Alfred Young Man facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred Young Man
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| Kiyugimah, Eagle Chief | |
Young Man, at Bonneville Salt Flats
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| Born | 1948 |
| Nationality | Cree |
| Citizenship | United States/Canada |
| Education | Cut Bank Boarding School, Institute of American Indian Arts, Slade School of Fine Arts |
| Alma mater | M.A., American Indian Art, University of Montana, 1974; Ph.D., Anthropology, Rutgers University, 1997 |
| Occupation | Artist, writer, and educator. |
| Years active | 45+ |
| Employer | Professor of Indigenous Arts, Professor Emeritus, Mount Royal University; University of Calgary |
| Known for | painting, writing, music |
| Style | visual languaging, non-fiction, rock/country/folk/American Indian |
| Movement | Indian Fine Art political movement 1960's, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Board member of | Former Board Chair, Society of Canadian Artists of Native Ancestry |
| Parent(s) | Joseph Young Man White Horse (Saustiquanis), Lillian Katherine Boushie |
Alfred Young Man, also known as Kiyugimah (which means Eagle Chief), is a talented Cree artist, writer, and teacher. He was born in 1948 and is a member of the Chippewa-Cree tribe. This tribe lives on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation in Montana, USA.
Alfred Young Man has held important roles in education. He was the head of Indian Fine Arts at the First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Saskatchewan. He also led Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. Today, he is a professor emeritus at both universities. This means he is a retired professor who still holds an honored title.
Contents
Early Life and Family History
Growing Up in Montana
Alfred Young Man was born in 1948 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana. He was the ninth of fifteen children in his family. His father, Joseph Young Man White Horse, and his mother, Lillian Katherine Boushie, were both Cree. They spoke both Cree and English fluently.
Family Roots and Languages
Alfred's grandmother on his father's side, Theresa Ground Woman Big Springs, spoke only Cree. She was married to Don't Talk Many White Horses, a Blackfeet man. He was deaf and could not speak, so people called him Deafy. Theresa and Deafy communicated using Indian sign language throughout their lives. Theresa lived to be about 113 years old.
Alfred's grandfather on his mother's side, Edward Boushie, was Cree and Métis. His wife, Eliza, was also Cree from the Erminskin Reserve in Hobbema, Alberta.
Boarding School Experiences
Alfred grew up in East Glacier Park, Montana, and spoke Cree as a child. When he was six, he and his siblings were sent to Cut Bank Boarding School. This was a government school run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. At these schools, physical punishment was common. Cree and Blackfeet traditions were not allowed under US government law.
Alfred stayed in different government boarding schools until he was 20. In 1968, he went to the Slade School of Art in London, England. This was his first time attending a school with mostly non-Native students for a long period. Because of his time in boarding schools, he now remembers only a little Cree.
Alfred Young Man's Education and Career
Art School and Influences
From 1963 to 1968, Alfred Young Man studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There, a German painter named Fritz Scholder was his painting teacher. The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts still has many of Alfred's paintings from his time there.
After IAIA, Alfred studied painting, film history, and photography. He attended the Slade School of Fine Arts at University College London from 1968 to 1972. In London, he met many famous artists and musicians. These included Pop artists Richard Hamilton and David Hockney, who sometimes visited his studio. He also met Jimi Hendrix shortly before the musician passed away in 1970.
Higher Education and Teaching
Alfred earned his Master's degree (M.A.) from the University of Montana in 1974. His teacher and mentor there was George Longfish, a Seneca-Tuscarora artist. Later, in 1997, he earned his Ph.D. in anthropology from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Alfred Young Man has been an art teacher since the early 1970s. He taught at schools on his home reservation and the Blackfeet Indian reservation. He also helped start a television training program at Flathead Valley Community College in Montana.
University Roles and Impact
In 1977, he began teaching at the University of Lethbridge. He later became the chair of Native American Studies there. He also taught in exchange programs in the UK and Japan. In 2007, he retired early from the University of Lethbridge. He then became the head of Indian Fine Art at the First Nations University of Canada. There, he also managed the school's large art collection.
In 2010, his job at the First Nations University ended due to budget cuts. In 2015, he became an Adjunct Professor in the Art Department at the University of Calgary.
Alfred Young Man has traveled the world, speaking at many conferences. He teaches his courses from a Native perspective. This was very new when he started teaching in 1977. Even today, it is a unique approach in Native art education.
Community Work and Publications
Supporting Native Artists
Alfred Young Man was the chair of the board for the Society of Canadian Artists of Native Ancestry. This group worked to convince the National Gallery of Canada to include First Nations art and artists in its collection.
Important Writings
Alfred Young Man has written many books and articles. His writings often explore Native art, culture, and politics. Here are a few examples of his published works:
- The Buckskin Ceiling: A Native perspective on Native art politics (2012)
- North American Indian Art: It's a Question of Integrity (1998)
- Kiskayetum: Allen Sapp, a Retrospective (1994) - This book was written in English, French, and Cree.
- Indigena: Contemporary Native Perspectives (1992) - He co-wrote this book.
He has also written many articles and essays for different publications. These include "IAIA 1962-70: Where It All Began" (2012) and "Racism & the Politics of Indian Art Study" (2010). His work helps people understand Native art and issues from a Native point of view.
