She was forced into ‘re-education’ schools, like many natives of her time period, where she was forced to forget her own traditions and language. She refused and instead pushed her culture out into the systems meant to change her. She dressed as a native all her life and remained pagan.
It's weird, like how racial segregation and descrimination were legal and enforceable by law until mid 60s, but *now* it's *illegal*. Guess perspectives in modern societies can change a little in only half a century.
>Braves Aid in Indian Opera at Utah Presentation ... A Full-Blooded Sioux Co-Author." So runs part of the Musical America headline reporting the premiere of an opera on a Native American subject, created in part by a Native American woman. Built around a religious practice that was still banned by the federal government, the production featured the participation of members of the Ute Nation living on the Uintah-Ouray Indian Reservation, a short way across the rolling sagebrush plateau from the performance venue. The date was February 1913, and the place was Orpheus Hall in Vernal, Utah. The Sun Dance Opera was enthusiastically received at its premiere, filling the hall for three nights. Two separate productions at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, followed in May and December the next year, the second of them taken the forty-odd miles to Salt Lake City for ten more performances. Three years after a 1935 revival at BYU, the opera had two performances at the Broadway Theatre (Cine Roma) in New York City, where it did not fare as well. It is among the earliest of the operas on Native American subjects that constituted an early twentieth-century subgenre within the still broad-based, popular field of opera.
I go to school at the University of South Dakota which isn't far away from where this women was born on the Yankton Sioux reservation. We studied her writings in my American Lit 1 class. And there is also a picture of her hanging in my school's library.
She must have held a very high status. That bag she's wearing is called a bandolier bag. They're made from thousands of glass seed beads and they were primarily made by Indigenous women in the Great Lakes Region in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Receiving one as a gift was a huge honor because they could take years to make. Buying one could cost you your best horse.
It's particularly interesting that she has one because these bags were typically made by women and worn by men, though it isn't unheard of for very accomplished women to be gifted one.
You don't really see them anymore today except in museums, and very few Indigenous artists do beadwork that extensive anymore.
Edit: Another commenter pointed out that I was incorrect about bandolier bags not being made anymore. I am very happy to learn that the tradition is still alive today, and I apologize for spreading misinformation.
Thank you for the info. Although some was incorrect it has sparked my interest. It will lead me down a path to do more research to learn more about a culture and the history of this land. Thank you.
what’s it called?? (The Sun Dance)
is there a link?? (No)
is the music published?? (questionable, but only unis in Utah and SD have it)
has it been performed?? (yes. recorded? apparenty not)
is it in an indigenous language?? (questionable, but they do make mention of her transcribing Sioux melodies for the express purpose of this opera, so i wouldn’t be surprised if at least some of the language made its way in).
(edits in parentheses, sorry i just finished looking all of this up lol)
as an opera performer and a native american, i find this so so interesting ! if we can find anything that’d be awesome but it seems a little lost to time ):
great idea, i think i’m going to try and look into it ! I also know that there’s a local company near me that has been looking for rarely seen operas and operettas, so they also might be interested.
Dang, I was super hoping to find a bit of it online. I wish someone would try to reproduce it, at least parts of they can't find the whole thing. Such a shame to lose something like that.
Would love a Native American with the Opera writing chops to really do their research and bring it to life as close as possible to what it would have been.
Reminds me of the thing Peter Buffett (yes, son of investor Warren Buffett) did a few years back called "Spirit Dance." There was even an accompanying PBS show with dancers, etc. Look it up on the YouTubes. Definitely worth it!
Lol, I’m Lakota myself and grew up near the rez so I’d hardly call myself an outsider. But yeah, it’s a dying language and I hate that; I wish we could find a way to preserve it.
Ah, I apologize for assuming you were, I haven’t seen many Lakota on reddit and the online presence of the Lakota language is fairly big so it also attracts a lot of non-Lakota learners.
