Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Manny Twofeathers will be on hand at the Indian Store open house May 3 and 4 to talk about sundancing and sign his book.

Indian Store holds open house

By Shari Kaplan

Author and craftsman Manny Twofeathers is among six guest artists lending their presence to the Indian Store's open house, which owner Janice Benjamin holds twice yearly to expose the community to a cross-section of Native American arts, crafts and stories.

"There's so much culture to represent that bringing just one artist just wouldn't do it. They have a lot of life experiences they're willing to share," said Benjamin, who is hosting her spring open house May 3 and 4.

Twofeathers, born in Arizona of Aztec descent, shares his own experiences in My Road to the Sundance, which he will be signing at the Indian Store. The book chronicles Twofeathers' road to the spiritual fulfillment and cultural awakening sundancing has given him.

"I never take credit for anything I do. I give credit to the Spirits for helping me. I've written things before but never had anything published. Most books on Native American spirituality are not written by Native Americans themselves," Twofeathers said in a telephone interview last week.

"I plan to keep going to the Sundance until I die; it's a lifelong thing. It's a spiritual path I've chosen."

Now in his late 50s, Twofeathers has been sundancing for more than 10 years and will be attending his 14th dance this summer in Porcupine, S. D.

My Road to the Sundance is neither a "how-to" reader nor a theological discourse, but rather a first-person narrative in which Twofeathers talks about travels, interpersonal relationships and, most importantly, spirituality in the context of the Sundance, a centuries-old ritual performed in several tribal traditions. Sundancers abstain from food and drink for several days, during which time they dance for many hours, pray and rest--all during the heat of summer.

"In the Sundance, you learn the meaning of being selfless. It humbles you . . .the first obligation is that you never pray for yourself. You let others pray for you," Twofeathers writes in his book.

"We're not just praying for now or for today, but for the whole year and the whole world. . . This is our way to humble ourselves to the Creator. We beg that he intervene in our behalf and help us strengthen our lives so we may live better."

At the Indian Store, Twofeathers will lecture informally on sun dancing and other topics. He will also present his dreamcatchers and medicine stones, the latter made up of eight animal and two human figures painted onto stones for healing purposes. The symbols are limited in number, he said, because he only uses those that inspire him through his dreams.

Joining Twofeathers during the open house are Tom White Eagle, Peter Little Bear, Alfred Joe and the father/daughter team of Watson and Kara Honanie. White Eagle, a Lakota Sioux originally from South Dakota, crafts elk-hide drums, dance sticks and medicine pouches and wheels. Cherokee/Kiowa artist Little Bear, who apprenticed with White Eagle, fashions detailed beadwork, pipes and talking sticks.

Joe is a Navajo metalsmith who carves traditional patterns into gold and silver overlay pieces. Watson Honanie hails from the Hopi village of Hotevilla, Ariz. and is an internationally known jeweler. He works images of animals, the outdoors and the flute-playing Kokopelli into his silver and gold creations. Kara, 17, uses cottonwood root to create Kachina sculptures; this weekend will mark the first time her work has appeared in a gallery.

The Indian Store open house begins May 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. with a reception for the artists at Old Town 50 University Ave. The artists will be available May 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to present their artwork and converse with the public. For more information, call 354-9988.