Henrietta Lacks’ cancer cells, called HeLa, are used around the world for medical experiments.
Credit: © Pictorial Press Ltd, Alamy Images

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas.

A mother and a medical marvel with a lasting legacy, Henrietta Lacks has saved nearly 10 million lives. Lacks was an African American woman born in Roanoke, Virginia, on August 1, 1920. Lacks unknowingly became a donor of a line of cells widely used in medical research. Those cells, known as HeLa cells, became one of the most important advances in medical science. HeLa stands for Henrietta Lacks. Lacks only lived 31 years, but her cells are still alive today.

Lacks was born Loretta Pleasant. She later changed her name to Henrietta and married David Lacks in 1941. The couple moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in the 1940’s. In 1951, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She died on October 4 of that year, leaving behind her five children. Before her death, doctors removed a sample of cancer cells during a medical examination. The sample was taken without her knowledge.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University used the sample to establish the HeLa cell culture. A cell culture is a population of cells grown under controlled conditions for research. The usefulness of cell cultures is often limited because the cells die after a certain number of divisions. However, the HeLa cells divided indefinitely without dying.

HeLa cells grow faster than other cell cultures. They survive shipment by mail, enabling them to be sent to laboratories around the world. The unique qualities of HeLa cells led to many scientific discoveries and a greater understanding of biological processes. One of the first uses of HeLa cells was to test the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine for the disease polio. HeLa cells have also contributed to treatments for Parkinson’s, HIV, and AIDS, as well as vaccines for the flu, HPV, and COVID-19. Her cells have been used in nearly 75,000 studies.

The World Health Organization honored Henrietta Lacks in 2021. The city of Roanoke, Virginia, is replacing a statue of confederate general Robert E. Lee with a bronze statue of Lacks. Nearly 72 years after her death, Lacks will be memorialized in her hometown for years to come. Author Rebecca Skloot wrote about Henrietta’s life and her medical contribution in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks released in 2010. The story was adapted into a movie in 2017 starring Oprah Winfrey.

HeLa cells were also used to produce the first cellular clones. Cellular clones are a group of cells descended from a single cell. They are genetically identical, enabling scientists to study entire populations of cells with a particular genetic trait.

HeLa cells remain an essential tool in laboratories throughout the world. They have been used to develop drugs and other therapies worth billions of dollars. However, Henrietta Lacks and her family received no compensation for the use of her cells. In medical ethics, her case is often cited as a classic example of failure to obtain informed consent from a tissue donor. Informed consent means that participants fully understand and accept the known risks and possible benefits of a medical procedure. Today, researchers regularly obtain consent from patients before taking tissue samples.

In 2013, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), a government agency that conducts and supports a broad range of biomedical research, made a historic agreement with the surviving family of Henrietta Lacks. NIH researchers must now obtain permission from a special review panel before they can view and use detailed genetic information of HeLa cells. Members of the Lacks family are included on the review panel. NIH also requested that researchers studying HeLa cells include an acknowledgment to the Lacks family when the research is published.

Young dancers participate in a Powwow on July 23, 2016, in Couer d’Alene, Idaho.
Credit: © Gregory Johnston, Shutterstock

People in the United States observe Native American Heritage Month each year in November. During this period, many Native tribes celebrate their cultures, histories, and traditions. It is also a time to raise awareness of the challenges Indigenous people have faced in the past and today, along with their contributions to the United States as its first inhabitants.

Across the country, people are gathering for powwows big and small to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Through dancing, traditional food and regalia, and other traditions, Indigenous communities celebrate their culture and community. For many communities, these will be the first large powwows held since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. The Choctaw Nation hosted one of the country’s largest and most well known powwows in Oklahoma earlier in the month. Some powwows honored Indigenous veterans on Veterans Day.

A powwow is a ceremony of dancing practiced by Indigenous (native) peoples of the United States and by First Nations, Indigenous peoples of Canada. The term powwow comes from the Algonquian word pau wau, meaning healer. The gathering lasts several days and includes dancing, drums, feasts, regalia (traditional attire), and singing. Powwows have their roots in traditional Indigenous religious ceremonies and meetings. Today, they may serve as a secular (nonreligious) and public celebration.

Indigenous American cultures included traditional dances and songs. However, many Indigenous ceremonies and traditions have been outlawed by white settlers at various times. In the United States, the Religious Crimes Code of 1883 prohibited ceremonial dances. The Indian Act, first passed in 1876, is the main Canadian law governing relations between the First Nations and the federal government. In 1884, the act was amended to ban ceremonies such as potlatches and certain dances. The potlatch is a ceremony of feasting and gift-giving practiced by indigenous peoples and First Nations of the Northwest Coast region.

In the late 1800’s, traveling “Wild West” shows became popular. Shows such as that presented by the frontiersman and entertainer Buffalo Bill offered an opportunity for Indigenous performers to make money for their tribes by performing outlawed songs and dances publicly.