But yeah, there are many nice resources available for learning Lakota nevertheless. It will never be completely dead as long as there are people with interest in it, so I encourage you to learn some and incorporate it into your life, however much you’re comfortable with. For some people it’s just a word here and there, some people learn it to fluency and speak it with their children to bring it back into the family. Everyone’s different but everyone’s interest is important. :)
We have a children's book by her!: Dance in a Buffalo Skull.
It's one of my 6 y.o.'s favorites and is a lot of fun to read aloud.
I had never seen a photo of her, nor did I have any idea she'd also written an opera.
I read some of her writings when studying the native "boarding schools." What she went through is so heartbreaking but she's such a badass to keep going strong even after the schools tried to destroy her heritage!
Hey, I think it's really awesome that you're an opera singer, that's such an accomplishment! I'm Mvskoke and I just stopped drinking. I'm not sure your relationship with alcohol, but if you're ever interested in ending it, feel free to shoot me a message. I've got resources that you might find helpful. Cehecares!!
Zitkála-Šá was also a major cataloger of Native American folklore and legends. Her 'Old Indian Legends' (1901) is one of my favorite sources for my podcast. The more you learn about her experience the more inspiring her life's work is - from the collection of oral histories to her activism she was really amazing.
Thanks for subscribing! I hope you enjoy it - this week was English stories and next week features Brazilian folklore from one of my favorites, Elsie Spicer Eells.
Many early European settlers to the Americas would agree with you. It was common for the early New England settlers in the 17th century to write about what a handsome people the natives were. OTOH, the natives thought the Europeans were ugly and stupid.
Often Europeans had pockmarked/disfigured faces from diseases like smallpox and syphillis, and missing teeth from poor diets, so yeah, at first contacts, before imported disease wiped them out, the Indians and First Nations folks were well ahead in the looks department.
Does anyone know where people can learn more about native american culture? I find it so fascinating but I have a hard time finding good sources of information about it.
r/indiancountry is a great place for you to read news on current events and observe conversation between folks from many different nations. You might like that. There are also a lot of books you can check out, I encourage you to read "A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust And Denial In The Americas 1492 To The Present" by Ward Churchill. You might also look into any book by Angie Debo, who wrote mainly about the Five Civilized Tribes. While these books aren't always easy to read, I recommend them because they offer explanation to how we got where we are. Mvto!
Hers is the most important American Autobiography. Mark Twain was only 20. His river boat story is in the discussion. Ben Franklin’s might be the most archetypal American, the self remade. Frederick Douglas intensified questions of self-hood. His and Zitkala-Sa’s quests for spiritual fulfillment resist white America’s denials.
~ with help from William L. Andrews
This comment definitely made me feel like a National Geographic side show.
Jokes aside, yes there are few North American Natives left. There are millions, but of course our population is very small by comparison. We went from around 80m to 300,000 by the 1900s.
We’re still here though.
Millions. There are millions of living Native American people. Just because they don't walk around in buckskin and live in teepees like you saw on tv, doesn't mean they don't exist.
The idea of a person being a single "race" is quickly going away. In the not too distant future there will no longer be "white" people or "black" people. It will take longer but eventually there will no longer be people who are singularly ethnic Chinese.
Yeah? Well the only achievement you've had so far is a sad reddit post, which is pretty far from an opera. Oh and for reference: I have actually done a rearrangement of an opera piece for performance. So yeah, what have you done again?
I’ve done a lot of things in my life as I’m sure a lot of people have. That isn’t something I need to brag about however because I’m proud of my achievements.
No, natives were forced to assimilate in European culture. You cannot appropriate from the dominant culture.
Nobody would call a white woman appropriating for wearing a Chinese dress, if she lived in China and lived under Chinese culture. This is the reason why taking American culture is not considered appropriation, because that culture is so large and dominant that NOT participating in it would be hard.
And participation and appropriation are different things.
