When Ivan Watkins was growing up in New Orleans, he was surrounded by the brilliant pomp of the Indians at Mardi Gras. The colorful plumes and the dancing fascinated him and made him wonder about the connection between African-Americans and Native Americans. “I grew up around it but I wasn’t a part of it,” he says. “The elders in my family would speak of our Indian ancestors. When I thought of Native Americans, I felt the same rush of energy that I felt for my African ancestors. As I grew older I was driven to investigate this further. I felt like they didn’t want to be forgotten.”
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A 26-year-old Chicago-based artist, Watkins wants to ensure that these ancestors are remembered. His undergraduate thesis at the Art Institute in 1990 was Black Heart Man, a video pairing images of black historical figures such as Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman with Native Americans Geronimo and Sitting Bull. “It was all about the spirit of self-sacrifice,” he says. “Real leaders are always servants of the people.” The video draws a link between the struggles of black people throughout the diaspora and the Native American battle for land and dignity.
The result is the monthlong program Zambo–A Black Indian Cultural Arts Celebration, which includes an art exhibit featuring the work of 26 African-American, Native American, and mixed artists, including Watkins, and a series of events and workshops. Zambo is the historical term used for people of mixed African and Native American blood.
There will be a presentation of African and Native American drumming, dance, and story telling at 7:30 PM this Friday night at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive; admission is $5. Watkins’s documentary footage and Burton’s lecture will run from noon until 2 PM on Saturday; it’s free. A traditional bead and feather craft workshop will then be led by Ferdinand Bigard, chief of the Cheyenne Mardi Gras Indians, from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. Call 747-2536 for more information.
