Bush Foundation Fellowships

Keith Bear

2009 Bush Artist Fellowship
North Dakota

Career Field: Traditional and Ethnic Performing Arts
Secondary Field: Storytelling

Keith Bear (O’Mashi! Ryu Ta – “Northern Lights”) (New Town, ND) is a world-renowned Mandan/Hidatsa storyteller and musician from the Three Affiliated Tribes in Fort Berthold, North Dakota. He shares the rich history of his people through new and traditional Native American songs and stories, many of which have been passed down for hundreds of years. He has been featured at events created by the North Dakota Council for the Arts, the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center, the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, the International Storytellers Festival in Wales and other cultural programs throughout Europe. He has soloed with the National Symphony and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in performances of The Fable of the Old Turtle symphony. Of his five recordings with Makoche Records, Earthlodge was nominated for best traditional artist, best video and best male artist by the Native American Music Awards.