3-4-2010 |
Evening With a Curator
“The Art and Music of Navajo Peyotism: Tradition and Innovation”
Daniel C. Swan, Associate Curator of Ethnology
The Peyote Religion or Native American Church is an intertribal religious movement that was born on the reservations of Southwest Indian Territory in the late 19th century and quickly spread to tribal communities in surrounding regions. Today the Church assumes an important role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans. A vibrant expressive culture of traditional and fine arts, complex musical repertoires and ritual performances has developed in association with the Peyote Religion, particularly among the Navajo. This presentation explores the role of traditional philosophy and modern demographics in the rise of Navajo Peyote arts to a level previously unachieved in the history of the religion. Swan draws on 15 years of research with Native American Church artists from the Navajo community to demonstrate how the Navajo case is unique and may well provide a defining moment in the evolution of contemporary Peyote arts. |
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm |
Lectures |
Norman, OK
