An Immersive Multimedia Experience of the Haudenosaunee Creation Story by Jackson 2bears
Ne:Kahwistará:ken Kanónhsa’kówa í:se Onkwehonwe is a vivid, 360 degree immersive retelling of the Haudenosaunee creation story by multimedia artist and 2022–24 Ida Ely Rubin Artist in Residence at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology Jackson 2bears, also known as Tékeniyáhsen Ohkwá:ri (Kanien’kehà:ka).
2bears was first inspired to create a VR version of a longhouse, a traditional Haudenosaunee structure and important spiritual and cultural center where creation myths are shared. The longhouse in the community unexpectedly burned down midway through the process, after the team had created 3D scans of the structure. With no building to project onto, they used ingenuity and creativity to pivot to the project’s current iteration: 8-foot tall images played on a canvas screen 34-feet in diameter. With video mapping using multiple projectors and 14-channel surround sound, the story of Sky Woman coming down to Turtle Island was given an immense form.
At MIT, 2bears discovered a rich community and a place to explore larger philosophical questions relating to technology, Indigenous knowledge, and artificial intelligence.
Supported with a grant from the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology and hosted by the Co-Creation Studio and MIT Open Documentary Lab.
More information about the project at arts.mit.edu/longhouse