Frybread,  by Jen Miller,  The Smithsonian

Woman making fry bread. photo: The Taos Unlimited

National Native and Alaskan Indian Heritage month is a time  for celebration and joy…Fry Bread is a traditional and important part of American Indian Pow-Wows and other Native gatherings.  There has been much controversy about fry bread, from its sad  beginnings to its poor nutritional quality.  And in between, it has become an integral part of Native culture and pride.   The following excerpt discusses the topic:

On Dwayne Lewis’s first night home on the reservation in northeastern Arizona, he sat in the kitchen, watching his mother prepare dinner. Etta Lewis, 71, set the cast iron skillet on the burner, poured in corn oil, and lit the stove. She began moving a ball of dough back and forth between her hands, until she’d formed a large pancake. She then pierced a hole in the center of the pancake with the back of her thumb, and laid it in the skillet… It’s not easy to fashion the perfect piece of frybead, but it had only taken Etta a few seconds to do it. She’d been making the food for so long that the work seemed part of her…Frybread appears to be nothing more than fried dough— but it is revered by some as a symbol of Native pride and unity. Indian rocker Keith Secola celebrates the food in his popular song “Frybread.” In Sherman Alexie’s award-winning film Smoke Signals, one character wears a “Frybread Power” T-shirt… “Frybread is the story of our survival,” says Alexie…

An interesting and necessary article to read, including the comments from the readers!

Keith Secola-photo Secola website

Sherman Alexie-photo- Wikipedia

…He doesn’t seem to mind,
a mile long Frybread line
cause we’re all the same inside,
we need fry bread all the time…~Keith Secola~
(words from his song Frybread)

Women’s Buckskin Dance by Pow Wow.com

Northern Buckskin Red Earth

Osiyo,

Women’s Buckskin Dance is one of the oldest forms of American Indian dancing. In the coming festivities to celebrate Native and Alaskan Indian Heritage month, the ladies will be performing this and other cultural dances. Here is an excerpt describing the dance. From the elegant and graceful steps, to the beautiful dresses.

“…One of the oldest forms of  Native American Women’s Dance is Buckskin… This is a dance of elegance and grace. The movement is smooth and flowing.

The ladies wear fine, hand-crafted buckskin dresses, decorated with intricate bead designs. Northern dresses are fully beaded on the shoulders, or cape. Southern ones, the beadwork is mainly used to accent. They are equally beautiful. The women carry fringed shawls over one arm…The jewelry is breath taking…Breastplates made from hair bone pipe, and glass beads can hang to the waist, or all the way to the ankles… Circling the drum, they bob to the beat of the drum, letting the long fringe on their sleeves sway in time… This slight movement, however, creates a beautiful effect in moving their leather fringe in a breezy swaying motion…”

Visit the Pow Wow site to read the entire article and to learn more about Pow Wows!

Grand-entry- Woman and child
Rear view of this magnificent dress.	Northern Buckskin Morongo

“A modest woman, dressed out in all her finery, is the most tremendous object of the whole creation.”

~ Oliver Goldsmith~

Osiyo,

November is American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month . This is the time for songs, dances, and reflections. Talking Feather features Lesson plans (with teachers’ guide and Answer Keys) Tribalpedia,  featuring the Inuit and Alaskan Nations. Be sure to visit and feel free to utilize the material, especially if you are a teacher.

President Obama at 2010 White House Tribal Nations Conference.

There are many wonderful events taking place. To begin  the celebrations, an article from Domestic Policy Council,  by Kimberly Teehee, the White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs. She discusses the upcoming Tribal Nations Conference  2011. Excerpt: …”As you may have already heard, the President, along with members of the Cabinet, Senior Administration officials, and tribal leaders will gather at the 2011 White House Tribal Nations Conference on December 2nd. As part of President Obama’s ongoing outreach to the American people…”

We encourage everyone to read the entire article to learn more about the conference.

Artist James Luna: "Take a picture with a real Indian" exhibit.

Another site of interest is the Smithsonian “Infinity of Nations” The review of the exhibition by  Jess Righthand, explores thousands of years of artwork from the Native nations of North, Central and South America… One “very interesting” artist in the program is James Luna: “Standing at a podium wearing an outfit, I announce: “Take a picture with a real Indian. Take a picture here, in Washington, D.C. on this beautiful Monday morning, on this holiday called Columbus Day…And then I just stand there. Eventually, one person will pose with me. After that they just start lining up. I’ll do that for a while until I get mad enough or humiliated enough….”

Inuit woman's Tuilli, or Parka NMAI.

Another beautiful exhibit are the artifacts and clothing representing the various tribal Nations, such as this Inuit woman’s Tuilli.

R.C. Gorman painting

Included are the wonderful paintings, and drawings of  Navajo artist R.C. Gorman.

The N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh, will hold its celebration Saturday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are FREE.

There are many up-coming events, and we will enjoy presenting as many as we can!

If you would like your celebration to be announced on Talking Feather send us an email (see below).  In the meantime, love who you are, and enjoy your life!

