Glowing artwork celebrates tribal legacy
Anna Nguyen
Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: Lifestyles
Although November was American Indian Heritage Month, Mullins Library at the UA is continuing its commemoration for the indigenous tribes through the communication of art through December.
Tony Tiger's collection of artwork, titled "The Subjective History of the Tiger," is displayed in the lobby level of the library and features vibrant three-dimensional pieces that examine various Native American tribes and what brought them to Oklahoma.
The libraries' art advisory committee searches for art that will broaden and enrich the students' experiences on campus, said Molly Boyd, public relations coordinator for the UA libraries.
"Each year, the University of Arkansas libraries schedule an exhibit of art to correspond with American Indian History Month in November," she said. "Without representation from this group, we would be missing a large piece of the Arkansas heritage puzzle."
She said the committee was fortunate to schedule Tiger, who is the director of the arts at Bacone College in Muskogee.
"I wanted to create art that dealt with the tribes from Oklahoma, the heritage and my own subjective past," said Tiger, a member of the Sac and Fox Tribe. Tiger did not grow up in a tribe, but was raised in Los Angeles where he "grew up with diverse people, but not necessarily with the natives," he said.
He relocated to Oklahoma, home to more than 60 native groups, and was surprised to experience culture shock, recollecting that the food, family and culture structures in the strange land were things he was not familiar with.
"In L.A., it's very urban," said Tiger, who now lives in Tahlequah. "I've never rode on horses, never shot a bow and arrow, but this is what everyone did. I had uncles who were hunters and fishermen. On the other side, the traditional side of the culture, they cooked regional food and participated in spiritual ceremonies."
Tiger recalls seeing contemporary pow-wows, a form of tribal dance, on properties that brought many tribes together to celebrate the time of gathering.
Tony Tiger's collection of artwork, titled "The Subjective History of the Tiger," is displayed in the lobby level of the library and features vibrant three-dimensional pieces that examine various Native American tribes and what brought them to Oklahoma.
The libraries' art advisory committee searches for art that will broaden and enrich the students' experiences on campus, said Molly Boyd, public relations coordinator for the UA libraries.
"Each year, the University of Arkansas libraries schedule an exhibit of art to correspond with American Indian History Month in November," she said. "Without representation from this group, we would be missing a large piece of the Arkansas heritage puzzle."
She said the committee was fortunate to schedule Tiger, who is the director of the arts at Bacone College in Muskogee.
"I wanted to create art that dealt with the tribes from Oklahoma, the heritage and my own subjective past," said Tiger, a member of the Sac and Fox Tribe. Tiger did not grow up in a tribe, but was raised in Los Angeles where he "grew up with diverse people, but not necessarily with the natives," he said.
He relocated to Oklahoma, home to more than 60 native groups, and was surprised to experience culture shock, recollecting that the food, family and culture structures in the strange land were things he was not familiar with.
"In L.A., it's very urban," said Tiger, who now lives in Tahlequah. "I've never rode on horses, never shot a bow and arrow, but this is what everyone did. I had uncles who were hunters and fishermen. On the other side, the traditional side of the culture, they cooked regional food and participated in spiritual ceremonies."
Tiger recalls seeing contemporary pow-wows, a form of tribal dance, on properties that brought many tribes together to celebrate the time of gathering.
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