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Theatre:
 Badger's Corner

Education via entertainment has underscored many works by performance artists at AICH. During the 1980s this initiative was formally given a title - the Badger’s Corner. The Badger’s Corner takes it name from the Pueblo legend that credits the four legged creature who led the people out the underworld after the great flood. The intent is to inform and challenge people to rethink their concept(s) of Native people and their customs. All performances at AICH are a part of the Badger’s Corner.

Spiderwoman Theater
“Winnetou’s Snake Oil Show From Wigwam City” – Spiderwoman Theater

Spiderwoman Theater is the longest continuous running Native female performance group.  Comprised of three Kuna/ Rappahannock sisters from Brooklyn, NY, Lisa Mayo, Gloria Miguel, Muriel Miguel, the group has travel all over the world giving performance, lectures, and workshops.  Named after the weaver in the Hopi creation story, the sisters "storyweave" their message in a variety of formats including poetry, dance, theater, and song. 

Spiderwoman theater was celebrated at the National Museum of the American's Retrospective on New York Native artists called New Tribes New York.
website: http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/newtribe/

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HIDVL Call # HI2005.003_01

Rudy Martin
“My Place” – Rudy Martin

Rudy Martin’s "My Place" is a semi autobiographical work that describes Rudy's complicated relationship with his mother since moving to New York City from New Mexico to pursue his dream to be a playwright and actor. Their main line of communication has been the telephone, which has come to represent his mother's presence within his apartment. The telephone helps Rudy to maintain connections to his roots back "home" as well as connections to his new "home" in New York City. And each is demanding.

Rudy Martin, a Tewa/Navajo/Apache Indian was public relations director for the American Indian Community House in New York City. Martin also served as a character consultant for PBS's children's television series "Shining Time Station" and had earned his master of fine arts degree at The Tisch School of the Arts.

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HIDVL Call # HI2005.001_01

Old Man Kokopeli
The humped back flute player known by the Hopi word Kokopelli is an ancient deity and today, one of the Hopi Kachinas. Kokopelli is a symbol of fertility in many Native cultures and is thought to bring well-being to the people, assuring success in hunting, planting and growing crops, and human conception. His "hump" was often considered a bag of gifts, a sack carrying the seeds of plants and flowers he would scatter every spring. Kokopelli is the inspiration for “Old Man Kokopelli,” a Gateway Performance.

John Jaramillo conceived, choreographed and directed this production in collaboration with founding Artistic Director of Gateway Performance Productions Sandra Hughes and mask carver Michael Hickey. Both Hughes and Jaramillo have taught the performing arts to Native American Youth at Isleta Pueblo Indian Reservation (NM), Red Lake Indian Reservation (MN), Riverside Indian School (OK) and for the American Indian Institute's Project L.O.G.I.C for gifted and talented Native American Youth.

This performance was one of the many guest performances from outside the New York area to be welcome into the AICH circle.  

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HIDVL Call # HI2005.038_01