Material Culture
Onöndowa’ga:’ (Seneca) bone and antler carver, Hayden Haynes (Deer Clan), shares his inspirations, creative process, and the multifaceted approach he employs to hone his skills and revitalize the ancestral craft within his community.
Material Culture
material-culture.svg
BPL Ambassador, Saratu Mshelia’s tutorial is to teach how to hand sew a Buba Blouse, a traditional Yoruba blouse of Southwestern Nigeria, as she tells us about her journey starting a fashion business based on Nigerian textiles.
Material Culture
material-culture.svg
The display of la bandera puertorriqueña was pretty common all year long throughout the five boroughs of New York City, waving from car antennas, painted on wall murals, or draped from windows, fire escapes and card hoods; but from the end of May until the middle of June,prior to and during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan (always the second Sunday in June), it reaches its peak. It is hard to walk anywhere in the City without seeing the image proudly displayed or worn. Any item or apparel imaginable is adorned or decorated with the image: umbrellas, shorts, ties, fingernails, hats, jewelry, sunglasses. This was especially true from the late 1990s through the early 2000s. It appears as if this custom may have peaked a few years ago, and during the last few years the flag seems to be less visible in the time period leading up to the parade. This latest trend may have arisen due to do with grassroots and official campaigns intended to make sure the flag is used only in a respectful manner, a decline in the flag fever pitch of those years and recent economic and environmental crises on the island leading many to use a black and white monoestrellada to represent the dual ideas of mourning and resistance.
Otgoä (wampum) is a vital part of Haudenosaunee culture. Wampum are shell beads that are created from whelk and quahog clam shells. The brittle pieces are rounded, sanded, and drilled to make a bead. Because of the effort that is needed to make a bead, wampum is highly valued.
Material Culture
material-culture.svg
Haudenosaunee storytelling is not meant to just entertain but to also teach. Stories are used to warn against dangerous and bad behavior, uphold valued qualities, and teach good decision making. If you travel to different Haudenosaunee communities, you will discover that each community may have their own version of a story. There is no one version that is upheld over the others, but if you listen you will discover that although the details may be slightly different, the lessons taught remain the same.
Material Culture
material-culture.svg
Learn from longtime carpenter Arthur Garabedian about growing up in the Armenian community in Niagara Falls, teaching carpentry at the renowned Trott Vocational School in Niagara Falls (NY), and his work on local community projects, including the front doors of St. Sarkis Armenian Church, which brightly feature his design of the Armenian cross.
Learn from Mary Movesian about the different types of needlework arts she learned growing up in Armenia: from lace-making and embroidery to crochet and knitting.
Material Culture
material-culture.svg
Learn from Ophelia and her granddaughter Gayane about Ophelia’s life as a seamstress, memories of Gayane growing up at Alteration Station, working together with her daughter (Mary Movesian), and the meaningfulness of creating Armenian traditional dance dresses for Gayane.
Material Culture
material-culture.svg
Iconography at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Albany, New Yok by Efthimios Altin Stoja. Efthimios began working at Saint Sophia Church in 2006
Doug Bathke carving a sign for the Hall of Honors at North Tonawanda High School, in North Tonawanda, New York: a city with a long history and association with lumber.
Material Culture
material-culture.svg