Eternal Legacy
Eugene Tapahe
- Country
- Born 1967, Arizona; residing Utah
- Dimensions
- 43.5 x 61.5 x 2.5 In.
- Medium
- Archival pigment print on watercolor paper
In 2020, Tapahe, a Diné or Navajo artist, photographed the Ojibwa jingle dress dance. Dancers wear dresses with rolled metal cones attached that jingle as the dancer moves in rhythm to traditional music. Tapahe recounts that the jingle dress dance originated during the influenza pandemic of 1918, when a father received instruction in a dream to create a new healing dress and dance. The jingle sound strengthened his sick daughter, who joined in the dance. Tapahe received his own instruction in a dream to photograph the jingle dress and document locations spiritual to his ancestors.
“The goal is to unite and offer hope to the world through art, dance, and culture, helping us to heal during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
