Post by Okwes on Feb 1, 2006 10:51:24 GMT -5
South Dakota Indian Market Plans
www.keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=0,45652
You find them in states like New Mexico and Arizona...large markets
that showcase Native American artwork. Soon, South Dakota will have
its own Indian Market in the Black Hills. It's a project by a non-
profit organization which represents South Dakota's nine Indian
tribes and promotes Indian tourism while maintaining respect for
traditional ways. However, South Dakota's Indian Market will be
unique.
In just over a year, drawing plans will become reality, as the
Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates opens an outdoor Indian market
in Rapid City.
A.T.T.A. Executive Director Daphne Richards-Cook said, "This project
is real exciting to ATTA. For years we've been working with the arts
with our tours, make and take programs, and promoting the arts and
cultural resource lands and scenic beauty."
It will be built next to the Journey Museum in downtown.
Richards-Cook said, "What we really wanted to do was have a market, a
stronger market to Indian Country because that's what we're lacking.
When tourism business starts on the reservation, people don't know
we're there. People don't know we exist. The artists are invisible
most of the time."
But the new Indian market will give artists a place to display their
works to the millions of tourists who pass through Rapid City each
year.
Richards-Cook said, "We'll have about 38 booths for artists. We'll
have two booths for concession, Lakota culinary."
Unlike other Indian Markets that only showcase artwork, South
Dakota's will be a place of learning year around.
Richards-Cook said, "We have different people out there who are known
artists. They become the master apprentice and they work
with the youth to sit at the booth and they start making products and
different art things."
Business skills, traditional cooking, and even marketing will be
taught at the living history village.
Richards-Cook said, "So within that camp fire they're learning
culinary. They're making bapah, wasna...the traditional foods. Maybe
they're going and planting. They are showing the berries, the ethno
botany."
Plans also include an area where a powwow will be held every month.
And small concerts will offer local musicians a place to share their
talents.
Richards-Cook said, "So whenever we don't have a powwow, we pull the
stage out and it turns into a theatre stage piece. We'll have
lighting, sound, and different equipment so we have our native
community get up and maybe the contemporary singers, rap, traditional
singing, dance, and song."
It's a project that will help tribal members polish and gain skills,
but also preserve and share their culture.
Richards-Cook said, "We're doing something that's educational in
nature that's teaching our own people, taking care of our own. But
it's also teaching the non-native public to come in and really truly
understand who we are as Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations."
It won't be cheap to build, but the A-T-T-A will have help in funding
the outdoor market, from Rapid City.
Richards-Cook said, "They approved for us $812,000.00 to construct
the venue."
Money that will bring to life a project that will bring communities
together. Something that organizers have yet to do is pick an
official name for the market place. Still, construction is scheduled
to start next year.
www.keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=0,45652
You find them in states like New Mexico and Arizona...large markets
that showcase Native American artwork. Soon, South Dakota will have
its own Indian Market in the Black Hills. It's a project by a non-
profit organization which represents South Dakota's nine Indian
tribes and promotes Indian tourism while maintaining respect for
traditional ways. However, South Dakota's Indian Market will be
unique.
In just over a year, drawing plans will become reality, as the
Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates opens an outdoor Indian market
in Rapid City.
A.T.T.A. Executive Director Daphne Richards-Cook said, "This project
is real exciting to ATTA. For years we've been working with the arts
with our tours, make and take programs, and promoting the arts and
cultural resource lands and scenic beauty."
It will be built next to the Journey Museum in downtown.
Richards-Cook said, "What we really wanted to do was have a market, a
stronger market to Indian Country because that's what we're lacking.
When tourism business starts on the reservation, people don't know
we're there. People don't know we exist. The artists are invisible
most of the time."
But the new Indian market will give artists a place to display their
works to the millions of tourists who pass through Rapid City each
year.
Richards-Cook said, "We'll have about 38 booths for artists. We'll
have two booths for concession, Lakota culinary."
Unlike other Indian Markets that only showcase artwork, South
Dakota's will be a place of learning year around.
Richards-Cook said, "We have different people out there who are known
artists. They become the master apprentice and they work
with the youth to sit at the booth and they start making products and
different art things."
Business skills, traditional cooking, and even marketing will be
taught at the living history village.
Richards-Cook said, "So within that camp fire they're learning
culinary. They're making bapah, wasna...the traditional foods. Maybe
they're going and planting. They are showing the berries, the ethno
botany."
Plans also include an area where a powwow will be held every month.
And small concerts will offer local musicians a place to share their
talents.
Richards-Cook said, "So whenever we don't have a powwow, we pull the
stage out and it turns into a theatre stage piece. We'll have
lighting, sound, and different equipment so we have our native
community get up and maybe the contemporary singers, rap, traditional
singing, dance, and song."
It's a project that will help tribal members polish and gain skills,
but also preserve and share their culture.
Richards-Cook said, "We're doing something that's educational in
nature that's teaching our own people, taking care of our own. But
it's also teaching the non-native public to come in and really truly
understand who we are as Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations."
It won't be cheap to build, but the A-T-T-A will have help in funding
the outdoor market, from Rapid City.
Richards-Cook said, "They approved for us $812,000.00 to construct
the venue."
Money that will bring to life a project that will bring communities
together. Something that organizers have yet to do is pick an
official name for the market place. Still, construction is scheduled
to start next year.