Over two days in late August, the tribe and the OU School of Dance produced the Five Moons Dance Festival, a remarkable celebration of Shawnee heritage and the timeless legacy of five Oklahoma Indian ballerinas—Yvonne Chouteau (Shawnee), Rosella Hightower (Choctaw), Moscelyne Larkin (Eastern Shawnee & Peoria), and Osage sisters Marjorie and Maria Tallchief.
Named after these iconic figures who revolutionized the dance and theatre world in the 20th century, the festival began in 2021 with a mission to uplift these women’s stories. This year’s event coincided with the 100th anniversary of OU’s College of Fine Arts and was thus dedicated to honoring the achievements of Yvonne Chouteau, a trailblazing Shawnee ballerina and dance educator who co-founded the OU School of Dance and Oklahoma City Ballet alongside her husband, Miguel Terekhov, a Charrúa descendant from Uruguay.
Initial conversations with OU took place in mid-2023, and tribal leadership considered it crucial that Yvonne’s immediate family be engaged in the festival plans so that the event stayed true to their wishes while celebrating their matriarch’s rich legacy. After multiple discussions between the tribe, OU, and Yvonne’s daughters, Christy Conway Terekhov and Liz Impallomeni Terekhov, several events at multiple venues were planned for August 24 & 25, the first weekend of OU’s fall semester.
One of the major highlights was a Native art market showcasing artists from the Five Moons’ tribal nations. Additionally, panel discussions were held, where Yvonne’s daughters shared their memories and personal stories while Chickasaw composer Jerod Tate, who studied under Quapaw composer Louis Ballard, spoke about Ballard’s profound influence and musical genius. Ballard, notably, composed the score for The Four Moons, a 1967 ballet production inspired by the lives of the ballerinas. This production gave rise to the group’s moniker, the Five Moons. A third discussion featured four of the Five Moons tribal chiefs, including Chief Ben Barnes of the Shawnee Tribe. Their presence underscored the lasting importance of the Five Moons’ legacies, both for the world of ballet and for their tribal communities.
Another pivotal event was a memorial stomp dance at the First Americans Museum (FAM) in Oklahoma City. This dance was organized to honor not only Yvonne Chouteau and the Five Moons but also our late tribal Chairman, James R. Squirrel, and Troy Little Axe, Sr. (Absentee Shawnee). James and Troy were longtime coordinators of OU’s annual student stomp dance and were steadfastly committed to creating spaces for young Native students to connect and practice their cultural ways with each other. The event drew and significant turnout, and their contributions to their communities were remembered with gratitude. The dance was the first of its kind held at the museum, and there is hope that this partnership with FAM will continue with similar cultural gatherings in the future.
The second day of the festival continued with the spirit of honoring Yvonne, James, and Troy. During the festival ballet performance, dancers from OU, Oklahoma City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre presented some of Yvonne’s most beloved roles, including her variation from The Four Moons. Elisa Harkins (Cherokee/Muscogee) presented excerpts from her evening-length work Radio III. A particularly emotional finale piece brought Shawnee singers & dancers together on stage with students from the schools of dance founded by Yvonne and Miguel. The magnitude of the event, showcasing unity and pride in Yvonne’s legacy, sealed the festival’s vision and capped off months of tireless work, bringing this exciting celebration to life.
Yvonne Chouteau’s legacy exemplifies the international respect and recognition that Shawnee people have garnered, and the 2024 Five Moons Dance Festival highlighted the importance of boosting visibility for our peoples’ contributions to the arts, education, and community. As the curtain closed on the event, attendees were reminded of the indelible gifts Yvonne and the Five Moons gave their audiences and students that will continue to inspire future generations.
View Program Booklet – 2024 Five Moons Dance Festival
The Shawnee Tribe’s 2024 General Council & Election Weekend included a hawikeepicika kiskotaawe (“ribbon-cutting”) and open house for the new Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika (“language house”), a community dinner and stomp dance, as well as the annual meeting of the Shawnee Tribal Council and Business Council election. Citizens had the opportunity to meet tribal service programs & administrative […]
The Shawnee Tribe’s Behavioral & Mental Health Department is hosting Community Support Groups twice a month. Meetings will go through mid-December. For more information, please contact Linda Rothe, MS, LPC at 918-542-2441 Ext. 150 or email lrothe@shawnee-tribe.com.
On Monday, September 23, 2024, following the 2024 General Council Weekend, the Shawnee Tribe Cultural Center in Miami, OK, reopened to the public after an extended closure due to COVID-19 precautions and the need to use the center for office space. With the Emma “Mock” Donaldson Saawanwaatoweewika now open as the permanent home of the […]
Update (10/2/24): Special Livestream Event On Tuesday, October 8, join the Sid Meier’s Civilization team at 10:00 AM PDT / 1:00 PM EDT for a Tecumseh livestream featuring special guests from the Shawnee Tribe. The Shawnee Tribe is set to be featured in the upcoming release of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, a popular video game series that enables […]
We’ve moved things around a bit on the Shawnee Tribal Courts webpage now that Shawnee Tribe District Court case information is available in the On Demand Court Records database at ODCR.com. To search the open records, click the ‘Search Case Records’ button on the Courts page. In the search query at ODCR, select ‘Shawnee Tribe District Court’ from the list of options […]
Welcome to ta’saawanwaatoweeyakwe, the new blog series dedicated to the Shawnee Language Immersion Program’s happenings and language preservation work. Now that we are most of the way through the first year of our Master-Apprentice program, we wanted to share some of our work. Each week we focus on a new concept, and we had a lot […]
Messages from the Chiefs: Summer 2024 — Chief Barnes discusses highlights from tribal programs, including Higher Education Awards and the Indian Child Welfare Office. Chief Baldridge emphasizes the importance of diplomacy and inter-governmental work.
Contributors: Coral Avery, Princella RedCorn One of the most important crops grown in Shawnee villages before removal westward was lokhaana taami (flour corn). This corn variety, rich in vitamins and minerals, was used to make flour, which was instrumental in providing food for saawanooki (Shawnee people) through the winter months. It was also significant in […]