Abiakeia - 1 s t rough draft.
Artist Statement by Dana Claxton
Abiakeia means calm in the Lakota language. This new
conceptual performance work is an articulation of prayer and
will investigate elements of Lakota spirituality within the
construct of western performance art, specifically the language
of an endurance ritualistic practice. Further, this work will
interface ancient Lakota beliefs and sounds with high
technology through a CD-ROM project and a live feed to the
Internet.
In Lakota way of life, the burning of sweetgrass is a way to
communicate with Wakan Tanka - Great Spirit - everywhere
spirit. A braid of sweet grass is one of the most sacred
elements of Lakota prayer and ceremonial practices. The
braiding of sweet grass is a sacred place of being. The
endurance element of this performance consists of braiding
bear grass for 45 minutes. I have chosen to braid bear grass,
as its general use is for utilitarian purposes. Another element to
a Lakota spiritual practice is the drum, often described in the
aboriginal community as the heartbeat of mother earth. The
drum is also valued as a sacred entity, along with the rattle.
The sounds of the water drum, rattle and healing and social
songs will add to the live element of braiding with renowned
Peyote singers Primeux and Mike, accompanying the
performance. During the entire performance there will be a
large projection screen with a live feed of a close up shot of my
hands weaving the grass, while the Peyote singers play both
social and healing songs.
This new work is a further continuation of my investigation into
an endurance practice with a ritualistic analysis. My last
performance Buffalo Bone China, in which I smashed fine bone
china for 50 minutes, then made 4 bundles of "bones" and
placed the bones in a metaphoric sacred circle and honoured
the great buffalo nation. The performative element supported
the video installation of mixed media; combining smashed fine

bone china, 8 stanchions and video projection of a looped 8minute articulation of the buffalo nation.
This new work is also a departure from the dialectical act of
smashing fine bone china in which to make a poignant critique
of how finer bones of the buffalo were used to make English
fine bone china and the implications of such gentry' irreverence.
The departure point leaves the dialectical act of smashing to an
act of calming, through the natural sounds of voices, water
drums and rattles, coupled with the image of braiding elements
of earth.
The live Internet feed of the entire performance is an
intervention into technology and to present a tactility of Lakota
spiritual sounds to a site that contributes to the
electronicalization of human contact.
The accompanying CDROM project will have documented
performance elements and sound track of all the songs, as well,
an essay contextualizing the performance by Dr. Bea Medicine
- Lakota Cultural Anthropologist. She will write an essay
concerning a Lakota spiritual practice and the history of the
Peyote Church. Another essayist will be Marcia Crobsy who
will frame the work in contemporary///////?????????????