WORK
BY JACQUELINE LEFT HAND BULL
WORK
BY JACQUELINE LEFT HAND BULL
Repeated strikes on the drum - like a heartbeat - and an intense, chantlike song draw people near. In the still, stubborn heat of a summer's day, an American Indian man performs a breathtaking dance for an eager audience.
Kevin Locke, who is a member of the Lakota Nation, travels far from his home on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota to perform this difficult and intricate dance for audiences around the world.
For Kevin, the hoop dance is more than a dance; it is a way of keeping Lakota traditions alive. And in the lively photographs and engaging text, the importance of the dance to both Lakota culture and all cultures-as a celebration of the human spirit and a symbol of unity and equality-is rendered compellingly. Readers will learn how Kevin prepares his hoops; what regalia, or outfit, he wears; the names and designs of specific hoop patterns and figures; and the importance of tiospaye, or extended family, to Lakota culture.
With its gorgeous photographs and fascinating narrative, this book is a testament to the enduring message of the American Indian hoop dance-hope for future prosperity and harmony.