Native American Cultural Envoys Visit Uzbekistan

As a part of a series of events celebrating Native American culture, the U.S. Embassy will host an exhibition at the Centre of National Arts in Tashkent from August 24–28, 2013 featuring works by Native American artist Barbara Ornelas of the Navajo tribe.  Kenneth Duncan  of the Apache tribe will perform Native American music at the Sharq Taronalari music festival in Samarkand.  The two artists are part of the Embassy’s celebration of Native American Culture Week.

Ornelas will display pieces of textile artistry made by four generations of women in her family alongside works by Uzbek artists.  According to U.S. Ambassador Krol, “the patterns and colors of Ornelas’ work reflect a unity of artistic vision across distant lands and diverse cultures, evoking a sense that we are all one people on this planet.” The exhibition will open at the Centre of National Arts in Tashkent on August 24 and will include a short performance by Kenneth Duncan of the Apache tribe.  Barbara Ornelas will also travel to Samarkand to share her rich experience with textile artists in the region and learn about the 2,000 year-old tradition of wool and felt-made carpets, textiles and tapestries of Uzbekistan.

In addition to performing at the Sharq Taronalari Music Festival in Samarkand, Duncan will meet with artists in Tashkent and Samarkand as well as with Uzbek citizens at the National Library of Uzbekistan.

Barbara Ornelas is a fifth generation weaver. She was raised in Two Grey Hills Trading Post in New Mexico.  She is a professional weaver and well-known for weaving Two Grey Hills tapestries with high weft counts.  Ornelas actively participates in various fairs and festivals which present Native American culture across the United States.

Kenneth Duncan directs internationally-renowned Yellow Bird Productions, which specializes in presentations that celebrate the spirit of American Indian history and culture.  Duncan has performed in Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Lebanon, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.