album covers

The working title of this year’s CAIRNS educational art exhibit is Articles of a Treaty. The focus of the exhibit is the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty between the “different bands of the Sioux Nation of Indians” and  the United States. The working title consists of the first four words of that treaty.  The “Sioux Nation” is also known in English as the Seven Council Fires, a confederacy of seven nations that are organized into three divisions: Dakota, Nakota and Lakota.  “Oceti Sakowin” is the confederacy’s name. Four of the Oceti Sakowin member nations (oyates) are Dakota, two of them are Nakota, and one is Lakota. The Lakota nation is likewise organized into seven nations. Their names are Hunkpapa, Sihasapa, Itazipco, Oglala, Mniconjou, Oohenunpa and Sicangu.  Representatives of all seven Lakota oyates signed the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. Nakota and Dakota representatives also signed the treaty.  In total, 156 Oceti Sakowin persons signed the treaty.  Of them 7 were Dakotas, 29 were Nakotas, and 120 were Lakotas. Interestingly, 26 Arapahos also signed the treaty!  The  1868  Fort  Laramie  Treaty contains seventeen Articles.  Our  goal  is  to  have seventeen Oceti Sakowin musicians each compose a new song for one of the Articles.  Each Article will be interpreted by one musician or band.  Initially, musicians may choose the Article that they wish to write a song for, but only one musician can work with each Article.  These seventeen individuals/bands are the musicians of the exhibit.  As with the past CAIRNS exhibits, visual artists and poets will also be creating works for Articles of a Treaty. The idea is that there will be two artworks, one song and one poem associated with each Article; seventeen poems, seventeen songs and thirty-four artworks. Therefore, we anticipate working with over sixty creative individuals who are citizens of as many as possible of the sixteen federally recognized Oceti Sakowin tribes (in the U.S.) or nine first nations (in Canada).  This represents  the  largest  number of  artists  we  have  worked  with  in developing  an  exhibit.  The logistics can be daunting. But we have enjoyed very good relations with creative individuals in our prior exhibits,  and  anticipate  that  will  be  the  case  with  this  one as  well.  The  thirty-four artworks,  seventeen poems and seventeen songs are due April 4, 2019.

Article 12

VERSE 1:
No treaty for the cession of any portion or part of the reservation herein
described which may be held in common, shall be of any validity or force
as against the said Indians unless
executed, executed and signed, and signed
by at least three-fourths of all the adult male Indians
Executed and Signed
Article 6!

CHORUS:
No Treaty, This Treaty, No Treaty, This Treaty, Article 6
No Treaty, This Treaty, No Treaty, This Treaty, Article 6

VERSE 2:
occupying or interested in the same and no cession by the tribe shall be understood
or construed in such manner
as to deprive, as to deprive
without his consent, any individual member , any individual member
of the tribe of his rights
to any tract of land selected by him, any tract of land selected by him
as provided in Article 6 of this treaty. Article 6!

CHORUS:
No Treaty, This Treaty
No Treaty, This Treaty, Article 6
No Treaty, This Treaty,
No Treaty, This Treaty, Article 6

BRIDGE:
No Treaty
Land
No Treaty
No Treaty
Land, Land
No Treaty
Indians
Reservation
Deprive
No Treaty
Land, Land
Indians
Article 6

CHORUS:
No Treaty This treaty, No Treaty This treaty Article 6
No Treaty, This Treaty Article 6
No treaty, This Treaty, Article 6