Modern Indian Identity:
An Evening With Robert Mirabal
By Kurt Gutjahr
The Center of the American West offered up one of our most vibrant and unique evenings yet in our Modern Indian Identity speaker series when we brought Grammy Award winner Robert Mirabal to Boulder. Mr. Mirabal opened his talk with performances on a variety of his handcrafted flutes before reading from his remarkable new novel, using his unflinching eye and a powerful combination of song and humor, to provide a unique, and frequently startling, perspective on the Sand Creek massacre. He closed the night by fielding questions, reminding us again and again that identity is more pliable than we sometimes acknowledge. It was an evening filled with life and a powerful hope for the future for both Indians and non-Indians alike. We are grateful to Robert Mirabal, the First United Methodist Church of Boulder, and Nancy and Gary Carlston for making this event possible.