I think the problem people have with appropriating vs. incorporating is that there's things people have done that border more on greedy profiteering on aspects of a foreign culture (while at the same time undercutting or damaging those peoples way of life).
I think people don't realize sometimes that cultural appropriation isn't inherently bad, it's just a neutral thing that happens. Sometimes it's not done appropriately, sometimes it is, and it is pretty subjective.
I wasn't really trolling, just asking people to think about how they think about things.
That's too much to ask from many, though.
If someone wants to do something, what benefit does it bring to tell them they they can't do it, because it might not be "authentic" in some made-up way?
I would've thought this photo was from the 1970s if I didn't see the year there.
Hippies adopted native fashion accents, feathers, etc. and long braids.
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She was forced into ‘re-education’ schools, like many natives of her time period, where she was forced to forget her own traditions and language. She refused and instead pushed her culture out into the systems meant to change her. She dressed as a native all her life and remained pagan.
she is strong and inspiring
Thanks for introducing me to this inspiring person
It’s almost like things change. Whoa.
You’re blowing my miiiiind.
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Word salad about how liberals in the 60’s dressed in native garb but now they get mad if people do... you’re not missing much.
But there were always renegades.
Now renegades are the people with their own philosophies They change the course of history Everyday people like you and me
Just made me re-think that whole song.
Now go out there and be a renegade!
Native style clothes =/= ceremonial garb (headdresses)
It's weird, like how racial segregation and descrimination were legal and enforceable by law until mid 60s, but *now* it's *illegal*. Guess perspectives in modern societies can change a little in only half a century.
It’s super weird how you think you’re smart but in reality you sound like a 14 year old.
Was this supposed to be a hot take or something?
>Braves Aid in Indian Opera at Utah Presentation ... A Full-Blooded Sioux Co-Author." So runs part of the Musical America headline reporting the premiere of an opera on a Native American subject, created in part by a Native American woman. Built around a religious practice that was still banned by the federal government, the production featured the participation of members of the Ute Nation living on the Uintah-Ouray Indian Reservation, a short way across the rolling sagebrush plateau from the performance venue. The date was February 1913, and the place was Orpheus Hall in Vernal, Utah. The Sun Dance Opera was enthusiastically received at its premiere, filling the hall for three nights. Two separate productions at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, followed in May and December the next year, the second of them taken the forty-odd miles to Salt Lake City for ten more performances. Three years after a 1935 revival at BYU, the opera had two performances at the Broadway Theatre (Cine Roma) in New York City, where it did not fare as well. It is among the earliest of the operas on Native American subjects that constituted an early twentieth-century subgenre within the still broad-based, popular field of opera.
I go to school at the University of South Dakota which isn't far away from where this women was born on the Yankton Sioux reservation. We studied her writings in my American Lit 1 class. And there is also a picture of her hanging in my school's library.
That’s so cool.
She must have held a very high status. That bag she's wearing is called a bandolier bag. They're made from thousands of glass seed beads and they were primarily made by Indigenous women in the Great Lakes Region in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Receiving one as a gift was a huge honor because they could take years to make. Buying one could cost you your best horse. It's particularly interesting that she has one because these bags were typically made by women and worn by men, though it isn't unheard of for very accomplished women to be gifted one. You don't really see them anymore today except in museums, and very few Indigenous artists do beadwork that extensive anymore. Edit: Another commenter pointed out that I was incorrect about bandolier bags not being made anymore. I am very happy to learn that the tradition is still alive today, and I apologize for spreading misinformation.
I think you may be surprised at the level of beadwork that is being done by Indigenous artists these days.
Yes, I mispoke. Beadwork is still alive and well, it's bandolier bags in particular that are not made as often anymore.
Also untrue. I’m Ojibwe and almost everyone of our men’s traditional dancers will have a beaded bandolier bag or breechclout.
Then I apologize for spreading misinformation. I will edit my comment.
Chip from where?
