Alfred Young Man facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alfred Young Man
Kiyugimah, Eagle Chief
Young Man, at Bonneville Salt Flats
Born	1948 Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Browning, Montana
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 by his Cree name Kiyugimah (meaning Eagle Chief), is an important 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 many important roles. He was the head of Indian Fine Arts at the First Nations University of Canada. He also led Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge in Canada. Today, he is a Professor Emeritus at both the University of Lethbridge and the University of Regina. This means he is a retired professor who still keeps his title.

Early Life and Heritage

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 parents, Joseph Young Man White Horse and Lillian Katherine Boushie, were both Cree. They spoke both Cree and English fluently.

Alfred's grandmother, Theresa Ground Woman Big Springs, only spoke Cree. She was married to Don't Talk Many White Horses, a Blackfeet man. He was deaf and communicated using Indian sign language. Alfred's other grandparents were Edward Boushie, who was Cree/Métis, and Eliza, who was Cree.

Alfred grew up in East Glacier Park, Montana. He spoke Cree when he was a child. Like many Indigenous children of his time, he was sent to a government boarding school. These schools often tried to make Indigenous children forget their traditions. Alfred attended these schools until he was 20 years old.

Education and Artistic Journey

Alfred Young Man studied art at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was from 1963 to 1968. There, he learned painting from the famous German painter Fritz Scholder. The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts still has many of Alfred's paintings from this time.

After IAIA, he went to the Slade School of Fine Arts in London, England. He studied painting, film history, and photography for four years (1968–1972). While in London, he met many well-known artists and musicians. He even met Jimi Hendrix shortly before the musician passed away.

Alfred continued his studies in the United States. He earned his Master's degree (M.A.) in American Indian Art from the University of Montana in 1974. Later, he earned his Ph.D. (doctorate degree) in anthropology from Rutgers University in 1997.

Teaching and Professional Career

Alfred Young Man has been an art teacher since the early 1970s. He started teaching at schools on his home reservation. He then helped create a television training program at Flathead Valley Community College.

In 1977, he began teaching at the University of Lethbridge. He eventually 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 2015, he was named an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary.

Alfred Young Man has traveled the world to share his knowledge. He has spoken at many conferences on every continent. He teaches his courses from a Native perspective. This was a new idea when he started teaching in 1977. It is still rare today.

Community Work and Advocacy

Alfred Young Man was the chair of 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. His work helped bring more attention to Indigenous artists.

Selected Published Works

Alfred Young Man has written many books and articles. These works often explore Native art, culture, and politics.

• 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 is in English, French, and Cree.)
• Indigena: Contemporary Native Perspectives. Co-authored with Gerald McMaster and Lee Ann Martin et al. 1992.

Articles and Essays

• "IAIA 1962-70: Where It All Began" in Celebrating Differences, Fifty Years of Contemporary Native Arts at IAIA. 2012.
• "A Critique of Anthropology from the Native Perspective" in Native American Studies Across Time and Space. 2010.
• "Racism & the Politics of Indian Art Study" in CAUT BULLETIN. 2010.
• "Segregation of Native art by ethnicity: is it self-imposed or superimposed?" in (Re)Inventing the Wheel: Advancing the Dialogue on Contemporary American Indian Art. 2008.
• "Indians as Mascots: Perpetuating the Stereotype" in The Challenges of Native American Studies. 2004.
• "Token and Taboo: Native Art in Academia" in Wíčazo Ša Review. 1999.
• "First Nations Art, 'Canada', and the CIA: A Short Non-fiction Story". 1996.
• "Issues and Trends in Contemporary Native Art" in Parallelogramme Magazine. 1988.

Images for kids

• 

  Young Man, at Bonneville Salt Flats

See Also

• Cree people
• First Nations art
• Institute of American Indian Arts