A Night Not of Color but of Culture

We all have heartbeats; we all breathe air and look to the same sky. On Nov. 14, PVCC brought different forms of humanity together on one stage. Red Crooked Sky performed for the public and showed representations of many different Native American tribes, including Cherokee, Sioux, Meherrin, Shoshone, Haliwa Saponi, Pamunkey, Micmac, Seneca, Monacan, Comanche and Menominee.

As these representatives of their tribes danced and sang together, it became clear that even though they came from different parts of the U.S., they all danced under one sun and sang under the same moon. They have different cultures, but the culture of mankind beats in each of their hearts.

The show began the same way that many Native Americans believe all life did in the beginning, with the single heartbeat that began the world. Circular dance motions represented a circle of life that had no beginning and no end.

The song and dance selections evoked the everlasting themes such as human emotion, rising and setting of times, different animals, hunting and gathering along with the basic needs for survival. Music and dance proved to be the universal language that engaged everyone.

One highlight of the show was the hoop dance. A man came on stage with multiple hoops and through his dance evoked the rising and setting sun and the birds that soar in the sky and the butterflies that herald the spring. Throughout the performance, people applauded the man’s storytelling.

At the end of the night, the men and women of the tribes introduced themselves and the tribe they represented. They answered questions about their lives and their cultures. They spoke about  how many Native American languages have been lost or are slowly dying out and how it is important to teach the young children of the tribe the languages.

Because Native American cultures are so steeped  in oral tradition, the loss of a language would be a massive hit to the tribe and its culture. Some of the people spoke about how they are bringing the languages back by having elders teach the children in schools.

One question regarded living on reservations. The audience learned that the largest Native American tribe that is alive and well is the Navaho tribe. The viewers  also learned that many other tribes are having a much harder time keeping their cultures alive.  One purpose of Red Crooked Sky is to perform and educate the public about the lives of Native Americans and see the world through their eyes.

The final question for the night was, “Which term do you prefer to be called: Native American or Indian?” The respondents had different opinions, but many said that if you call them by any name but mean it in a positive light they are not offended. However, this varies from person to person.

Overall, the night was the perfect mix of education and entertainment. Very few experiences could have come close to being under the spell of the Red Crooked Sky. People had the opportunity to look beyond skin color or where we are from and realize that underneath we all have a heartbeat. We all have the human culture in our blood.