The NMU Native American Studies Department, in partnership with the tribal historic preservation office of the Lac View Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The $22,000 grant will be applied to the Creative and Learning Art in Native Setting Project (CLANS).
This project will focus on the revitalization of Anishinaabe art forms, songs and dances. CLANS project will be a week long event full of workshops in a community based setting for 40 middle school and high school students in Watersmeet, Mich.
“Workshops will promote project-based, holistic learning inclusive of Anishinaabe language lessons, traditional songs and storytelling,” said April Lindala, director of the Native American Studies Department.
Lindala applied for the grant.
“When I saw that ‘tribal centers’ were included, I felt that this would be a perfect grant for the type of work that was starting at the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Community with some arts revitalization projects,” Lindala said.
The students will have the opportunity to learn from at least 11 recognized American Indian artists. Brian Pourpart will teach a workshop on singing instruction.
Kelly Church will focus on Black Ash Baskets and Cattails and Basswood Projects. Linda Cohen will workshop on beadwork and leather working.
Summer Cohen will instruct beadwork, sewing and making hoops choreography.
Gregory Johnson and Leon Valliere will teach birch bark projects and language workshops. Elizabeth Kimewon will workshop on Birch Bark and Porcupine Quill Projects and Language (Elder).
Adrian King plans on teaching male dance styles and old dances. Cherish Parish will instruct black ash baskets. Michelle Reed intends to teach sewing, female dance styles and choreography. Hoop dancing will be taught by Megan Tucker.
“The prospect of the Native American Studies program receiving a $20,000-plus grant to educate pre-college students is nothing short of amazing,” Levi Warnos, junior English major said. “[It will] be placing a considerable amount of valuable resources back into the hands of the people who deserve [it].”
Some of the dances that will be taught are the buck and doe dance, the fish dance and the swan dance.
“Personally speaking, my heart is and always has been tied closely to music, dance and art,” Lindala said. “As a small child I was brought up with piano lessons during the week and went to powwows to dance over the weekend.
“I was a huge fan of the television program. ‘Fame,’ and from that I have always felt that the performing arts could really inspire young people to do good with their life.”
For those who wish to apply, there will be an application sent to the 35 tribes in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and the urban American Indian centers in those states. The application will also be available online once plans are finalized.
“We are seeking to educate tribal citizens of the Upper Peninsula tribes,” Lindala said. “However, we will open it up to tribes in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.”
There will be no extra cost for participants except for transportation.
The CLANS project is also receiving additional support from NMU College of Art and Sciences, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Youth Program, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Hannahville Indian School and the Hannahville Indian Community’s Youth Program.
“In combination with (my) personal experiences, the importance of revitalizing some of the social songs of the Anishinaabe just makes sense,” Lindala said. “I know that there are fewer and fewer drum groups who know and understand some of the older social songs.
“While some of the adults might know the dances to go with those songs, our young people do not always have an opportunity to learn these dances unless they happen to be at a powwow where these songs may be shared.”