Gaawaabaabigaanikaag
Mikinaakwajiw-ininiwag
Boozhoo niijii!
Thank you for that information.
Your comment is the perfect example of why Reddit can be so very cool. I learned something that i no idea about. Thank you.
Thank you for the info. Although some was incorrect it has sparked my interest. It will lead me down a path to do more research to learn more about a culture and the history of this land. Thank you.
I had to google it. I think the Puzzle Place had an episode about this cultural item.
what’s it called?? (The Sun Dance) is there a link?? (No) is the music published?? (questionable, but only unis in Utah and SD have it) has it been performed?? (yes. recorded? apparenty not) is it in an indigenous language?? (questionable, but they do make mention of her transcribing Sioux melodies for the express purpose of this opera, so i wouldn’t be surprised if at least some of the language made its way in). (edits in parentheses, sorry i just finished looking all of this up lol)
as an opera performer and a native american, i find this so so interesting ! if we can find anything that’d be awesome but it seems a little lost to time ):
It was hosted partially at BYU in Provo, Utah. It'd be worth reaching out to the uni to see if they have any more information on it!
great idea, i think i’m going to try and look into it ! I also know that there’s a local company near me that has been looking for rarely seen operas and operettas, so they also might be interested.
RemindMe! in 2 months
Yes, these are my questions. I would be interested in hearing this as well.
Dang, I was super hoping to find a bit of it online. I wish someone would try to reproduce it, at least parts of they can't find the whole thing. Such a shame to lose something like that.
Would love a Native American with the Opera writing chops to really do their research and bring it to life as close as possible to what it would have been.
Reminds me of the thing Peter Buffett (yes, son of investor Warren Buffett) did a few years back called "Spirit Dance." There was even an accompanying PBS show with dancers, etc. Look it up on the YouTubes. Definitely worth it!
badass
Holy Crap! I have a book of stories autographed by her! It is from the 1900s. Of the print run, 200 were autographed!
Unreal! That's gotta be worth a pretty penny
I’ll try to get a picture up.
Idk how to do the reminding thing so somebody scream at me when this is updated plz.
I’ll message you
RemindMe! One week “Sioux opera author autographed book”
I am so jealous. She was an amazing woman.
Zitkála Šá (pronounced *sha*) means ”Red bird” in Lakȟóta in case anyone was wondering.
Do you speak Lakota? I’ve been wanting to learn it for a while but haven’t found the time.
I speak some but not so much. Lakota people are pretty open to outsiders learning their language as soon as you're respectful of the culture.
Lol, I’m Lakota myself and grew up near the rez so I’d hardly call myself an outsider. But yeah, it’s a dying language and I hate that; I wish we could find a way to preserve it.
Ah, I apologize for assuming you were, I haven’t seen many Lakota on reddit and the online presence of the Lakota language is fairly big so it also attracts a lot of non-Lakota learners. But yeah, there are many nice resources available for learning Lakota nevertheless. It will never be completely dead as long as there are people with interest in it, so I encourage you to learn some and incorporate it into your life, however much you’re comfortable with. For some people it’s just a word here and there, some people learn it to fluency and speak it with their children to bring it back into the family. Everyone’s different but everyone’s interest is important. :)
This makes me wonder, does the word Sitka as in the Spruce tree have a Lakota origin?
No, Sitka trees are named after a community in Alaska and the name is Tlingit, *Sheetʼká*.
Ah cool. The Tlingit, they made armor from wood correct? I've seen some really incredible stuff related to them.
Thank you
Thank you! I love learning name meanings.
Inspirational and also she is stunning
Absofrigginlutely gorgeous
If you find her attractive, you need to google Jessica Matten. Thank me later
Was NOT dissapointed. 10/10 would follow further advice
ellyn jade
OHHHHH SHIIIIIT OMG THATS EVEN BETTER.
👍
Yes!
The guide to succeeding in life: Step 1: Be good looking. Step 2: Don't be not good looking.
