Walt Disney World Resort Celebrates American Indian Culture

A new exhibit has debuted at Walt Disney World, starting on July 27th, 2018.  The exhibition is known as Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art and has opened at Epcot.  The art exhibition is a series of art and artifacts that demonstrate “how ancestral craftsmanship influences modern generations.”  Guests can check out this new exhibit at the American Heritage Gallery located within the American Adventure pavilion in the World Showcase area of Epcot.  The exhibit is made up of 89 pieces, which represent 40 different American Indian tribes that span across seven different geographic regions from the United States.

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“At Epcot, guests are invited to celebrate the limitless possibilities of human imagination and innovation.” said Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Epcot. “By showcasing artwork from so many diverse American Indian tribes, ‘Creating Tradition’ is a wonderful way to share a vital part of the United States’ culture with all those who visit The American Adventure.”

Highlights from the collection include:

• Fashion designer Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo) used the patterns on a jar made in the 1900s by an Acoma Pueblo potter as inspiration for his “Ancient Resonance” dress.
• A Pokagon Potawatomi black ash hamper basket, made in the early 1900s, is paired with modern baskets, exemplifying how this technique is maintained over centuries. For example, on display is “Mother’s Womb,” a basket made by Cherish Nebeshanze Parrish (Potawatomi/Odawa) in 2011.
• A Chilkat blanket from Alaska dating to the 1890s complements “Raven and the Box of Daylight,” a 2017 glass sculpture by Preston Singletary (Tlingit). This piece shows how Singletary experiments with designs from his Tlingit heritage in mediums beyond traditional Native materials.

“I am delighted to recognize this association with Disney as their leadership shares the vision and creativity of contemporary American Indian artists with international visitors,” said Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the National Museum of the American Indian. “We hope Epcot visitors will see the American experience begins with the American Indians who have always been here.”

The exhibition is expected to be on display for the next 5 years and will feature a variety of different artifacts and displays and will incorporate pieces from more of the 573 different American Indian tribes that are recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Who will be checking out this amazing exhibit the next time that they visit Epcot?

Source Credit:  WDW News 

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