An Outline of the Festival:

"North American Indians: Past and Present"

[ Temporary description - (10/2002) ]

Organizers: Archaeological Museum at Biskupin and the Institute of Archaeology, Warsaw University, Warsaw.

Cooperation: Embassy of the United States in Warsaw, the Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, State University of New York, the Institute of Ethnology of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw, the National Trust of Historic Preservation, the National Museum of American Indians, Smithsonian Institution, and the Polish American Indian Friends Movement.

Organizing Committee: Aleksander Bursche (Warsaw University), Wiesław Zajšczkowski (Biskupin)

Consultants: Ludomir Lozny (Hunter College), Janusz Wołoszyn (Andean Archaeological Mission of Warsaw University)

Our intention is to present selected aspects of Native American cultures by confronting two cultural areas inhabited by North American Indians: the northwest and the southwest. We would like to emphasize an overwhelming cultural diversity existing in the past, and also remaining in the present time, among the native people, who, from the European perspective, often seem to represent a similar, univocal type of culture. The festival will consist of three major themes: archaeology and ethnology of Native Americans, and a presentation of the selected elements of the present day American culture within the American Days scheduled by the end of the festival.

1. Prehistory

The key element of the presentation of the past will be in form of an exhibition presenting the material culture of Native Americans from two cultural areas: the southwest and the northwest. The artifacts will come from Ethnographic Museums in Warsaw and Poznan and also from museums in Berlin, Leipzig (including The Karol May Museum). We also hope to receive certain artifacts from the Smithsonian and the National Museum of American Indians in Washington.

A significant addition to the presentation of the past will be a display of photographs documenting the confrontation (clash of cultures) between the Indians and the European colonizers in the 19^th and the 20^th centuries. The photographic selection will include pictures from the pueblo Laguna, pictures showing the consequences of the Catholic Mission in the southwest, pictures of the most famous chiefs, pictures documenting the assimilation programs – children taken away from their parents and put into vocational boarding schools, pictures from the Wounded Knee Massacre, pictures presenting the Ghost Dance ceremonies, pictures showing the everyday life of the Indians of the southwest and northwest, pictures of paintings by Ch. B. King, G. Katalin, and K. Bodmer, depicting everyday life of Indians in the 19^th century, and others. We also plan showing short films, computer animations, slides, etc., all depicting natural landscapes and environments, architecture, and ethnographic information (costumes, rituals, etc.). The films will be obtained form the Smithsonian and shown in the movie theater and the multimedia tent at the museum. We would also like to present selected methods of researching the past of American Indians by showing pictures of research devoted to preserving archaeological artifacts in wetlands (wetlands archaeology; conditions similar to Biskupin).

2. Modern times

The biggest attraction of the festival will be the participation of Native American groups arriving from the United States. They will present the public with their culture including various skills like craftsmanship, and art: pottery, weaving, jewelry, woodworking, hide processing, weaponry, ceremonial masks, and other. The presentations will be interactive and the spectators, especially students, will have a chance to actively participate in the making and manufacturing of different items. The students will also be able to create their own art by following the traditional Indian patterns (for instance, a totem pole of a town they come from, or a totem pole of their school, their own masks, tattoos, etc.). The Indians will also design a variety of quizzes for the public. We would like to invite representatives of several nations from the southwest and northwest, among them the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Kwakiutl, and others.

A significant part of the Native American participation will be a traditional Indian powwow, previously of religious significance and recently commercialized. Powwow is a presentation of dances and singing, where the participants compete in different group categories (best boys and girls dance; best singing and drumming team, etc.). The commercial aspect of current powwows includes selling traditional art items mixed with new products like postcards, t-shirts, contemporary music, etc. Powwows usually last for several days and the spectators are often asked to actively participate in dancing and singing (outside of the competition). In general, powwow is a comprehensive presentation of a variety of costumes of different tribes, their traditional dances and songs, and also individual dexterity (cf. the Loop Dance).

The festival’s scenery will include reconstructions of traditional Indian tipi, kiva, wigwam, and totem poles. The photographic exhibition of the southern landscapes will be accompanied by an exhibition of cactuses.

Additionally, we will show several movies inspired by the history and culture of Native Americans, like “The Last of the Mohicans”, “Dances with Wolves”, and a very specific European production entitled “Winnetou.” The films will be shown in the multimedia tent.

3. American Days, September 26-27, 2003

It has become our tradition during the Biskupin festivals to organize special events and to present the modern culture of countries where the indigenous people come from. We have previously organized the Lithuanian Days, the Egyptian Days, the Hungarian Days, and the British Days. The American Days will include presentation of selected elements of the present day national culture. We would like to invite country and rock musicians, Cajun musicians to show the skills of playing the washboard, and also rodeo performers to present horseback riding or the use of lasso skills, etc. There will also be several quizzes on the knowledge about the USA, with attractive prices.

Special guests, the local administration representatives, diplomats, and others will attend the opening ceremony of the festival.