EAC presents Many Nations One Circle

• Mary Louise Defender Wilson

Photo courtesy of North Dakota Council on the Arts/Troyd Geis

Talk about it

The Evansville Art Coalition (EAC) is proud to present “Many Nations One Circle.”

This event, created in 2008 by Sharon Henneman of Evansville and several other dedicated members of the EAC, began as a way to bring awareness and respect for all nations through the arts.

“It’s pretty remarkable what this small group of people has accomplished,” said Henneman, the key organizer.

She is particularly excited about some of the events coming up this weekend, including the opening of a new art exhibit, which will run through September, along with storytellers and a hymn sing.

The art exhibit will run from August 7 through September 26, and will feature Dakota and Lakota art. The exhibit will be showcased at the Evansville Art Center on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment.

The multi-language hymn sing is set for this Sunday, August 9 at 4 p.m. at the Evansville Historical Foundation Amphitheater. Guests are asked to bring a lawn chair. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place at Calvary Covenant Church.

A community potluck will follow the hymn sing at the church. Ham and scalloped potatoes will be provided, but guests are asked to bring side dishes.

During the hymn sing, songs will be sung in Dakota/Lakota, Swedish, Norwegian, German and in English.

The hymns are all old favorite tunes with words from the different languages printed for guests to sing along if they wish, said Henneman.

Another exciting event, according to Henneman, is a storytelling event set for this Monday, August 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Evansville Art Center.

The event will feature Mary Louise Defender Wilson, a Dakota historian. Wilson has been sharing stories of her people for nearly seven decades, she said. Henneman added that Wilson was recently awarded the prestigious Enduring Vision Award from the Bush Foundation.

Other events planned

On Saturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. to noon, there will be Native American children’s crafts at the Evansville Art Center.

On Saturday, September 19 from 2 to 4 p.m., the Wahpe Kute Dakota drummers and dancers will perform in the west gym at the Evansville School. A community potluck meal will follow.

Also on September 19 from 7 to 9 p.m., Danny Seaboy will be telling “The Untold Stories” of the Dakota people. This event, sponsored by the Diversity Resource Alliance, will take place at the Evansville Art Center.

All of these events are part of the Many Nations One Circle events, and are free-will offering events.

The Evansville Art Coalition and Many Nations One Circle are supported by grants from the Lake Region Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

For more information, contact Sharon Henneman at (218) 948-2118 or send her an e-mail at shado@gctel.net.

More information can be found on the Evansville Art Center website at www.evansvilleartcenter.com.

LEARN ABOUT WILSON

Troyd Geist, a folklorist with the North Dakota Council on the Arts, wrote this about Mary Louise Defender Wilson.

Mary Louise Defender Wilson is a Dakotah/Hidatsa elder enrolled with the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Wilson grew up and learned from a family of storytellers speaking the Dakotah and Hidatsa language. She said, “We lived by gardening and as sheep herders. We would follow along with the Old Ones and the dogs who tended the sheep. Grandfather would tell us about the rock formations, hills, streams and buttes we came across.”

The first story Wilson recalled hearing was when she was 3 years old. By the time she was in the 5th grade, she herself started telling stories to her classmates. She believes that it is important to share stories with Indians and non-Indians alike, because they teach us “how we are to behave as civilized people.”

Wilson has received numerous awards including The National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship and Best Spoken Word awards from the Native American Music Awards for each of her three CDs of storytelling. She has presented throughout the United States and Canada, in Iceland and in Germany.

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