Browse Digital Heritage

The Chankas of Perú perform the legendary danza de las tijeras (scissors dance), an ancient, highly acrobatic indigenous ritual dance from the southern Andes of Perú. 

Chief Tom Porter of Akwesasne, Iroquois Mohawk community in northern NY, tells (an abbreviated version of) the traditional longhouse story of "The Three Sisters." The story is about the importance of corn, beans, and squash as staple foods and includes the origin story of these "three sister" foods themselves and how they were determined to be the most prominent of all foods. Porter also talks about traditional preparations of corn and related foods.

This interview clip features TAUNY Heritage Award Winner and New York State champion fiddler Don Woodcock of Kendrew Corners in St. Lawrence County, northern New York. In the midst of teaching me tunes to play at the Old-time Fiddlers' Gathering that weekend in Watkins Glen, NY, Woodcock demonstrates some singing dance calls that were popular in the past, along with some fiddle tune variations that show how tunes are played differently in different parts of the region and beyond.

This piece shows Francoise Ouimet, of Valley Falls, NY, talking about and making wagon wheel rugs. 

After moving to the United States, Ray Amato, Sr. started shoeing at the racetrack in 1940. Ray Amato is a second generation farrier, or horse-shoer, as he is known in the parlance of the thoroughbred racetrack.