One of my obsessions is the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultures. The questions I can't let go of revolve around how to effectively restore and celebrate these traditions in contemporary society.
Elisa Harkins is a Native American (Cherokee/Muscogee) artist, singer, electronic music composer, and curator based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her work is concerned with translation, language preservation, and Indigenous musicology. Harkins uses the Cherokee and Mvskoke languages, electronic music, sculpture, and the body as her tools. She is the first person to sing a contemporary song in the Cherokee language. Harkins received a BA from Columbia College Chicago and an MFA from CalArts. She has since continued her education at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She has exhibited her work at Crystal Bridges, documenta 14, the Hammer Museum, the Heard Museum, and MoMA.
In 2020, she created the Indigenous concert series 6 Moons and published a CD of Muscogee/Seminole hymns. She is also the DJ of Mvhayv (muh-hi-yuh) Radio, an Indigenous radio show on 99.1FM in Indianapolis, Indiana. “Radio III / ᎦᏬᏂᏍᎩ ᏦᎢ” (ga-wo-ni-s-gi tso-i) is a dance performance that features music and choreography by Harkins. With support from PICA and Western Front, songs from the performance have been collected into a double LP, which can be found on Harkins’s Bandcamp. Harkins resides on the Muscogee Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Muscogee Nation.