Native American Cuisine & Culture @ Epcot Through Nov. 11th

I was quite pleasantly surprised to see Native American cuisine featured in the Oklahoma pavilion at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in Orlando, Florida. At one booth called the Three Sisters Cafe you could sample seared buffalo with wild onions and/or three sisters soup. Another booth offered Native American peach buckle, a type of dessert featuring a corn meal cookie with fresh peaches.

The pavilion also included a replica of a Wichita tribal house. Constructed from straw with a cut-out serving as the door, the structure hosts Native American cooking demonstrations throughout the day. (A sign was posted above the cut-out door that read "The Wild Onion Kitchen.")

There was also an authentic tipi and various booths where Native American artists sold their wares. Tribal dancing and story telling also took place on a small stage at various times.

There was also an Andean pavilion featuring Peruvian dishes, art and crafts. These two pavilions were a very nice and unexpected surprise to my Epcot visit. Hurry, because they will only be at Epcot through November 11th.

Of course, there are two other permanent exhibits that feature American Indian themes. The Canadian pavilion features exquisite totem poles from their Pacific northwest tribes. And the Mexico pavilion is housed inside a recreated Aztec pyramid. Inside is a boat ride that includes Mayan, Aztec and Olmec artifacts as well as a beautifully recreated Mayan wall mural. These can be seen anytime and are worth a visit to Epcot.

Review: American Indian Dance Theatre- "Dances from a Tribal Life"

I always believed that the beauty of Native American dance would translate well to a theatrical venue as opposed to being limited to only powwows. After witnessing the latest performance of the American Indian Dance Theatre, "Dances from a Tribal Life," my belief was confirmed. This two hour performance brought together the best of traditional Native American dance mixed with modern interpretations resulting in a very mesmerizing show.

The program featured a newly staged Honoring Ceremony, in which the company pays tribute to the elders who have passed on the traditional dances to the younger generations; an Eastern Woodlands Suite of social dances common to many tribes on the east coast of North America; an Eagle Dance suite from the Hopi and Zuni pueblos; as well as dances paying tribute to some of the animals and birds revered by many tribes, including the deer and the buffalo.

Principal dancers of the company also performed solo renditions of many powwow favorites including Grass Dances, Men's and Women's Traditional Dances, Men's Fancy Dances, Women's Fancy Shawl Dance and the Hoop Dance.

It was great to see these young dancers dressed in the finest regalia performing traditional dances but I think the highlight of the show was when they came on stage dressed in "street clothes" and performed more modern dances. It was a great way to highlight the fact that Native Americans are not simply relics in a museum or history book but are part of the present and continue to evolve and grow culturally.

My only complaint is that the drummers and singers were all off stage. Luckily I sat in one of the first few rows and was able to see the musicians backstage while they performed. But most of the attendees sitting further back didn't have this same opportunity. The drummers and singers are as important a part of the performance as the dancers thus relegating them to an off stage location missed an opportunity to make the show even better for the audience. I've seen other cultural dance performances ranging from Cambodian to South African and they always had the musicians on stage and it added greatly to the overall experience.

Overall this was a very enjoyable performance and highly recommened to all. For tour dates and other info visit:

http://www.americanindiandancetheatre.com/

Exhibit: "Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee & British Delegations"

Exhibit Location: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC

Dates: Through Nov. 25, 2007

Website: http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/emissaries/index.html

Overview:

Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations presents two vivid mirror images- Cherokee society in 1762, as seen by a British lieutenant and diarist, Henry Timberlake, and British society of the same period, seen through the eyes of three Cherokee leaders who convinced Timberlake to bring them to Britain to meet King George III. The exhibit includes the items that comprised their daily life- weapons, peace pipes, eyeglasses, uniforms, clothing, tableware and jewelry. Emissaries presents 18th century Cherokee and British life with a fresh sense of discovery that we might have if time travel made our visit possible.

Exhibit is based on the book: "The Memoirs of Lt. Henry Timberlake"

About the book: "This is the first modern scholarly edition of what is considered the most detailed ethnographic account of Cherokee life in the late 18th century. Timberlake's memoirs describe the months he spent living with the Cherokees then escorting a delegation to London to meet King George III. He provides details of daily life, including ceremonies, games, the role of women, the preparation of food, and the creation of weapons, baskets, and pottery. This edition pairs the original text with extensive footnotes and annotiations, a new introduction, index, and more than 100 illustrations, including artifacts, maps, period artwork, and contemporary artwork."

Mississippian and Mound Builders Events

November 1, 6:00-7:00 PM
Art Institute Of Chicago Lecture
Kent Reilly, Texas State University,
"Sacred Objects, Cosmic Vision in the Amerindian World"
Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.artic.edu/aic/calendar/event?EventID=3554&EventType=5

Monday, February 04, 2008, 7:30 PM
AIA Lecture
"From Colonization to Complexity: First Peopling to Monumental
Architecture in North America"
David Anderson, University of Tennessee (Stone Lecture)
Chan Auditorium,
Admin. Science Bldg., UAH
Central Florida (Orlando)

March 26 - March 30, 2008
Society of American Archaeology
73rd Annual Meeting
Vancouver, BC, Canada
http://saa.org/meetings/index.html

Thursday, April 3, 7:00 PM
"The Koster Site (Illinois River Valley): a 21st Century Perspetive"
Prof. Jane E. Buikstra, Director of the Center for Bioarchaeological
Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change,
Arizona State University.
Co-Sponsored by the St. Louis Community College - Meramec. South County
Campus
Multipurpose Room
4115 Meramec Bottom Road
at Lemay Ferry Road
Melville/Oakville.
http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/aia/

Tuesday, April 08, 2008, 7:30 PM
AIA Lecture
John Kelly, Washington University of St. Louis
"Cahokia's Mound 34 and the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex"
University of Missouri-Kansas City, University Center, Pierson Hall
Kansas City

Saturday, December 06, 2008, 8:00 PM
AIA Lecture
"Cahokia: An Ancient Kingdom in the Mississippi Valley"
Michael Fuller, St. Louis Community College- Meramec
Whitman College,
Kimball Hall,
Walla Walla

Mike Ruggeri's The Ancient Americas Breaking News
http://web.mac.com/michaelruggeri

Mike Ruggeri's Mississippians and Mound Builders including the Adena and
Hopewell
http://tinyurl.com/276d8z

Mike Ruggeri's Pre-Clovis and Clovis World
http://tinyurl.com/2m8725

Mike Ruggeri's Ancient America Museum Exhibitions, Conferences and
Lectures
http://community-2.webtv.net/Topiltzin-2091/AncientAmerica/index.htm