#24 - Moving past "Indian 101", Frenzied Culturalism & Cultural Profiteering - Guest: Ben Pease

Tribal Research Specialist: The Podcast

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In this new episode, the Tribal Research Specialist (TRS) team talk with Ben Pease (Apsáalooke/Tsétsêhéstâhese), renowned artist from Lodge Grass, MT. The episode starts with a song from the TRC archives. The song is sung by Pat Kennedy (1925-2004), well-known singer throughout the United States and Canada, spiritual healer and traditionalist. Many of his songs are still sang today.
Ben Pease grew up on the Crow Indian Reservation town of Lodge Grass, MT, and graduated High School at Hardin High School. Ben subsequently attended Minot State University on a football scholarship and was awarded the Twyman Art Scholarship. At MSU he studied under Walter Piehl, a protege of world-renowned artist Fritz Scholder. After meeting his Wife at Minot State University and having their first son, Ben and his family moved to Bozeman, MT. Pease left football behind and continued his pursuit of art & creativity at Montana State University where he studied under Rollin Beamish & Sara Mast.
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The episode continues with a discussion on the social implications of pan-indianism and how the pressure to maintain an "Indian cool factor" can detract from the inner workings of Tribal life. Additional discussions center on the controversies of the emergent copyrighting of cultural products.

Ben’s work has gained national & international attention. His work has been featured in scores of magazines, books, online publications, and social media networks like Western Art Collector Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, Mountain Living Magazine, Big Sky Journal, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, Montana Women’s Magazine, National Geographic, University of North Carolina Press, and even various international periodicals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Stuttgart, & Frankfurt.
The second half of the episode starts with an Owl Dance song from and unknown artist, again from the TRS archives. The discussion continues with an examination of the inter-tribal effects of our own cultural impositions we place on each other. The results are evaluated as a "frenzied culturalism", imagined as individual racing frantically to satisfy an indigenous image. The discussion shifts to way we can move ourselves out of "Indian 101" an into a new era of advancement that represents our Tribal reality.
Guest: Ben Pease
Website: https://www.benpeasevisions.com/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BenPeaseVisions/
Hosts: Aaron Brien, Shandin Pete

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1. Intro - Song composed by Pat Kennedy (00:00:00)

2. Part 1 - Pan Indianism, coolness factor & copyright culture (00:01:57)

3. Old Owl Dance song - Artist Unknown (00:45:45)

4. Part 2 - Cultural Imposition, Frenzied Culturalism, Enough of "Indian 101" (00:45:57)

5. Outro (01:40:14)