Current Topics in Museum Studies:
Issues in Native American Representation
Larry J. Zimmerman
IUPUI Department of Anthropology

Dances for the New Generation
American Indian Dance Theatre #2

1996, 60 minutes, color, broadcast on  PBS Great Performances series

Summary:

The American Indian Dance Theatre, comprised of individuals from thirty Indian nations,  journeys to learn the songs and dances of the Makah, Kwakiutl, Penobscot and Iroquois, and returns home to pow wow in North Dakota. Filmed at ceremonials in Alert Bay, British Columbia, at a pow wow in Newtown, North Dakota, on the Penobscot Reservation in Maine and in performance onstage in Boston. It aired on Great Performances and earned a primetime Emmy Award nomination. Along with comments from elders of these nations, the company performs dances from the Makah, Kwakiutl, Seneca, Penobscot, and several Plains nations.

Questions:

1. What role does dance play in many Indian cultures? 
2. How can dance both tell a story and be a form of cultural expression?
3. What role do various items of clothing or paraphernalia play in dances for each group?
4. Which of the dances did you find most striking or interesting? Why?
5. What is the importance of a dance company such as this one? Any benefits? Any drawbacks? What are the stated goals of the company?