CANCELED – IARC Speaker Series – Waila: The O’odham Social Dance Tradition with Angelo and Ronald Joaquin

Due to current travel restrictions and the New Mexico public health emergency status, this event has been canceled.

Waila: The O’odham Social Dance Tradition

With Angelo and Ronald Joaquin

Why is it that Arizona’s Tohono O’odham Nation tribal members have been dancing to polkas, schottisches, and mazurkas since the 1800s? Join Angelo and Ronald Joaquin in a conversation exploring the Tohono O’odham social dance music known as waila and, sometimes, as “chicken scratch.” The style, which emerged out of European and Mexican origins, has been adapted to include traditions from Tohono O’odham culture. Angelo and Ronald are the sons of Angelo Joaquin Sr., founder of The Joaquin Brothers band, which culminated a 35-year career with a performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Angelo is a co-founder of the Waila Festival in Tucson and Ronald is a musician and leader of the Southern Scratch band. The two will take the audience through two centuries of honoring this vital Tohono O’odham music tradition.

This event is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is encouraged.

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This lecture is the third event in this year’s Indian Arts Reseach Center Speaker Series.

The School for Advanced Research’s Indian Arts Research Center presents a series of conversation-style presentations exploring today’s world of cultural preservation. Museums, artists, and communities are increasingly recognizing the need to elevate indigenous voices in the public’s understanding of traditional and evolving Native arts and culture. This year’s Speaker Series takes us on a journey beyond the Pueblo communities within which we are situated, to shed light on the many remarkable ways indigenous-based cultural preservation, promotion, and revival are happening nationally. Through the intimate conversations, this series celebrates and acknowledges the powerful work happening all around us. From indigenous language revitalization efforts, centuries old traditions in Alaska’s Alutiiq communities, or a changing contemporary art scene in Hawai’i, “Rise” asks how indigenous communities are coming together to ensure that their respective histories, arts, and cultures, are represented with respect and are able thrive and grow for future generations. Learn more about the full series here.