What an incredible experience Nancy and I had yesterday. We got a special education in Native American art, culture, music, dance and politics. We drove with our friend Lisa down to Phoenix for the 52nd Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market. Hundreds of artisan exhibitors, from all over North America, came for the big sale.
They took booths to show off their silver and turquoise jewelry, ceramics, baskets, bead work, sculpture, clothing, and oil paintings (like the ones done by Monte O. Yellow Bird, pictured above, along with his family).
Plus, there was a drill team, singers and dancers, a food court, and lots of moving and humble tributes and invocations to the Spirits who made it possible for all Indian People (and we visitors and buyers) to get together on a bright and cheery Spring day.
I bought a small basket from Max "Sanipass" Romero, who is part Mi'kmaq, Laguna and Taos Pueblo. Pina admired the extraordinary beautiful dolls made by Rhonda Holy Bear. And inside the Heard Museum were exceptional pieces by the Chiricahua Apache, Allan Houser.
Coming on the heels of the Winter Olympics from Vancouver, where First Nation traditions were celebrated and honored, this day at the Heard taught me just how little I know about the people and cultures already here in America, thousands of years before the first Hoyt ever set foot on our soil.
No comments:
Post a Comment