Keith Bear, Bush Artist Fellow, Featured in Educational Documentary

Keith Bear, Native American storyteller is featured in one of four artist documentaries developed by the North Dakota Council on the Arts. 

NDCA produced and developed four artist documentaries in partnership with Prairie Public Broadcasting (PPB) and the Bush Foundation. These videos highlight Bush Artist Fellows (BAF) and Enduring Vision Award (EVA) recipients from North Dakota: traditional Dakotah storyteller Mary Louise Defender Wilson (BAF, EVA) from Porcupine, painter Walter Piehl (EVA) from Minot, Mandan/Hidatsa storyteller and flute player Keith Bear (BAF) from Drags Wolf Village, and traditional Armenian repoussé artist Norik Astvatsaturov (BAF) from Wahpeton. These documentaries have aired independently and as part of the shows Prairie Pulse and Prairie Mosaic at least 18 times reaching an estimated 117,000 viewers. 

This effort was designed to create greater exposure of these exceptional artists and their art forms to the general public as well as to schools, teachers, and students. In this regard, folk arts education consultant Sue Eleuterio, NDCA folk arts director Linda Ehreth, and NDCA folklorist Troyd Geist developed lesson plans in association with four of the documentaries. Four lesson plans (one pre, two while viewing, and one post viewing) for teachers and students are associated with each documentary. The lesson plans are based on the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s Standards and Benchmarks in the areas of English Language Arts, Social Studies, Music, and Visual Arts. 

These documentaries and their respective lesson plans are available now online at the NDCA’s website and as a part of the North Dakota Studies component of Prairie Public Broadcasting’s website. Schools and teachers are encouraged to utilize these documentaries, lesson plans, and featured artists themselves and other artists with the NDCA’s Artist-in-Residence and/or Teacher Incentive grant programs. 

Online folk artist documentaries and lesson plans: The following documentaries were produced by the NDCA in partnership with Prairie Public Broadcasting, the Bush Foundation, and the Spirit Room Gallery. Four lesson plans (one pre, two while viewing, and one post viewing) for teachers and students are associated with each documentary. The lesson plans are based on the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s Standards and Benchmarks. Schools and teachers are encouraged also to utilize these documentaries, lesson plans, and featured artists themselves with the NDCA’s Artist-in-Residence and/or Teacher Incentive grant programs. http://www.nd.gov/arts/grants/grant.html 

Turtle and Pretty Crane (approximately 9 minutes): This documentary features renowned Mandan and Hidatsa storyteller and flute player Keith Bear from Drags Wolf Village on the Forth Berthold Indian Reservation of north-western North Dakota. The traditional story told is included also in greater detail on the NDCA produced CD Morning Star Whispered. The narrative is described by Keith as an American Indian “Romeo and Juliet.” 

To view:
http://www.ndstudies.org/media/prairie_artists_keith_bear_turtle_and_pretty_crane 
http://www.ndstudies.org/media/prairie_artists_keith_bear_morning_star_whispered 

Lesson plans with Benchmarks and Standards for Grades 9-12: Music, English Language Arts, and Social Studies:
http://www.nd.gov/arts/arts_ed/images-pdfs/TurtleAndPrettyCrane.pdf

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