On today’s episode of The Oxford Comment, the last for 2023, we spotlight two aspects of Native American culture that transcend tribe and nation and have been the recent focus of OUP scholars: language and religious beliefs. 

For our first interview, we were joined by Rosemarie Ostler, author of "The United States of English: The American Language from Colonial Times to the Twenty-First Century," to speak about the Native American English dialect, how English became more widely spoken amongst Native Americans, and current programs to preserve Native American languages. We then spoke with Gregory Shushan, author of "Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions," about near-death experiences, Native American myths, shamanism, and religious revitalization movements across indigenous cultures in North America.

For more information on "The United States of English," check out: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-united-states-of-english-9780197647295
For more information on "Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions," check out: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/near-death-experience-in-indigenous-religions-9780197685433

A PDF transcript for this episode can be found here: https://oxfordacademic.blubrry.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/The-Oxford-Comment-Episode-89-transcript.pdf

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A Spotlight on Native American Language and Religion - Episode 89 - The Oxford Comment

Toby Young's original setting refreshes this well-known text with a masterful and memorable melody that is imbued with an indelible tenderness. Young makes use of effective textural changes and syncopation, fusing the flavour of a contemporary worship song with the structure and scoring of a traditional carol.

More on the OUP site

O holy night! - Toby Young

Lucy Walker's thoughtful setting of 'There is no rose' flows between swells of emotion and warm chromatic inflections in the Latin refrains. This piece captures the natural emphases of the text, seamlessly moving between irregular and simple metres.

There is no rose - Lucy Walker

Quartel's arrangement of the 'Huron Carol', renamed 'Iesous ahatonnia' to reflect its origins, sets new texts by Wendat poet Andrée Levesque Sioui and invites choirs and audiences to learn from the past while working to shape a better future.

Iesous ahatonnia’ - Sarah Quartel

In this fun and snappy arrangement of a well-loved Christmas carol, Crawford has breathed new life into the melody using playful alternations between 3/4 and 6/8 metre. The simple vocal lines are underpinned by a supportive, bouncy piano accompaniment.

Joy to the world! - Lowell Mason

Setting a text by Marc Bratcher, 'I too shall walk to Bethlehem' depicts a journey to the Bethlehem stable 'where once a child was born', recounting the strength, courage, and heart acquired from the encounters along the way. Unison passages in upper and lower voices move seamlessly into warm homophonic harmonies, with brief moments of divisi. A flowing piano accompaniment provides support during, and interludes between, verses.

I too shall walk - John Rutter

Learn more about the origins of the exhibition from curator Lauren Hinkson.

Transcript
Lauren Hinkson: Welcome to the exhibition "Jenny Holzer: Light Line." I’m Lauren Hinkson, the Associate Curator for Collections here at the Guggenheim. 

For more than forty years, American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer has presented her astringent ideas, arguments, and sorrows in public places and international exhibitions. Her medium is language. Whether inscribed on a plaque, poster, or condom, Holzer’s incisive text-based practice draws on the explosive power of the written word. The work tackles some of the most pressing issues and themes of our time—from climate justice to women’s rights, from war to corruption. Holzer is a vital voice in both art and activism. 

Starting in the 1970s with a series of posters around New York City and continuing through her recent light projections on landscape and architecture, Holzer’s practice has rivaled ignorance and violence with humor, kindness, and courage. For "Light Line," Holzer has conceived of the installation of work from throughout her career as a singular conceptual project—a holistic installation that builds on and refracts concerns about society, politics, and the work of living that have been an undercurrent in her practice. 

As you move through the museum, you will see and be absorbed by the monumental LED display climbing all six ramps of the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed rotunda to the building’s apex. This work is titled "Installation for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum." It is a collection work owned by the Guggenheim. The work is a reimagining of Holzer’s 1989 LED sign that was shown here some thirty-five years ago.  

The new manifestation of Holzer’s electronic sign transforms the building with a display of scrolling texts that Holzer has written over her career. The work is both witty and profound at the same time, with iconic statements from early works, such as “You Are the Victim of the Rules You Live By,” “Private Property Created Crime,” and “Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise.”   

The texts and themes in the LED sign also materialize in other works on view in "Light Line," reinforcing the correspondences in Holzer’s conceptual practice across time and medium. There are also new works incorporating texts by poets, politicians, activists, and literary figures, as well as sources like government dossiers and redacted FBI files. These take new forms in the exhibition, including light projections on the building and gold-leaf paintings. 

These messages are thought-provoking, with the artist hoping that they would sharpen people’s awareness of the political and social connotations urgent to our time. They are meant not only to be read but also heeded.

Exhibition Website

Introduction to Jenny Holzer: Light Line

Welcome to the last episode of YJBM Science News for the school year of 2023-2024! We are so thankful to all our listeners who were here for our journey. We will continue releasing our other podcast project over the summer, and in the meantime - stay tuned for next year’s Yale Science News, starting in August of 2024!

Links:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07407-y
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01870-3
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-024-01413-y
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230849

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A Spotlight on Native American Language and Religion - Episode 89 - The Oxford Comment

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