The Religious Crimes Code was amended to allow Indigenous dances and songs in 1933. In 1951, Canada lifted the prohibition on dances and potlatches. The United States Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 to guarantee the protection of Indigenous people under the First Amendment to the Constitution. These changes enabled powwows to flourish in the 1960’s and 1970’s, when they were held during the summer.

Smaller local powwows still occur on reservations (lands set aside for Indigenous use), but larger powwows may take place in stadiums and at casinos. Indigenous elders bless the grounds before the event begins through song, prayer, and the burning of sage or tobacco. The powwow grounds are usually laid out in a series of concentric circles (circles spreading from a common center). The area for dancing and drums lies in the middle. The space around the dancers is reserved for elders and friends and family of the dancers. Outside that circle, there is room for spectators and vendors. The vendors sell traditional and modern foods, crafts, art, and clothing.

Every powwow has an emcee, a master of ceremonies. The emcee is usually a leader in the community with knowledge of the traditional ceremonies along with a modern-style education. The emcee announces events, introduces dancers, and tells stories.

Powwows begin with the grand entry, an opening parade. This tradition was adopted from the Wild West shows as well as processions at treaty signings. In a giveaway ceremony on the last day of the powwow, gifts are given from the host to the visitors or in memory of someone who died. The ceremony begins with the hosts dancing and the emcee announcing those receiving gifts.

Dancing styles are differentiated in part by the regalia worn by performers. Competitive dances for men include the fancy, grass, northern, and straight dance styles. For women, competitive dancing styles include fancy shawl, jingle dress, northern and southern buckskin, and northern and southern cloth. Dancers compete for prize money. The dance competition is organized by dance style and by the age and gender of the performers.

Drums and singing accompany the dances. Singers may sing in the language of a specific tribe or in vocables, simple nonverbal syllables that are shared among tribes.

Powwows are held the year around in major cities across Canada and the United States. A powwow may include up to 800 dancers or more. Some traditional powwows focus only on the songs and dances. Others may include such activities as rodeos, fashion shows, and music competitions. The largest powwow is the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which may include more than 3,000 dancers.

The Iroquois peoples of the Eastern Woodlands of North America were known for their characteristic dwellings, called longhouses, which are shown in this illustration. The Iroquois called themselves the Haudenosaunee, which means we longhouse builders.
Credit: © Stock Montage/Alamy Images

People in the United States observe Native American Heritage Month each year in November. During this period, many Native tribes celebrate their cultures, histories, and traditions. It is also a time to raise awareness of the challenges Indigenous people have faced in the past and today, along with their contributions to the United States as its first inhabitants.

Homes are the center of most cultures. Throughout history, homes have changed in materials, structure, and technology. Nowadays, many different types of homes populate neighborhoods from apartments, mobile homes, multi-family homes, row homes, and more. We can learn from the structure, organization, and togetherness that homes in history have fostered. In some cultures it is still commonplace to live with your parents after growing up. However, many people around the world opt for finding their own home out in the big, wide world. One traditional communal (shared dwelling) among Indigenous (native) people is the longhouse.

Longhouses were common among the peoples of the northeastern region of North America. They were large, rectangular houses. Longhouses ranged from about 50 to 400 feet (15 to 120 meters) long and about 18 to 23 feet (5 to 7 meters) wide. A typical longhouse was 180 to 220 feet (54 to 67 meters) long. The size of the family who lived in the longhouse determined the length of the structure. There were many perks to living in a multi-generation home. Grandparents were able to help care for children and all the adults could all pitch in to clean, cook, maintain the house, and stay organized.

The Iroquois were known for building longhouses. The Iroquois were a federation of Indigenous American groups that once occupied most of what is now New York state. From east to west, the tribes included the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora joined the Iroquois league, and the federation became known as the Six Nations. The Iroquois called themselves the Haudenosaunee. This name refers to their dwellings and means we longhouse builders. The longhouse was also a symbol of the Great Law of the Iroquois, the federation’s oral constitution, in which the sky was considered the roof of the longhouse and the floor was Earth.

Iroquois longhouses were traditionally built using saplings (young trees) with the bark removed. The wider ends of the saplings were set in holes in the ground, forming a rectangular shape. The thinner ends were then joined in the middle to form a roof. Thin strips of bark or rope were used to tie the saplings together. The frame was then covered with bark. An opening in the roof served as a chimney. Openings at either end of the longhouse covered with animal hides served as doors.

Iroquois villages included longhouses with separate sections for related families. Many Iroquois longhouses sheltered an elderly couple with separate “apartments” for each married daughter. The couple’s married sons lived in the longhouses of their wives’ families. Each new generation added a section onto the longhouse. The longhouse had a central aisle the entire length of the building. The central aisle typically held a fire used by all families within the clan.

