Living Legends (BYU) explained

Living Legends, originally the Lamanite Generation, is a song and dance performing group at Brigham Young University made up of performers of Native American, Polynesian and Hispanic or Latino origin. They perform dances that originate in these cultures as well.^[1] Living Legends was formed in 1971 by Janie Thompson.

History

Living Legends originally started as the Lamanite Generation which was an all-Native American performing group organized by Janie Thompson. The organization was first formed in 1971 and their first tour was across Indian reservations. They toured the Eastern United States in 1974 and they toured in Central and South American the following year.^[2] Thompson stated that the 1975 tour was, "the most significant tour in [her] entire career", because it impacted and influenced Native Americans south of the United States. Living Legends has performed around the world including China and the 1992 International Expo in Seville, Spain.^{[3] [4] [5]}

In the 1970s, the group was noted for its closing song at most performances "Go My Son", written by Arliene Nofchissey and Carnes Burson.^{[6] [7]} The song encourages Native Americans to receive an education. This idea comes from the Navajo chief Manuelito who urged Native Americans to obtain an education. Native communities did not always see this message from the Lamanite Generation positively.^[8]

The transition to its current name was a long drawn out process. For example, in 1991 they still were using the name "Lamanite Generation" but performed a program entitled "Living Legends".^[9] Professor and historian Jared Farmer considers that BYU may have changed the name of the group to "Living Legends" to avoid racism associated with the word "Lamanite".

Tour history

This tour history begins in 1971 and ends in 2019.^[10]

• 1971–72 Florida, Southern California, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan
• 1972–73 Southern California, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Alberta, Saskatchewan
• 1973–74 Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, Germany
• 1974–75 Alberta, Saskatchewan, Oklahoma, British Columbia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
• 1975–76 Ohio, Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., Ontario, Quebec
• 1976–77 Arizona, Southern California, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Canada
• 1977–78 Colorado, Arizona, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland
• 1978–79 Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, Alberta, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma
• 1979–80 Southern California, Nevada, Romania, Hungary, Poland
• 1980–81 Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan
• 1981–82 Arizona, Northern California, Nevada, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Hawaii
• 1982–83 New Mexico, Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, England, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark
• 1984–85 Wyoming, Montana, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Mexico
• 1985–86 Arizona, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii
• 1986–87 California, Oregon, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Florida
• 1987–88 New Mexico, German Democratic Republic, Federal Republic of Germany
• 1988–89 Southern California, Nevada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Germany
• 1989–90 Northern California, Nevada, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Idaho, Minnesota, Washington
• 1990–91 Arizona, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Germany
• 1991–92 Idaho, Oregon, Washington, People's Republic of China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan
• 1992–93 Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Texas
• 1993–94 New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming
• 1994–95 California, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Austria
• 1995–96 Nevada, California, Austria, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia
• 1996–97 Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Tahiti, Western Samoa, Cook Islands, New Zealand, Hawaii
• 1997–98 Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ontario, Quebec
• 1998–99 Nevada, California, Denmark, Norway, Sweden
• 1999–2000 Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
• 2000–01 Nevada, California, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan
• 2001–02 Alaska
• 2002–03 New Mexico
• 2003–04 Alaska, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, South Africa
• 2004–05 Arizona, Nevada, California, Mexico
• 2005–06 Wyoming, Montana, Germany, Austria
• 2006–07 Alaska, Nevada, California, South Dakota, Iowa, North Dakota, Canada
• 2007–08 Colorado, Wyoming, Chile
• 2008–09 Arizona, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay
• 2009–10 China, Utah
• 2010–11 Russia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Alaska
• 2011–12 Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nauvoo, Illinois
• 2012–13 Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
• 2013–14 California, Nevada, Nauvoo, Illinois
• 2014–15 New Mexico, Texas, Montana, Canada, Alaska
• 2015–16 New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa
• 2016–17 Idaho, Washington, Oregon
• 2017–18 Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska^[11]
• 2018–19 Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil^{[12] [13] [14]}

Recording

• Go My Son (album)^[15]

External links

• Living legends: maintaining a trans-cultural identity, 2019, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
• Performing Arts Management records on Living Legends, 1991–1994, 1997–1999, 2001–2004, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
• Group web page
• LDS Music store link to Go My Son
• BYU Records page for group

Notes and References

1. News: Lamanite Generation . March 13, 2019 . Clovis News-Journal. May 14, 1976.
2. Book: Wilkinson . Ernest L. . Arrington . Leonard J. . Hafen . Bruce C. . Brigham Young University: The First Hundred Years . 1976 . Brigham Young University Press . Provo, Utah . 978-0842507080 . 4 . March 13, 2019.
3. Hudman . Lloyd E. . Student International Travel . Tourism Recreational Research . 1990 . 15 . 2 . 43 . 10.1080/02508281.1990.11014583 .
4. Book: Oaks, Dallin H.. Dallin H. Oaks. Getting to Know China. 1991. Brigham Young University Speeches. March 13, 2019.
5. News: Winters. Charlene. BYU's 'Living Legends' spotlight the Americas. March 13, 2019. Daily Herald. Utah. August 2, 1992.
6. McAllester. David P.. David P. McAllester. New Perspectives in Native American Music. Perspectives of New Music. Fall 1981. 20. 1/2. 439. 942422. 10.2307/942422.
7. Book: Farmer, Jared. Jared Farmer. On Zion's Mount: Mormons, Indians, and the American Landscape. 2008. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 9780674027671. 368–369. March 13, 2019.
8. Garrett . Matthew . Disentangling binaries and the rise of Lamanite studies . Religion Compass . October 29, 2018 . 12 . 11 . e12289 . 10.1111/rec3.12289 . 149771746 .
9. News: Lamanite Generation to Perform 'Living Legends' . March 13, 2019 . Deseret News. January 6, 1991.
10. Web site: Living Legends Tour History 2016–2017 . Performing Arts Management . Brigham Young University . March 13, 2019.
11. News: Owusu . Leslie . Living Legends Visits Nine States During Spring Tour . March 13, 2019 . Department of Dance . Brigham Young University . October 20, 2017.
12. News: Living Legends to perform at Adams State . March 13, 2019 . Alamosa News . January 27, 2018.
13. News: Living Legends Tours Germany and Switzerland . March 13, 2019 . College of Fine Arts and Communications . Brigham Young University . August 23, 2018.
14. Web site: Upcoming Shows. Performing Arts Management. Brigham Young University. March 13, 2019.
15. Web site: Go My Son [CD] – BYU Living Legends ]. BYU Music Store . Brigham Young University . March 13, 2019.