Cultural Expression of Art: Convergence into the Social Realm

Do you remember the first time you saw a piece of art? Do you ever find yourself noticing little things throughout the day that seem to capture exactly how you’re feeling, no matter how small? You turn on the radio during your morning commute, and a song you’ve never heard before somehow embodies your exact thoughts (and you’re shamelessly using the shazam button on Snapchat to get an artist and song title, #dontsnapanddrivekids). I remember my little sister coming home one day after school, with her fresh copy of Because of Winn Dixie in hand. Her eyes lit up as she could barely contain her excitement about the contents in the book -- and I instantly reminisced back to the sheer excitement I felt while reading that same book 10 years earlier.

Sometimes, though, I get stuck in these creative trenches about how the world works in relation to my cultural understanding and why certain modes of art just lose that jolt of excitement over others. How can you stay up-to-date as a native in the 21st century, who appreciates both modern and traditional art?

Seneca Nation youth participating in a social dance

I did what most native women would do to find a resurgence of inspiration: I reexamined what these past art forms meant in correlation to my identity. I attended a craft fair with a smoke dance competition on the Onondaga Nation, a native community just 15 minutes south of campus. For inquiring minds, a smoke dance competition is essentially a Haudenosaunee style of dance that began in the late 1980s, evolving from a war dance that was meant only for men. Recognizing how dance represents mobility in past cultural barriers, was a concept I sometimes overlook even as a member of this community. Each dancer brings their unique dance style, material designs, and presence to the event. Poetry in motion becomes a refreshing reminder that dance represents art too.

Helpful infographic you can use to kill it at your first competition!

Dance competitions have only become a small part of a larger social practice shared throughout many native communities. Social dances are various gatherings nations hold as a safe space for anyone to learn, build new friendships, or spend time together to share stories. Large participation numbers at these gatherings only highlight how important it is for Haudenosaunee communities to teach the younger generation that will keep these events going in the future. How can we keep these events going, and gain a wider understanding between native women that these events matter?

Think about convergence. Art can capture entire points in time, and curated digitally can drive new mediums that mesh incredible human activities for wider awareness in an entirely new space. For Syracuse University students who identify with their Native heritage, these mediums can provide a space for acceptance and greater connection to their community. The youtube video above is just one of the thousands, that utilize visual storytelling to frame a specific point in time. Photography, graphic design and videography that gives traditional culture a contemporary spin might be the beginning of something more for native women caught in these creative ruts.

This past weekend was a real eye-opener in terms of recognizing how these small senses of deep curiosity can also coincide with seemingly unconventional expressions of art. So take that chance and look into your past, because more often times than not it tells you something interesting about the future.