Other Indigenous people of northeastern North America also built longhouses, including the Erie, Huron, and Mahican peoples. Some Indigenous people of the northwest coast also built longhouses. These longhouses were built using logs and split-log planks. In the northwest, longhouses were set up with one doorway facing the shore.

July 8, 2019

Since prehistoric times, people have depicted animals in their artwork. Ancient paintings and drawings of horses, oxen, and other animals appear on the ceilings, walls, and entrances of caves and rock shelters around the world. In more modern times, animals have continued to be a source of artistic inspiration. Many cultures have shown animals in artistic representations of rural life, as livestock, prey, or pets, or to illustrate legends and myths. Many cultures, too, include animals in art simply for their beauty or for their intimate connections with humans. At the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a new exhibition is detailing “The Life of Animals in Japanese Art.”

These wooden sacred foxes are part of the “Life of Animals in Japanese Art” exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Credit: Sacred Foxes (Nanbokuch periods, 14th century), wood with pigments by unknown artist; National Gallery of Art

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art is the first exhibition devoted solely to animals at the National Gallery of Art. The exhibition shows animals—some real, some imaginary, some sacred, some merely beloved—in a wide variety of artistic mediums. The more than 300 works in block prints, ceramics, decorative arts, lacquerware, paintings, sculptures, and textiles span from the A.D. 400′s to the present day. The artworks—including seven designated as “Important Cultural Property” by the Japanese government—come from public and private collections in both Japan and the United States. The exhibition began on June 2, 2019, and runs through August 18.

These 1,000-year-old sacred monkeys are included in the “Life of Animals in Japanese Art” exhibition. Credit: Pair of Sacred Monkeys (Heian period, 11th century), wood with traces of pigment by unknown artist; Los Angeles County Museum of Art/National Gallery of Art

The sprawling exhibit occupies 18,000 square feet (1,700 square meters) of the National Gallery of Art’s East Building Concourse, and it is divided into various themed sections. The credited artists (many older works are unattributed) include the Zen Buddhist monk Sesson Shūkei (1504-1589), the painter Itō Jakuchū (1716-1800), and the painter and woodblock printer Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). Such modern artists as Kusama Yayoi (1929-…), the clothing designer Issey Miyake (1938-…), and the painter and sculptor Murakami Takashi (1960-…) are also represented.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art is part of a series of events included in Japan 2019, an initiative to promote Japanese culture in the United States. Earlier Japanese art exhibitions took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Cleveland Museum of Art. The animal art exhibition will move to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in September, and a number of Japan-themed concerts, festivals, and performances are taking place in the United States throughout 2019.

June 14, 2019

This weekend, June 15 and 16, one of Bolivia’s biggest celebrations takes over the streets of the city of La Paz: the Fiesta del Gran Poder (Festival of the Great Power). The dramatic festival celebrates El Señor del Gran Poder—The Man of Great Power, or Jesus Christ—but it also incorporates local culture and traditions of the area’s Aymara indigenous people. Tens of thousands of people take part in the festival’s main parade, which features colorful costumes, boisterous music and dancing, and spectators enjoying local food and drink.

A parade dancer is decked out in vibrant colors and a traditional mask during the Fiesta del Gran Poder in La Paz, Bolivia. Credit: © Niar Krad, Shutterstock

The origins of the Fiesta del Gran Poder stem from an anonymous religious painting donated to the city of La Paz in the 1600′s. The painting includes a representation of Jesus Christ with mestizo features. In this case, a mestizo is a person of mixed Spanish and American Indian descent. The painting gained a reputation for granting blessings and miracles, and it was eventually housed in a La Paz chapel. In the 1930′s, candlelit processions celebrating the painting’s Señor del Gran Poder evolved into a local festival. By the 1950′s, the festival had grown to include bands, dance troupes, and enormous crowds of people.

Costumed dancers take part in the Fiesta del Gran Poder parade in La Paz, Bolivia. Credit: © Niar Krad, Shutterstock

Today, thousands of dancers and musicians representing La Paz’s neighborhoods and folkloric groups parade through the streets. Parade costumes feature vibrant dresses, hats strewn with ribbons, and elaborate masks, all displaying the rich and diverse cultures of Bolivia. The handmade costumes are expensive and can take months to make. Popular dances during the parade include the Diablada (Devil’s Dance), the Morenada (Dance of the Slave), and the Waca Takhoris (Dancing Bulls).

In the days leading up to the festival, prestigious people known as prestes sponsor neighborhood parties, and Roman Catholic Masses, music, and feasts honor El Señor del Gran Poder. At the same time, the Aymara Ch’alla ritual thanks Pachamama (mother earth) for providing bountiful crops and fruits throughout the year. Because the Fiesta del Gran Poder follows a liturgical (religious) calendar, the dates of the festival differ from year to year. In 2020, it will take place June 5 and 6.