Native American kites will fly for Indian Days

Fourteen large kites made with original Native American art will be in Browning on Friday and Saturday for Indian Days. The spectacular kite collection, painted by artists representing 10 native nations, will be on display Friday and will be flown for the Browning community on Saturday. These flying pieces of art just returned from Dieppe, France, where they were viewed by half a million people at the prestigious Dieppe Kite Festival.

Local Browning artist John Cadotte had a painted kite, “Blackfeet Buffalo,” in the collection, but it broke loose and flew off into the Pryor Mountains in early April. A new canvas from Cadotte was commissioned by Sky WindWorld Inc. President Terry Zee Lee and arrived early in June. The following day, a rancher moving cattle into the Pryor Mountain high country found the original kite in a ravine and gathered it up.

“It has a few tears and some paint is missing but it lives to fly again,” Lee said. “And the new painting from John is now made into a large parafoil kite and will be flown above the Blackfeet Reservation on Saturday.”

Children and adults can make their own flying kite on Friday and view this collection of art kites that travels the world, showcasing Native American art and telling the world about the history of buffalo jumps and indigenous culture. The kites are taken to classrooms across America where they are used to teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

To watch or participate in kite building come to the Plains Indian Museum in Browning on Friday at 3 p.m.

The kites will also be flown after the parade Saturday morning at the museum.

Contact Terry Zee Lee at www.skywindworld.org or 406-698-9369.