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Indigenous Visions: Honoring Traditions, Creating Futures |
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Dog Head Stew |
Exhibition and Print Exchange |
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| The Dog Head Stew Portfolio and Exhibition celebrates Native American traditions and cultural persistence, which over time and situation has been redefined, honored, manipulated, categorized and stereotyped, but not vanquished. This portfolio invites personal and political expression honoring or criticizing past and present representations of Native American culture. | Dog Head Stew (For Fifty People) By Dorothy Pennington Carefully prepare one medium dog head, removing teeth from jaw-bones and hair, putting these aside for future use. Into kettle, add heaping handfuls of camus bulbs and cattail roots. The eggs from two medium-sized salmon may be combined with water to cover, and place over fire and bring to a boil for three hours. It is customary to observe the rites of preparation in order to have all present appreciate the dish that will begin the feast. At the proper moment, using the ceremonial arrow, impale the dog head and bring forth for all to observe the excellence of the dish. Then allow fifteen to thirty minutes for all the whites to excuse themselves and leave for home. Bury the stew in back yard and bring forth the roasted turkey with all the trimmings. In this way, a 15-pound turkey will do. The others have been invited to the feast . . . and the fact they didn't stay is their tough luck. Witt, Shirley Hill, The Way: An Anthology of American Indian Literature. New York: Vintage Books, 1972. |
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| The title Dog Head Stew, comes from the story/ recipe "Dog Head Stew (for Fifty People)" by Dorothy Pennington, which can be found in the book, The Way: An Anthology of American Indian Literature by respected Mohawk anthropologist and educator Shirley Hill Witt. It is the depiction of an imaginary feast in which the Indians throwing the feast pretend to live up to the stereotype of being savages to get rid of their unwanted white dinner guests. | ||
| It is intended that this portfolio will open a dialogue on the representation of Native Americans in contemporary society and question historical representations in whatever venue it is shown. There are 24 artists participating in the portfolio. The paper size is 15" x 20". An edition of 25 was produced, the extra portfolios being donated to the Southern Graphics Council archives and West Virginia University. | ||
| Elizabeth Hanemann | ||
| Dog Head Stew Organizer | ||
Dog Head Stew will be exhibited at the Boise State University Liberal Arts Building Gallery 1 |
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September 24 to October 13th, 2004 |
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| Dog Head Stew Portfolio |
