AMERICAN INDIAN ART MARKET RETURNS TO BINGHAMTON

At the third annual Otsiningo American Indian Art Market, artists from tribes within the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy will show and sell their work alongside the historic collection of Dolores Elliott, who organizes the market and is in possession of one of the largest collections of Iroquois artwork in the world. Elliott has been a major force in educating about and reviving Iroquois culture. She is the founder and director of the Iroquois Studies Association, a non-profit which aims to do just this. For 25 years up until 2004, she organized the Otsiningo Pow Wow, of which the art market was a component. Due to a lack of volunteers, Elliott decided not to continue holding the Pow Wow, but in 2013, she revived the art market.

When we talk about the history of the Triple Cities area, we rarely get further back than IBM. But just like the rest of North America, our region begins with indigenous peoples, so before we get back to the art market, let me explain the history of the people who lived right here along the Chenango River.

In the 18th century in what is now the town of Dickinson was Otsiningo (Chenango and Otsiningo are variants of the same name, Dolores enlightened me), a cluster of small towns populated by Indians from different tribes, mainly refugees from southern colonies. In the 70s, during testing for a new I-81 rest stop, Elliott, who has her master’s in archaeology from BU, was part of a team that found artifacts from the Otsiningo community. The rest stop was therefore not built and this area is now part of Otsiningo Park.

Then, in 2013, Elliott was part of another excavation of over 1,000 stone artifacts and 3,200 fragments of clay pottery, along with evidence of storage pits and cooking hearths, all dating as far back as 1400, long before the Otsiningo community. The site was thus protected from future development of BU buildings.

One of her greatest passions, about which she has written eight books, is Iroquois beading, which she tells me is distinguished for its raised beadwork, made by adding more beads to thread than necessary so that the string of beads forms an arch when sewn to the fabric. Such beadwork will be for sale at the market, including that made by Onondaga beadworker KarenLyne Hill, a nationally known bead artist and the first Iroquois beadworker to win a ribbon at the 2015 Santa Fe Indian Market.

Another notable artist is Onondaga Dave Farnham from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, who creates fantastic animal carvings out of stone and antler. Of his work you can find pieces ranging from larger, beautiful abstract sculptures of birds to smaller sculptures and even necklaces, all sharing his distinct style.

Elliott will also have pieces from her collection on sale, the oldest dating from the 1800s. A variety of antiques will be available, and there will be a significant assortment of hand woven baskets. There will also be a silent auction, which will allow visitors to set their own prices. You will be able to purchase books and videos about Native American subjects, including Elliott’s books about Iroquois beadwork as well.

The Otsiningo American Indian Art Market will take place on November 14th at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton at 183 Riverside from 9am to 5pm. For more information about the Iroquois Studies Association, visit Otsiningo.com, and to find information and photographs of the art market, find its page on broomearts.org.