and not something from the past. This week invites you to celebrate the ever-present importance of Native American art and culture.
Read:
Chapter 6: Is There a Word for Art? from Native Peoples of North America (2013), an open access textbook written by Susan Stebbins, and published by Open SUNY with a CC BY-NC-SA license.
Tip: Focus on the parts about music and sound and skim through (look over without close reading) the rest.
Watch
(PBS Wisconsin Education: Keeping the Beat).
Often, the music and culture of native people is presented to us as belonging to the past. This not only hides the vibrant, dynamic, and exciting nature of these cultures, which never entirely disappeared, but often affects the kind of engagement we can have with these culture-bearers and empathize with their social issues.
Learn how Dylan Jennings, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, dances the Men’s Traditional dance, which for him, mimics hunting movements.
Explore Dylan’s story watching the video below and think about how singing and dancing provide an opportunity to bring communities together.
