Ojibwe/Oneida Native Hoop Dancer Ty Defoe visits SCA 10-10-16
Joseph V. Sowmick - October 11, 2016
Defoe is an artist in residence at the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and lives in New York City. Defoe is nationally known for his efforts in Native American cultural education as well as his artistry in percussion, flute and hoop dancing. Defoe is a part of CMU Denison Visiting Professorship Program and will be a October 10 Indigenous Peoples Day keynote speaker at 7 p.m. offering an interactive presentation on “Embodied Movement: Historical Evolution of the Powwow”.
The Anishinaabe Biimaadziwin Team offered a hoop dance song in the SCA Teaching Lodge as Defoe shares a dance and stories with SCA Principal David Harwood and the students. “The first and second grade students at Saginaw Chippewa Academy were delighted by the performance by Ty Defoe,” Harwood said. “The students watched with awe and delight as Ty hoop danced for them in the school’s lodge. It was a memorable experience for everyone and we appreciate the collaborative efforts that CMU makes to involve SCA in offering programs like this.”
During Defoe’s brief visit to the Reservation, he also toured the Nimkee Medical Wellness Center, Andahwod Continuing Care & Elder Services facility and the Saginaw Chippewa Powwow grounds. Defoe is also working with the ZCS Performance Circle as a guest instructor and will be offering a hoop dancing workshop at a later date in February 2017.