American Indian Program
odd: label: Introduction
content: By 1989, visitors to the Festival had been treated for more than two decades to a rich cross section of American Indian cultures. In recontextualized settings on the Mall, members of many tribes shared their repertoires of songs and dances; constructed their wigwams, tipis, and brush arbors; coiled, glazed, and fired their pottery; wove their baskets, seamless yarn bags, and saddle blankets. Festival visitors did not, however, see these traditions in their natural contexts - on distant reservations or in pueblo plazas. Admiring the skills and enjoying the presentations, visitors might well assume that they are well and flourishing in their home communities. However, the 1989 Festival addressed the issue of what is required to keep such traditions alive today. At home many of these craftspeople and performers face economic hardship, their talents and aesthetic knowledge are ignored or considered obsolete, and the materials required to support their efforts are inaccessible or endangered.

The American Indian program at the 1989 Festival addressed head-on the entire issue of access in a broadly conceived interpretation of the term. Simply put, what are the problems people from Native communities face when maintaining their traditional cultures and thus their cultural identity as tribes and as individuals? Almost always the answer will identify impediments imposed by the dominant Euro American society, motivated by economic, political, or social considerations. Access to natural materials such as willows for basketry is an obvious problem; others are more subtle. Access to traditional food sources is another problem addressed by the Festival. Indian access to recognition is perhaps the most subtle of the themes that was considered in this year's Festival program.

Thomas Vennum, Jr. was Curator and Dennis Fox, Jr. served as Program Coordinator, with Jane Fortune as Assistant Program Coordinator. The American Indian program was supported by federal appropriations and Smithsonian Institution Trust Funds.
label: Fieldworkers
content: Harriet Brady, Bernadine DeLorme, Norman DeLorme, Richard Felger, Catherine Fowler, Dennis Fox, Jr., Robert Gough, Jim Griffith, Rick Hill, Oren Lyons, Felipe Molina, Michael Pavel, Phyllis White Shield, Thomas Vennum, Jr.
label: Presenters
content: Catherine Fowler, Robert Gough, Jim Griffith, Rick Hill, Oren Lyons, Carl Whitman
label: Participants
content: Great Basin Basketry

Florine Conway, 1927-, basket maker, Schurz, Nevada

Bernadine DeLorme, basket maker, Reno, Nevada

Norm DeLorme, basket maker, Reno, Nevada

Becky Eagle, 1964-, basket maker, Wadsworth, Nevada

Theresa Jackson, 1916-1999, basket maker, Gardnerville, Nevada

Joann Martinez, 1921-, basket maker, Gardnerville, Nevada

Lily Sanchez, 1924-, basket maker, Fallon, Nevada

Plains Indian Buffalo Traditions

Keith Bear, 1955-, buffalo dancer, Mandaree, North Dakota

William Bell, Sr., singer, storyteller, New Town, North Dakota

Inez Chase, 1937-, hide tanner, New Town, North Dakota

Virgil F. Chase, 1942-, headdress maker, buffalo dancer, New Town, North Dakota

Naomi Foolishbear, 1917-, hide tanner, New Town, North Dakota

Dean Peter "Good Eagle" Fox, 1954-, buffalo manager, singer, buffalo dancer, Mandaree, North Dakota

Marty Good Bear, buffalo dancer, New Town, North Dakota

Yaqui Pascola and Deer Dances

Ignacio Alvarez, 1919-2003, fiddler, Tucson, Arizona

Steve C. Armadillo, 1954-, drummer, deer singer, Tucson, Arizona

Steven Armadillo, Jr., 1981-, Pascola dancer, Tucson, Arizona

Timothy Cruz, 1969-,  -- mora -- , Marana, Arizona

Angel Duarte, deer dancer, Marana, Arizona

Felipe Garcia, 1972-, deer singer, rasper, Tucson, Arizona

Alberto Gonzalez, harp player, Sonora, Mexico

Mateo Gonzalez, drummer, flute player, Sonora, Mexico

Benjamin Lucero, rasper, deer singer, Marana, Arizona

Felipe Molina, rasper, deer singer, Marana, Arizona

Glaciro Perez, deer dancer, Marana, Arizona

Sara Valencia, 1966-, altar maker, Marana, Arizona

Iroquois Lacrosse

Frank Benedict, 1936-, stick-maker, Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve

Owen Benedict, 1970-, stick-maker, Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve

Averill K. Bucktooth, 1981-, player, Nedrow, New York

Drew Bucktooth, 1981-, player, Nedrow, New York

Freeman Bucktooth, Jr., 1953-, coach, Nedrow, New York

Calvin Hill, 1981-, player, Nedrow, New York

Dustin Wayne Hill, player, Nedrow, New York

Brendan LaForme, 1980-, player, Sanborn, New York

Aaron Scott Patterson, 1980-, player, Sanborn, New York

Jeffrey Powless, 1980-, player, Nedrow, New York

Emmett Printup, 1962-, coach, Sanborn, New York

Tony Printup, player, Sanborn, New York

Clayton Smith, player, Sanborn, New York

Louis Stone, player, Niagara Falls, New York

Murray Stout, 1980-, player, Nedrow, New York

Clyde Van Every, 1963-, player, Sanborn, New York

Melvin White, stick-maker, Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve

Ojibway Wild Rice Technology

Charles W. Ackley, 1922-, wild rice harvester, Crandon, Wisconsin

Naomi Ackley, 1924-1996, wild rice harvester, Crandon, Wisconsin

Neena Anne Ackley, wild rice harvester, Crandon, Wisconsin

Victoria Ann Ackley, wild rice harvester, Crandon, Wisconsin

Earl Nyholm, wild rice harvester, Crystal Falls, Michigan
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1989 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1989, Series 2
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials