TITLE: Mary Louise Defender Wilson and Keith Bear
SPEAKER: Marie Louise Defender Wilson , Keith Bear
EVENT DATE: 08/16/2006
RUNNING TIME: 72 minutes
DESCRIPTION:
Mary Louise Defender Wilson and Keith Bear perform Sioux and Mandan Hidatsa storytelling and music from North Dakota, another in the Homegrown Concert Series sponsored by the American Folklife Center.
Speaker Biography: Mary Louise Defender Wilson, also known by her Dakotah name, Gourd Woman-Wagmuhawin (wha' gmoo ha wi'), was born in 1930 on the Standing Rock (Sioux) Indian Reservation of North Dakota. She has spent a lifetime telling stories and performing songs and dances about the life, land and legends of the Dakotah (Sioux) and Hidatsa people. Mary Louise first heard these stories at home from her family, especially her grandfather and her mother.
Speaker Biography: Keith Bear's name in the Nu E'ta (Mandan) language means Northern Lights, or "He Makes the Sky Burn with Great Flame." A self-taught flute player, Bear has been performing since 1986. His critically acclaimed performances include traditional storytelling and the sacred Buffalo Dance, a ceremony which only honored tribal members may perform. During the summer of 1995, Bear made his professional acting debut in the feature film, "Dakota Sunrise." Born and educated in North Dakota, Bear lives on the Fort Berthold Reservation.
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SERIES: Homegrown