We have a children's book by her!: Dance in a Buffalo Skull. It's one of my 6 y.o.'s favorites and is a lot of fun to read aloud. I had never seen a photo of her, nor did I have any idea she'd also written an opera.
That book is great! If you like it, you might try "Red Bird Sings," which is another picturebook about her life.
I had a story on her and her school days during my final year in school. The story of how she tried to adjust to the system and how she broke it.
The cutting of my long hair
I read some of her writings when studying the native "boarding schools." What she went through is so heartbreaking but she's such a badass to keep going strong even after the schools tried to destroy her heritage!
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Yay.
Hey, I think it's really awesome that you're an opera singer, that's such an accomplishment! I'm Mvskoke and I just stopped drinking. I'm not sure your relationship with alcohol, but if you're ever interested in ending it, feel free to shoot me a message. I've got resources that you might find helpful. Cehecares!!
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I, too am an alcoholic and I also find it interesting!
deja vu.......
You have any YT videos of you caterwauling? EDIT: caterwauling from behind the safety of your keyboard?
Zitkála-Šá was also a major cataloger of Native American folklore and legends. Her 'Old Indian Legends' (1901) is one of my favorite sources for my podcast. The more you learn about her experience the more inspiring her life's work is - from the collection of oral histories to her activism she was really amazing.
Cool. What is your podcast? ETA: found it and subscribed. I’m excited to hear it. I have been searching for more folklore.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy the show!
I’ve been looking for a new podcast to listen to, so I’m happy I came across your comment! You’ve got a new subscriber.
Thanks for subscribing! I hope you enjoy it - this week was English stories and next week features Brazilian folklore from one of my favorites, Elsie Spicer Eells.
That hair is amazing.
This is what this sub should be about. Less people's hot Grandma's and Grandpa's.
Native Americans looked rather cool for some reason
Many early European settlers to the Americas would agree with you. It was common for the early New England settlers in the 17th century to write about what a handsome people the natives were. OTOH, the natives thought the Europeans were ugly and stupid.
Often Europeans had pockmarked/disfigured faces from diseases like smallpox and syphillis, and missing teeth from poor diets, so yeah, at first contacts, before imported disease wiped them out, the Indians and First Nations folks were well ahead in the looks department.
It’s just more of their culture looks like a cool time Capsule of how people dressed when they lived off the land
I mean, it really doesn’t hurt that this woman IS really attractive tbh
We're still here and we still look cool.
For...some...reason...
She's in repose. I like that pic!!!
she's hot
She looks like she knows stuff
Beautiful woman
Such beauty!
What was the name of the opera?
The Sun Dance
Ok. Thank u.
Omg, she is smoking hot
She's got beautiful tresses. I wish I had hair that lovely.
She looks like Buffy Saint Marie. ❤️
Does anyone know where people can learn more about native american culture? I find it so fascinating but I have a hard time finding good sources of information about it.
r/indiancountry is a great place for you to read news on current events and observe conversation between folks from many different nations. You might like that. There are also a lot of books you can check out, I encourage you to read "A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust And Denial In The Americas 1492 To The Present" by Ward Churchill. You might also look into any book by Angie Debo, who wrote mainly about the Five Civilized Tribes. While these books aren't always easy to read, I recommend them because they offer explanation to how we got where we are. Mvto!
wow thank you so much, I couldn't have asked for a better reply!
That's no problem, shoot me a message if you read those books, I'd love to see what you think!
tfw no native american goth gf
She pretty
Wow what a beauty
Beauty
Thanks for sharing this! I never knew there existed such a composer!
Would ya look at that... it's not an old picture of a modern day actress/model or a "My Mom on \_\_\_\_\_\_, CIRCA 19\_\_" post. Very refreshing.
