TURTLE ISLAND
from the Creation Story of the Haudenosaunee
A production by G. Peter Jemison and Plasticiens Volants
Choreography by William Crouse Sr.
With performances by Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater
Produced by Sonia Kozlova Clark, Unicycle Productions and Plasticiens Volants
Haudenosaunee territories tour presented by Friends of Ganondagan under the management
of Jeanette Jemison
Production development supported by Villa Albertine, Institut Français, Département du Tarn, Région Occitanie, Thomas Donahower, Unicycle Productions and Plasticiens Volants
[New York, NY, Spring 2026] — Following its 2025 New York and Massachusetts premiere, the international collaboration between Seneca artists and the renowned French street arts company Plasticiens Volants returns with a new summer tour spanning Indianapolis to the Haudenosaunee territories of New York State.
Tour dates include:
June 27–28, 2026: Eiteljorg Indian Market & Festival at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis— 6 live performances
July 4, 2026, 4 p.m.: Seneca Nation of Indians (Allegany), 90 Ohi’yo’ Way, Salamanca, NY, presented by Friends of Ganondagan
July 5, 2026, Turtle Island Festival & America’s Potluck at the Chenango County Fairgrounds, 168 East Main Street, Norwich, NY, presented by the Chenango County Historical Society — 2 live performances July 8, 2026, 2 p.m.: Ganondagan State Historic Site, presented by Friends of Ganondagan July 11, 2026, 2 p.m.: Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, Generations Park, 559 NY-37, Hogansburg, NY, presented by Friends of Ganondagan
An outdoor interactive spectacle combining a giant inflatable Turtle sculpture designed by renowned Seneca artist G. Peter Jemison and the monumental inflatable expertise of Plasticiens Volants, live music, dance, and Indigenous storytelling by Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater, Turtle Island transforms the Haudenosaunee Creation Story into a free public event experienced collectively in parks, plazas, waterfronts, and civic spaces — carrying a message that resonates profoundly in today’s world.
“While other humans in the world focused on great monuments of stone, the Haudenosaunee began with our human nature,” says creator and cultural advisor G. Peter Jemison, Seneca Nation.
“There are those who believe that you have to show your might by being able to go to war and by destroying your enemy, and that your enemy is lesser than you,” Jemison explained in an interview with WAMC. “This whole notion of one being superior over the other — this is playing out in our world today. Within this story,
we say these forces have existed from the beginning. People choose the path they believe represents the right way. “And so there is this constant struggle for us to protect our mother, the Earth, because we know that faces yet unborn will come and need a place to live. We depend on all these living things — the harvest, the changing seasons — all revealing the beauty of the world before us. On the positive side, we have to protect that and hand it forward to the generations coming in the future.”
“These songs have been passed down generation to generation within the families of our Iroquois communities, and they are the songs referred to as Ohwęjagehká, or dances of the earth,” said William Crouse Sr. “We use them as social dances when we gather, usually during the evenings of our ceremonies in our longhouses across Iroquoia, and we are honored to share them with the public.”
Crouse, a Hawk Clan member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, is a singer, lecturer, dancer, and founder of Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater.
Created through the collaboration of G. Peter Jemison, William Crouse Sr. and Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater, and Plasticiens Volants of France, the production continues to develop as a large-scale international work rooted in Haudenosaunee teachings and contemporary public-space performance.
Turtle Island reflects a growing international movement toward artistic work created specifically for public space — accessible, communal, and deeply connected to the environments and communities in which it is presented.
“Public-space performance has become one of the most vital artistic movements in the world,” says Sonia Kozlova Clark. “Across Europe, Latin America, Asia, and increasingly Indigenous-led initiatives globally, artists are reclaiming civic space as a place for collective imagination and shared cultural experience. Turtle Island asks what it means to gather together outdoors not only as spectators, but as participants in a living story tied to the land beneath our feet.”
“This magnificent project is the symbol of a better humanity, of a tolerant and generous humanity… what many of us wish with all our heart,” says Marc Étievant.
Unlike conventional theater confined within buildings, Turtle Island unfolds directly within the public realm. The monumental Turtle inflatable drifts above audiences while Haudenosaunee dancers, storytellers, and musicians guide audiences through the Creation Story — the story of Skywoman, her descendants the twins, the animals, and the formation of Turtle Island itself.
By presenting an Indigenous creation story in shared civic spaces, Turtle Island affirms that public art is not simply entertainment, but a form of cultural gathering and civic dialogue.
The 2026 tour will continue developing partnerships with Indigenous communities, international cultural institutions, presenters, and public-space festivals across North America and beyond. Turtle Island is produced by Unicycle Productions in collaboration with Plasticiens Volants (France), Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater, and Haudenosaunee cultural partners. Previous project support and development partners have included Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education in the United States, Institut Français, Région Occitanie, Département du Tarn, Friends of Ganondagan, Urban Stages, Hudson River Park Trust, Prospect Park Alliance, TurnPark Art Space, and additional public and private supporters.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
- Peter Jemison, (Seneca, Heron Clan; b. 1945): Visual Artist and Cultural Advisor A seminal figure in Native American arts, Jemison’s work is represented in major collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the British Museum, and the Denver Art Museum. His paintings, videos, and mixed media embody Orenda, the Haudenosaunee belief in the spiritual force that animates all life. As a curator, administrator, and cultural leader, Jemison has shaped Indigenous representation in contemporary art for decades. This collaboration extends his vision into the realm of public space, where his work can reach new, large-scale audiences.
Plasticiens Volants & Air-Fabric, France: Stage Director and Inflatable Art
For over 50 years, Plasticiens Volants has transformed skies into canvases for poetic storytelling with giant inflatable sculptures. Their productions and collaborations with artists such as Os Gêmeos and Michel Dissaké have been presented at major international events including the Olympic Games, the World Cup, and leading festivals on six continents.
With Air-Fabric, their fabrication studio dedicated to monumental inflatable design, the company collaborates directly with artists, curators, and institutions to craft flying, fixed, or carried sculptures that elevate artistic work into new dimensions — museum plazas, public parks, and even entire cityscapes. Through this unique savoir-faire, Plasticiens Volants and Air-Fabric offer museums and galleries innovative ways to extend the visibility of artists beyond traditional walls, creating spectacular and accessible encounters with contemporary art. Their storytelling approach creates living stages without walls — ideal for civic celebrations and cultural encounters.
William Crouse Sr.: Choreographer and Director of Skywoman Iroquois Dance Company is a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, Hawk Clan. He is a faithkeeper, singer, and speaker of the Coldspring Longhouse. As group leader, singer, lecturer, and dancer with the Allegany River Indian Dancers, Bill has traveled throughout the United States and Canada, with international performances in Rome, Italy, and Würzburg, Germany. He is the founder of Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater.
Sonia Kozlova Clark, Unicycle Productions, Producer: develops and produces contemporary street arts, circus, and large-scale public-space performance projects in the United States and internationally, with a mission to advance the Street Arts sector through international collaboration, touring, and civic-based artistic experiences.