The Storyteller


Howe believed his responsibility as an artist was to record and share Očhéthi Šakówiŋ knowledge.


Here, in a dramatic moment, an evil spirit appears during a 30-day dance to honor the buffalo and strikes fear in the participants, who turn away. The turtle shell at the bottom was used as a drum during the Buffalo Dance. According to Howe, the yellow in this painting symbolizes life and can be interpreted as a hopeful sign that evil will be overcome.


Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota, 1915–1983), “Evil Spirit of the Buffalo Dance,” 1961; casein on paper; 29.75” x 22.5”. Cutler Family Collection.


Culture and Belief While recovering from an illness as a child, Howe spent a great amount of time with his grandmother Shell Face, who taught him about Dakota culture and beliefs. This experience deeply influenced Howe and would later form


the foundation of the sophisticated con- tent that distinguishes his work. He researched his content rigorously and believed that Native artists had a pro- found responsibility to understand the cultural subjects they portrayed.


SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION SPRING 2022 37


COURTESY OF THE NMAI AND OSCAR HOWE FAMILY


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