Photo By Samantha Arguellez, Staff Photographer
By Sawyer Cranston, Staff Writer
On Sept. 19, a group from the American Indian Center of Chicago came out to Moraine Valley Community College to showcase instruments, demonstrate dances, tell stories, and educate faculty, staff, and students about their Native American culture.
The event began with Dave and Paul on the drums, or the “grandfather”, to get everyone’s attention and to start the performance. Ronnie Preston, a Cultural and Education Programs Director at the AIC, introduced himself and welcomed all attendees, then began with “Mother’s Traditional Dance.” Ronnie explained that mothers had to send their husbands, sons, brothers and uncles to become soldiers and defend their tribes when non-native soldiers tried to eliminate them. He also explained how the popular call non-native people try to do when making fun, a hooting sound and quickly tapping the mouth with a hand. When a group of non-native soldiers heard this call, it scared them. It was the call of mourning mothers. Lisa performed the “Mother’s Traditional Dance” which depicts a mother going side to side searching for her sons.
The next dance called the “Woman’s Fancy Shawl Dance” started with a story of Preston’s childhood, when his grandma showed him a flower with a butterfly and told him, “Watch the story unfold.” The dancer, Norma Robinson, wore a traditional shawl draped over her to represent the butterfly.
Preston then explained how he is a grass dancer and demonstrated the “Men’s Grass Dance.” He shared how a leader instructed the young men who encountered tall grass in Illinois and other Midwestern states to stomp on the grass to flatten it. Once the grass was flattened, the dancers would tie strands of grass to their elbows and knees, and make the strands dance. Preston’s ribbons on his regalia were the symbols of the grass strands.
Ronnie Preston performs the Grass Dance.
Another story recounted how the flute came to be. A young man tried to attract a young woman’s attention but was unsuccessful with direct contact and gifts of food. When a woodpecker found him crying, it pecked holes into a branch above him. The holes allowed the wind create a beautiful sound as it blew through the hollow branch. The woodpecker instructed the man to play the flute out of sight from the young woman, and report back over several days. By playing the flute out of sight of the young woman, he eventually gained her attention, love, and companionship.
The most emotional and eye-opening dance was the “Eagle Dance.” Preston began by showing a singular eagle feather to represent life, gradually separating small parts from the main shaft, each symbolizing a trial that Native Americans endure even today. He spoke of racism, how people make judgments without knowing the truth, prompting him to educate others to promote healing and understanding. He shared a story about addiction, recalling a visit to a family’s home where their 23-year-old son had died from an overdose. He encouraged kids to learn their culture and get involved. Preston also recounted a last phone call with a friend who later took his own life, wondering what he could’ve done differently to help his friend, the desire to spread love and importance of saying “I love you.” Lastly, he discussed death, revealing he is one of five children and his mother has had to bury three of her children. He smoothed the separations in the feather, restoring it to its original shape, then demonstrated the eagle dance while wearing eagle feathers along his arms and back moving in ways that imitated eagles.
One of the final dances involved hoops. Despite attempts by non-natives to eradicate Native tribes they have preserved and continue to tell their story. The hoops represented no beginning and no end. Preston then had the audience repeat a phrase, “Love one another, respect one another, be kind to one another.” He approached someone in the audience and said, “I am no better than you, you are no better than me; we are equal.” He then selected five audience members to hold hoops representing five stories of life, and lay them on the floor in a specific pattern. With one hand, Preston lifted the hoops and shaped them into a ball, symbolizing our interdependence as residents of the same planet. It was a stunning moment that left audience in awe.
Ronnie Preston performs the Hoop dance depicting the animals who share the planet.
Preston’s final solo dance was the “Hoop Dance” which highlighted the four-legged animals and insects that exist. He jumped through and twisted the hoops to make wings of butterflies and birds, or clamping motions to represent alligators, and many more impressive creations, once again concluding with the hoops into a ball to illustrate unit.
Finally, Preston invited everyone to participate in the “Circle Dance.” Everyone held hands to form a big circle, moving from right to left and then gathering in the middle. It was a beautiful, educational, and emotional performance. At the end there was a question-and-answer session, allowing audience members to take pictures and see some traditional clothing and instruments, with opportunities to try out the drums. If you unfortunately missed the performances, all are welcome to visit the American Indian Center of Chicago’s website to learn about upcoming events, powwows, how to get involved, and learn more about the culture.
The gathered audience joins the performers in a final Circle Dance.
All photos by Samantha Arguellez, Staff Photographer. All videos by Jan Kopischke, Student Publications Advisor
