Z. Susanne Aikman
Z. Susanne Aikman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 1, 1945 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 21, 2014 (age 69) Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Other names | Susie Aikman |
| Occupation(s) | Broadcaster, beadworker, television director |
Zora Susanne Aikman (January 1, 1945 – June 21, 2014) was an American broadcaster and beadworker. She created and hosted the nationally syndicated radio program alterNative Voices, beginning in 1992, and worked in Colorado public television. She wrote two books on Native American beadwork.
Early life and education
Aikman was born in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in Zanesville[1] and Celina,[2] the daughter of Herbert Abraham Aikman Jr. and Zora Dell Miller Aikman.[3][4] She was described as a member of the Eastern Band Cherokee,[5] or descended from that group.[6] She graduated from Celina High School in 1963,[7] and attended Columbus College of Art and Design, Ohio State University, and Metropolitan State University of Denver.[8]
Career
Aikman created and hosted the radio program alterNative Voices beginning in 1992. Her show aired on 54 radio stations, and was among the first offerings of the radio network American Indian Radio on Satellite.[9] She contributed to the Smithsonian Institution's radio series, Living Voices, in 1997.[10] She directed and produced programming for Colorado Public Television for twenty years.[9]
Beyond radio and television work, Aikman was active in Native American ministries of the United Methodist Church,[11] and served on several national boards in that work. In 1998, she spoke on a panel on Native American culture at the National Civil Rights Museum in Tennessee.[12] In 2010, she visited almost a hundred Native American reservations, as part of a campaign to promote participation in the federal census that year.[8][13] She co-owned a design studio and photography gallery, Path-of-the-Sun Images, in Denver,[14] and another business called Wind River Rose.[15]
Publications
- A Primer: The Art of Native American Beadwork (1980)[16]
- Bead Workbook: Designer Pages to Color (1991)
Personal life and legacy
Aikman married William V. McGough in 1966.[17][18] They divorced in 1975.[19] She died from cancer in 2014, at the age of 69.[8] The Iliff School of Theology has a Susie Aikman Memorial Scholarship for Native American Students, funded as a memorial to Aikman.[8] The radio program InDigitNess Voice aired a tribute to Aikman on KUVO in Denver in 2014, and repeated that program in 2019.[20]
References
- ^ "Honor Roll for South Zanesville". The Times Recorder. 1954-12-13. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "3 More in Race for Queen". The Lima Citizen. 1963-06-16. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Herbert A. Aikman Jr". The Lima News. 1988-12-20. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Zora A. Aikman". The Lima News. 1999-11-15. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "United Methodists Mourn Passing of Native American Leader". United Methodist Insight. 2014-07-05. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
- ^ Wiley, Eleanor; Shannon, Maggie Oman (2002-01-01). A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads. Red Wheel. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-59003-010-3.
- ^ Celina High School, Anilec (1963 yearbook): np; via Ancestry.
- ^ a b c d "Zora Aikman". The Denver Post. 2014-06-29. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
- ^ a b "Farewell to AlterNative Voices' Susanne Aikman". KUVO. 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
- ^ Robbins, Kevin (1997-11-20). "Indian magician in radio series". The Commercial Appeal. p. 29. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Native American Indian Ministry". Rocky Mountain Conference, United Methodist Church. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
- ^ "Native American events conclude". The Commercial Appeal. 1998-11-21. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lapin, Andrew (2014-06-26). "Susanne Aikman, AlterNative Voices host, dies at 69". Current. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
- ^ Source Directory: Native American Owned and Operated Arts and Crafts Businesses. U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Arts and Crafts Board. 1985. p. 12.
- ^ United States Congress House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs (August 25, 1987). Indian Economic Development and Indian Bank Bill: Hearings Before the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 351.
- ^ Aikman, Z. Susanne (1990). A primer, the art of native American beadwork : with projects. Internet Archive. Denver: Morning Flower Press. ISBN 978-0-9629155-0-5.
- ^ "Bride and Groom Come to Troy; Both from Celina". Troy Daily News. 1966-09-13. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
- ^ "Aikman-McGough". Dayton Daily News. 1966-09-09. p. 35. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Divorce Decrees". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. 1975-08-17. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "InDigitNess Voice presents Susie Aikman Tribute Show | July 1". KUVO. 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2024-08-07.