Post by blackcrowheart on Oct 17, 2006 14:18:30 GMT -5
Fest helps dispel culture stereotypes
By Leigh Gomez
Poughkeepsie Journal
RHINEBECK — Men wearing colossal feathered war bonnets and American Indian jewelry labeled "made in Taiwan" are nonexistent at Chrisjohn's Iroquois Art and Cultural Festival.
Festival organizer Tina Chrisjohn-Wyant, 53, of Red Hook won't allow it.
People need to know there are still native people out there who do their own work, Chrisjohn-Wyant said.
The 20th annual festival was founded by Chrisjohn-Wyant's brother and father after a discussion of how commercialized some powwows were becoming.
"Unfortunately, today there are a lot of shows that are not authentic," Chrisjohn-Wyant said.
So she and other members of her family made it a priority to ensure items sold at the festival weren't mass produced.
There were necklaces made of stone and feathers, bead bracelets, dreamcatchers, handbags, all with a vendor ready to explain the meaning behind each item.
Learning opportunity
The festival is an opportunity to depict the true Iroquois way of life, and correct some of the stereotypes, Chrisjohn-Wyant said. For example, the Iroquois Nation are not "savages" nor do they all live in tepees.
In fact, they give off a positive aura for many who encounter their tribes, which is one reason why Barbara Monroe, 57, of the Town of Ulster, planned to attend the event months in advance.
One lesson Monroe learned from the Iroquois Nation through storytelling, was American Indians "share in their society."
If a person wants something, don't just take it, Monroe said. Ask for it, and it shall be received.
Others at the festival agree there are numerous lessons the American culture can learn from the Iroquois Nation.
The social dancing, organized by Bill Crouse, 43, of Salamanca, was performed by the Allegany River Dancers.
The dancers were comprised of eight people, the majority of whom started dancing by the time they could walk, Crouse said.
Crouse, a resident of the Allegany Reservation and a Seneca tribe member, said the dances use nature to express different, critical moments in life.
Crowd members were hesitant at first to join in the dancers in the "Robin Dance" and "Alligator Dance." But not Mary Jo Candy, 59, of Westfield, Mass.
"They invited us to dance, wouldn't it be rude not to?" Candy said.
It was a way to have a positive rapport using something so simple — dance, Candy said. Everyone was dancing to the same beat, or at least trying to, she said, smiling.
Rachel Peine, 58, of Philadelphia, Pa., said she was attracted to everything involving Native Americans since childhood. She also joined in the dancing.
Peine said much could be learned from the Native Americans. The American culture can be so violent, she said.
As Peine and her friend, Candy, left explore the other events, one of the lessons of the Allegany River Dancers chimed in their ears.
Holding up a circle made from hula hoops, a dancer said the hoops intertwined represent one element of the Earth. If the Earth is harmed, the dancer said, indicating a collapsed circle, "this is what will happen."
Leigh Gomez can be reached at lgomez@poughkeepsiejournal.com
By Leigh Gomez
Poughkeepsie Journal
RHINEBECK — Men wearing colossal feathered war bonnets and American Indian jewelry labeled "made in Taiwan" are nonexistent at Chrisjohn's Iroquois Art and Cultural Festival.
Festival organizer Tina Chrisjohn-Wyant, 53, of Red Hook won't allow it.
People need to know there are still native people out there who do their own work, Chrisjohn-Wyant said.
The 20th annual festival was founded by Chrisjohn-Wyant's brother and father after a discussion of how commercialized some powwows were becoming.
"Unfortunately, today there are a lot of shows that are not authentic," Chrisjohn-Wyant said.
So she and other members of her family made it a priority to ensure items sold at the festival weren't mass produced.
There were necklaces made of stone and feathers, bead bracelets, dreamcatchers, handbags, all with a vendor ready to explain the meaning behind each item.
Learning opportunity
The festival is an opportunity to depict the true Iroquois way of life, and correct some of the stereotypes, Chrisjohn-Wyant said. For example, the Iroquois Nation are not "savages" nor do they all live in tepees.
In fact, they give off a positive aura for many who encounter their tribes, which is one reason why Barbara Monroe, 57, of the Town of Ulster, planned to attend the event months in advance.
One lesson Monroe learned from the Iroquois Nation through storytelling, was American Indians "share in their society."
If a person wants something, don't just take it, Monroe said. Ask for it, and it shall be received.
Others at the festival agree there are numerous lessons the American culture can learn from the Iroquois Nation.
The social dancing, organized by Bill Crouse, 43, of Salamanca, was performed by the Allegany River Dancers.
The dancers were comprised of eight people, the majority of whom started dancing by the time they could walk, Crouse said.
Crouse, a resident of the Allegany Reservation and a Seneca tribe member, said the dances use nature to express different, critical moments in life.
Crowd members were hesitant at first to join in the dancers in the "Robin Dance" and "Alligator Dance." But not Mary Jo Candy, 59, of Westfield, Mass.
"They invited us to dance, wouldn't it be rude not to?" Candy said.
It was a way to have a positive rapport using something so simple — dance, Candy said. Everyone was dancing to the same beat, or at least trying to, she said, smiling.
Rachel Peine, 58, of Philadelphia, Pa., said she was attracted to everything involving Native Americans since childhood. She also joined in the dancing.
Peine said much could be learned from the Native Americans. The American culture can be so violent, she said.
As Peine and her friend, Candy, left explore the other events, one of the lessons of the Allegany River Dancers chimed in their ears.
Holding up a circle made from hula hoops, a dancer said the hoops intertwined represent one element of the Earth. If the Earth is harmed, the dancer said, indicating a collapsed circle, "this is what will happen."
Leigh Gomez can be reached at lgomez@poughkeepsiejournal.com