The EMC Spring Speaker Series presents:

Rhae Lynn Barnes,

THE PEACE PIPE AND THE SUN KING: A 17TH-CENTURY CULTURE CLASH ON THE MISSISSIPPI

In 1673, French explorers encountered the powerful Illinois Confederacy and witnessed the awe-inspiring Calumet dance, a display of Indigenous political strength that a bewildered Jesuit priest famously compared to French Baroque ballet. This talk uncovers the fascinating story behind European transcriptions of Native American music, revealing how Western musical notation fundamentally failed to capture the true sound and spirit of these sacred songs. Ultimately, we will explore how these silent notes on a page sparked a centuries- long legacy of cultural extraction, appropriation, and misunderstanding.

Rhae Lynn Barnes is an Assistant Professor of History at Princeton University. Her book Darkology: Blackface and the American Way of Entertainment (Liveright, 2026) was named one of the best books of the month by The New York Times, TIME, and Kirkus Reviews.