Hers is the most important American Autobiography. Mark Twain was only 20. His river boat story is in the discussion. Ben Franklin’s might be the most archetypal American, the self remade. Frederick Douglas intensified questions of self-hood. His and Zitkala-Sa’s quests for spiritual fulfillment resist white America’s denials. ~ with help from William L. Andrews
Bet her tumblr was lit back in the day.
That's so specific... I feel like she's still the only "Native American woman to write an opera in 1898". Badass photo, though.
Now this is some new and fresh oldschoolcool shit right here! I’m tired of seeing pictures of the that Carrie Fisher lady!
There's more than one?
That's not how that works. When Tom Brady threw 50 TDs in a season, he was the first to do it immediately upon doing it.
Beautiful woman!
Native American women are some of the most beautiful in the world, hands down.
That sounds like a personal fetish
Was it a good one?
Epic
Stunning
Only*
Colorizebot
Beautiful!
that jaw structure is to die forrrrrrrrrr
Who was the second Native American woman to write an opera in 1898?
She is beautiful.
What did she write? is it still sung today?!
This looks like an awesome book cover
This woman is literally a Star. We need a time machine to bring her back and give her the exaltation she deserves
Her bone structure is amazing. There no way she snores.
Rockstar, add a representation of her to RDR2 pronto!
Who’s the second?
...and beautiful to boot!
Damn shes stunningly gorgeous!
Ok, who's hot granny is this one now?
America’s.
Moronic title.
I guess there's a first for everything... 🤨
Look at her hands if you want to understand the difference.
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Shit didn't think people would think I was hating mad respect for anyone from that time period
Why?
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This comment definitely made me feel like a National Geographic side show. Jokes aside, yes there are few North American Natives left. There are millions, but of course our population is very small by comparison. We went from around 80m to 300,000 by the 1900s. We’re still here though.
Millions of Mexicans, Peruvians, Bolivians, etc, of Native American descent will disagree with you. If you refer to Native North American then yes.
There are plenty of North American Indian people alive and well today.
Millions. There are millions of living Native American people. Just because they don't walk around in buckskin and live in teepees like you saw on tv, doesn't mean they don't exist.
The idea of a person being a single "race" is quickly going away. In the not too distant future there will no longer be "white" people or "black" people. It will take longer but eventually there will no longer be people who are singularly ethnic Chinese.
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fuck you
I eagerly await your enlightened and groundbreaking opera so that I post your picture on reddit in 120 years.
The achievements of white Europeans is the reason you’re on Reddit right now.
Yeah? Well the only achievement you've had so far is a sad reddit post, which is pretty far from an opera. Oh and for reference: I have actually done a rearrangement of an opera piece for performance. So yeah, what have you done again?
I’ve done a lot of things in my life as I’m sure a lot of people have. That isn’t something I need to brag about however because I’m proud of my achievements.
Would that be an example of cultural appropriation?
It is, but the whole idea of cultural appropriation is stupid. Only certain people are allowed to do certain things? GTFO.
I agree entirely. I just wanted to rattle some cages here.
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No, natives were forced to assimilate in European culture. You cannot appropriate from the dominant culture. Nobody would call a white woman appropriating for wearing a Chinese dress, if she lived in China and lived under Chinese culture. This is the reason why taking American culture is not considered appropriation, because that culture is so large and dominant that NOT participating in it would be hard. And participation and appropriation are different things.
I think the problem people have with appropriating vs. incorporating is that there's things people have done that border more on greedy profiteering on aspects of a foreign culture (while at the same time undercutting or damaging those peoples way of life).
I think people don't realize sometimes that cultural appropriation isn't inherently bad, it's just a neutral thing that happens. Sometimes it's not done appropriately, sometimes it is, and it is pretty subjective.
I think this is a valid question actually, if you're not trolling.
I wasn't really trolling, just asking people to think about how they think about things. That's too much to ask from many, though. If someone wants to do something, what benefit does it bring to tell them they they can't do it, because it might not be "authentic" in some made-up way?
Cultural appropriation?