Children's Stories

"Kreutzer" and "Spring" Sonatas for Violin and Piano; Itzhak Perlman, violin; Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano

When I got back to the barracks after playing for the recipients of the Medal of Arts and Humanities Award on that snowy evening in late December, I quickly changed out of my “special full” Marine Band uniform and into some jeans, hiking boots, a turtle-neck and my black and red Snoopy hockey jersey to begin my traditional over-night cross-country drive to South Dakota for Christmas.

As I drove out of town, I called Mom to let her know that I was on the road and to tell her about all the excitement I saw at the White House. The next morning as I drove into Indiana, Mom called me and asked, “Did you see Ms. Driving Hawk?” Mom, I know all those words and that sentence makes no sense. “Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (SNEE-vee) receives one of the Medal of Humanities Awards today. I just saw it in the newspaper. She would have been at the reception you played at last night. She’s from – and still lives in – South Dakota and is married to one of Dad’s high school class mates.”

Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve’s name reflects her Lakota Sioux heritage. Born and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, Ms. Sneve attended South Dakota State University, receiving Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees. She has served as an educator in the public schools, an editor at a small publishing house and a member of the board of directors of several organizations that reveal her passion for those things that identify her, and us, as thinking, feeling and communicating human beings.

Ms. Driving Hawk Sneve received her Medal of Humanities, however, for her commitment to a place of peace and understanding where cultures meet and mingle. Through the mediums of writing and storytelling, she has endeavored to preserve the stories of countless generations of Native Americans by bringing her tales to the eyes and ears of children in a bold effort to go beyond tolerance, where love, appreciation and celebration of ethnic, intellectual and artistic differences don’t divide, but bind. As he presented her with her Medal, President Clinton remarked that, “Her stories have helped us to better define the American experience, to understand the Native Americans who were here before us … We thank her for sharing her timeless wisdom.”

The State Dining Room was full of talent on that evening that I played for the Medalists. In addition to Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and Quincy Jones, singer Eddy Arnold, poet and author Maya Angelou, dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, author Toni Morrison, jazz saxophonist Benny Carter, theatre director Harold Prince, playwright Horton Foote, singer, actress and film director Barbra Streisand and several others strolled about the room.

The only one who didn’t stroll sat in his chair one foot behind and one foot to the right of my piano bench. After Quincy Jones tapped on the piano, I looked to my right and violinist Itzhak Perlman smiled.

Credits: To Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, for bringing the world to a “special place”. I’m sorry I didn’t know who you were that evening. That would have been one of those great South Dakota get-together experiences where complete strangers chance upon each other and talk about old times.