Since the first encounters between the Native Americans and the Europeans, modes of indigenous representation in performance have been a contentious issue, largely due to the lack of indigenous-controlled modes within the dominant narratives. Yet, there are many historical and contemporary Native examples of resistance to these White-controlled representations, both from within the modes of production and from alternate representations in performance. These stories of survivance continue to evolve and inspire new questions within the emergent field of Native American theatre and performance studies. This session will further the goals explored in last year’s working session, “Indigenous Performance Research in the Americas: Bodies and Power,” of bringing together a variety of scholars of Indigenous performance in order to build a foundation upon which future dialogues can build.

In keeping with the conference theme of “Economies of Theatre,” we propose a working group that will explore the production and consumption of indigeneity in the Americas, focusing on instances of Native resistance. Sites of performance might include cultural industries, literature, oratory, tourism, professional or community-based theatre, while discussing the indigenous role, or lack thereof, within the performance. Participants might also address strategies for resistance within assorted markets, the transmission of narratives and cultural memories, and the circulation of images and identities within the larger society as a result of these performances. Within the confines of the working group, the participants will explore the intervention these performances make to the dominant narratives and sites of performance. For more information about general ASTR working session guidelines, please visit http://www.astr.org/conference/working-sessions-guidelines.

Working Session Format:

In advance of the conference, participants will be put into small groups and will share 10-12 page essays in mid-September. Via email, participants and the convener will identify key concepts, arguments, and topics through which to structure the two-hour session at the conference.

We anticipate that some participants in this session may have also participated in the sessions convened at the 2010 ASTR/CORD Conference (Indigenous Performance Research in the Americas: Bodies and Power) or the 2006 ASTR Conference (Indigenous Americas: Performance Research in Local and Transnational Contexts). We hope that this working group will provide an opportunity to sustain a dialogue about Indigenous performance research within ASTR/TLA. Applicants should send proposals of 500 words or less (in Word attachments, with affiliation and full contact information) by Monday, May 30th, 2011 to Tiffany Noell (tiffany.noell@asu.edu) and Ryan Hartigan (Ryan_Hartigan@brown.edu).