Social Dance, Basket Making at Iroquois Museum

HOWES CAVE, N.Y. -- Social Dance Saturday and Mohawk basket making are on the August calendar at the Iroquois Indian Museum.

On Saturday, Aug. 9, the Niagara River Dancers perform for Social Dance Saturday. The dance troupe from Tuscarora, is from one of the seven Iroquois Indian reservations in New York State. Social dances are group dances that encourage audience participation and are performed to the music created by voice and traditional Iroquois instruments.

On Saturday, Aug. 16, the “Catch the Basket” mentoring program features Mohawk basket makers Carrie Hill and Laura Mitchell. The artists continue a family tradition that extends generations. Hill creates fancy baskets of Sweetgrass and Black Ash. She is dedicated to passing on her knowledge and teaches Mohawk youth at the Akwesasne Cultural Center in Hogansburg.

Special Events are included with museum admission.

About the Museum

The Iroquois Indian Museum is an educational institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Iroquois culture using Iroquois art as a window to that culture.  The Museum is a venue for promoting Iroquois art and artists, and a meeting place for all peoples to celebrate Iroquois culture and diversity.  As an anthropological institution, it is informed by research on archaeology, history, and the common creative spirit of modern artists and craftspeople.

The Museum represents the world’s most comprehensive collection of modern Iroquois art work. This collection celebrates the ancient unity of the Iroquois still expressed in the creative spirit of today’s artists. A special interactive children’s area introduces young visitors to Iroquois traditions through a variety of crafts, games and technologies. A guide posted Nature Park of 45 acres is open year round for walks, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.