Members of the Greater Seacoast community gathered at Green Acre’s Reimer Hall on Saturday, November 13, for a presentation on The Significance of Cultural and Artistic Expression of the Northeast Woodlands Indigenous Peoples by Ed Bullock as part of Green Acre’s Indigenous-centric art exhibit, Chaga Nolosan – Walking in Beauty.
Dressed in full regalia, Ed shared an array of expression with those in attendance—from drumming, song and dance, to examples of regional differences in craft design. As a purveyor of Indigenous art from around the country, Ed was in a unique position to answer questions from the audience not only about the art and culture of the Northeastern Woodlands peoples but the artistic practices of other Indigenous groups and Nations as well, knowledge gleaned from his life-long dedication to Indigenous art and cultural expression.
The evening’s program was the closing event for Chaga Nolosan, which opened on August 28th with the intention of amplifying the historically silenced voices and contributions of our Indigenous sisters and brothers. The exhibit featured 32 pieces of art from 17 indigenous artists ranging across the Americas from Chile, Columbia, Nicaragua, The United States and Canada, representing the Painted Feather Woodland Metis, Abenaki, Cherokee, Lakota, Powhatan, Nyí, Apache, Pueblo, Yaqui, Franco-Anishinaabeh, Anishinaabe, Coashaki, Innu Nation, Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, Metis, Mohegan, Eastern Band Cherokee, Muisca, Chibcha, Garifuna, and Killer Whale-Daglawadei.
Ed (Eyes That Shine) has been dancing at Pow Wows since 1970 as well as singing on various Northern Plains drum groups. He is an accomplished craftsman in bead work, feather work, regalia making and silversmithing. Ed’s father, Whirling Thunder, started the Wandering Bull, a Native American craft supplies business in 1969. His brother Chris still operates the business. The family traveled extensively to Pow Wows to vend, sing and dance throughout the greater Northeast and Canada. Ed has owned and operated The Little Bull, a Native American gift shop in York Beach, Maine, since 1988 and has organized over 25 Pow Wows in York Beach. He has traveled annually to New Mexico for 30 years to purchase Native crafts including jewelry, pottery, baskets, kachinas, carvings and fetishes. His brother Andy is the director of the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner, NH.
This program was sponsored by Artists Building Capacity as World Citizens — A resource for artists who wish to serve sustainable environmental, human rights, and social development goals.
Gallery
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