Among the many Iroquois artists practicing beadwork, there is one woman who represents the Tuscarora bead workers especially well. Her name is Penny Hudson, a member of the Tuscarora Turtle Clan. She has given the art of bead working much more acknowledgement than just a craft to admire. Each piece she creates forges a picture of her Native people's individual identity, going beyond its sheer physical beauty, which is in itself stunning... click here for more ...

Watching Hollywood movies past and present, one would be inclined to think that Native Americans are long extinct, a remnant of a romantic, yet savage period in American history. Need I get into it? Okay. The tomahawk wielding, bareback horse riding, "woo-woo" chanting, bow and arrow shooting, tipi dwelling, half naked in the winter, peyote illusion having, peace pipe smoking, broken English talking, long hair warrior, old medicine man, pow wow dancing, mystical shaman types that permeate American cinema past and present sometimes make people that meet me look at me with either the awe one would a museum relic or utter sympathy because I'm one of the last Indians on earth... click here here for more...

In the earlier part of the twentieth century many Indians migrated to New York City. Often escaping the poverty of reservations, they came here in search of a better life. Finding work was difficult for most. Some, like the Mohawks, were lucky and found a niche building the skyscrapers and bridges of Manhattan. Many found work in less heroic professions, but nevertheless, work was found and families fed and raised. Settling mainly in Brooklyn, this first wave of urban Indians often found themselves and their traditions at odds with the way life was lived in the city... click here for more ...

Thunder Bird Sisters| by Tim Hayes

The end of the twentieth century brought about a stunning and dramatic revival interest in the creation and performance of Native American music in North America, especially in the U.S. Earlier in the century, spaghetti westerns immortalized poor depictions not only of Native music overall but of general Native life. Previously most academically cited works were of both anthropological and ethnomusicological interest; it appears that the mainstream has not, generally, seen Native music as a living, valued, cultural connection to previous generations of Native people. Gratefully, much of this has changed in the last 30 years, and today, there are Native people performing original music and compositions, thus maintaining a continuous living connection to the past, creating a vision for the future... click here for more ...

Funding Opportunities

Find out the latest on residencies, festivals, markets, fellowships, prizes, internships, classes, rehearsal spaces and much more... click here for more ...