In Woody Crumbo: Pan-Indian Powwow eleven different varieties of Indigenous American dance are showcased. Woody Crumbo’s vibrant screen prints bring these dances, each with its own unique history and tribal tradition, to life.

From the Indian Removal Act to the Dawes Act, the 19th century saw the systematic removal of Indigenous Americans from their ancestral lands and the creation of consolidated reservations. This concentration of once far-ranging tribes led to an intermingling of culture and custom.

Pan-Indianism refers both to the forced merger of Indigenous American cultures and to the solidarity shown by those cultures in striving to keep their shared traditions alive.

Powwows are social gatherings in which Indigenous people celebrate their culture through music, dance, and other forms of artistic expression.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available. Contact Samantha Voss for more details.

Precolumbian Lifeways showcases over 80 artifacts from ancient cultures of Central and South America that range in time from around 1000 B.C. to 1500 A.D. Objects chosen for the exhibit illustrate the four ethnological themes of Domestic Life, Technology and Art, Beliefs, and Encounters as defined below:

Domestic Life: Household items meet basic needs (including food and shelter), and show people how to live, work, and play.

Technology and Art: People modify natural elements to improve their way of life, and to add beauty to their surroundings.

Beliefs: Ritual and Ceremonial objects reinforce belief systems that sustain and strengthen communities.

Encounters: Meeting strangers and engaging in trade can lead to changes within societies, which are often seen in their artifacts.

Loaned from the personal collections of Drs. Ernesto and Luisa Lira and Dr. Richard and Nancy Weiss and organized by research curator Dr. Frederick W. Lange of the Museum of the Red River (Idabel, OK).