Spirit Chief Names the Animal People

Navajo pianist and composer Connor Chee is known for combining his classical piano training with his Native American heritage. Chee made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12 after winning a gold medal in the World Piano Competition. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Chee’s solo piano music is inspired by traditional Navajo chants and songs.

Chee has released 3 studio albums of original pieces and piano transcriptions of Navajo music. The Navajo Piano won Best Instrumental Recording at the 16th Annual Native American Music Awards, and his piece “Beginnings” won Best New Age Song.

Chee’s most recent release, Scenes from Dinétah, features piano pieces written about elements of Navajo life and culture. It has been accompanied by the release of several music videos filmed on the reservation, directed by Navajo filmmaker Michael Etcitty Jr.

Starr Chief Eagle is an enrolled member of the Sicangu (Rosebud) Lakota Sioux Tribe. She was born with the Lakota name Wichahpi Tokahe (First Star) and was later given the Lakota name Wichahpi Ohitika Winyan (Brave Star Woman) as she entered into adulthood. She grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota including Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and started hoop dancing before she could walk. Since then, she has been practicing every year to perfect her techniques and skills. Starr was raised up in hoop dancing by her father Dallas Chief Eagle and continues to carry on his teachings with a combination of her own.

Starr enjoys sharing her culture through art, language, dance, and song for future generations in hopes of restoring and maintaining the Lakota culture. She has performed the art of Hoop Dancing throughout the world and continues to further reach out at home and in the heart of the Paha Sapa (Black Hills of South Dakota) at places such as Crazy Horse Memorial as well as schools, libraries, camps, and other gatherings. In her free time, she continues to learn more about the art, history, and language of the Lakota people. She currently has maintained an A.A. in Lakota Studies from Oglala Lakota College as well as a B.S. in American Indian Studies minor in Philosophy from Black Hills State University. This knowledge is expressed through crafts such as beading, sewing, and other artworks as well as influences her performances and teachings, enriching her everyday life.

Watch: Learn more about Starr Chief Eagle