“What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences…Life is plurality, death is uniformity…Every culture that disappears, diminishes a possibility of life.” ~Octavio Paz~ Mexican poet and writer (1914-1998)
 

Native Foster Care: Lost Children and Shattered Families, NPR, by L. Sullivan and A. Walters

Derrin Yellow Robe-3- Crow Creek Reservation- photo: John Poole:NPR

Osiyo,

Recently NPR has been conducting an investigation into the removal of Native American children from their families and into foster care.  The result of their findings were shocking…

The following is an excerpt from the overview:

“Nearly 700 Native American children in South Dakota are being removed from their homes every year, sometimes under questionable circumstances. An NPR News investigation has found that the state is largely failing to place them according to the law. The vast majority of native kids in foster care in South Dakota are in nonnative homes or group homes, according to an NPR analysis of state records. Years ago, thousands of Native American children were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to boarding schools…Many suffered horrible abuse, leaving entire generations missing from the one place whose future depended on them —their tribes

In 1978, Congress tried to put a stop to it. They passed the Indian Child Welfare Act, which says except in the rarest circumstances, Native American children must be placed with their relatives or tribes. It also says states must do everything it can to keep native families together.

But 32 states are failing to abide by the act in one way or another, and, an NPR investigation has found, nowhere is that more apparent than in South Dakota. “Cousins are disappearing; family members are disappearing,” said Peter Lengkeek, a Crow Creek Tribal Council member. “It’s kidnapping. That’s how we see it.” State officials say they have to do what’s in the best interest of the child, but the state does have a financial incentive to remove the children. The state receives thousands of dollars from the federal government for every child it takes from a family, and in some cases the state gets even more money if the child is Native American. The result is that South Dakota is now removing children at a rate higher than the vast majority of other states in the country…”

We urge you to read (or listen to) the entire NPR series..

Our “heart-felt” thanks to our reader LJ!

Part 1: Incentives And Cultural Bias Fuel Foster System-

Part 2: Tribes Question Foster Group’s Power And Influence

Part 3: Native Survivors Of Foster Care Return Home

Suzanne Crow photo:John Poole/NPR

A Fight For Her Grandchildren Mirrors A Native Past- by Nathan Rott

Grown men can learn from very little children, for the hearts of little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.~Black Elk~

(1863-1950-Holy Man of the Oglala Lakota Sioux)

Osiyo,

Talking Feather now has a Teachers’ Guide and Answer Key for the Iroquois Tribe. In addition, photos have been added of the animals in the myth “Why The Owl Has Big Eyes” to help students better understand.

The Iroquois League of Nations was originally known as The Five Nations, and the members were The Mohawk, The Oneida, The Cayuga, The Onadaga, and The Seneca Nations.  When The Tuscadora Nation joined the league in the 1700s,  the Iroquois became known as the Six Nations.

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken
joy in creative expression and knowledge.
~Albert Einstein~

Member of the Oneida-photo: Jeff Lindsay

Member of the Cayuga photo: Google

Oneida Dancers photo Mrs. Houck

Additional News:

Read The New York Times Article:

Navajo Nation takes on Urban Outfitters, and wins!

Visit Pow Wows.com for the Live webcast 2011 Hunting Moon Powwow

Tags: Iroquois Nation, Teachers' Guide

Pretty Inupat girl with grandmother

Alaskan Traditional Chilkat Dancer.

Orca Totem with snow.

Osiyo,

We are very pleased to have the Alaskan tribes as members of Tribalpedia.

The tribes are listed alphabetically by name,and by the Regional Organization membership. In addition, Tribalpedia has linked  each tribe to its website, the  Alaska Database Community Information Summaries (CIS). Those tribes with (*) in front of  their names have websites. We encourage you to visit and provide support where you can.  (See NYT article about  the traditional Sacred Whale hunt of the Inupiat).

“A culture is made — or destroyed — by its articulate voices.”~Ayn Rand- (Russian born American Writer  and Novelist 1905-1982)~

Also, remember that  October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Take time to visit their site, National coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) to learn more, or to get help and support…You are not alone!

The Blanket Around Her

maybe it is her birth

which she holds close to herself

or her death

which is just as inseparable

and the white wind

that encircles her is a part

just as the blue sky

hanging in turquoise from her neck

oh woman

remember who you are

woman

it is the whole earth

~ Joy Harjo-(Creek Indian-b. 1951-)~

 

 

Tags: Alaskan Tribes

Atanarjuat  ’The Fast Runner” (2001)

"The Fast Runner" stars Natar Ungalaaq (Atanarjuat) and Pakkak Innukshuk (Amaqjuaq).

Osiyo!

Talking Feather is proud to have the Inuit as part of our family. They are the first nation to appear in our Alaskan Nations group. For those of you who may not know of the Inuit film  Atanarjuat “Fast Runner” (2001) it was created by the Inuits with “all” Inuit actors.

The story is an Inuit legend about an evil spirit that enters a small Inuit village, and causes discord among the members. The warrior (Atanarjuat) battles this evil, and has to decide whether to follow the path of good or evil to defeat the evil. The tribal members endure many conflicts within the family (love, jealousy, hate, battles)

The following information is from the Inuit website:

The beautiful Atuat (Sylvis Ivalu) from Fast Runner

“Igloolik is a community of 1200 people located on a small island in the north Baffin region of the Canadian Arctic with archeological evidence of 4000 years of continuous habitation. Throughout these millennia, with no written language, untold numbers of nomadic Inuit renewed their culture and traditional knowledge for every generation entirely through storytelling.

Our film Atanarjuat is part of this continuous stream of oral history carried forward into the new millennium through a marriage of Inuit storytelling skills and new technology.

Atanarjuat is Canada’s first feature-length fiction film written, produced, directed, and acted by Inuit. An exciting action thriller set in ancient Igloolik, the film unfolds as a life-threatening struggle between powerful natural and supernatural characters. Atanarjuat gives international audiences a more authentic view of Inuit culture and oral tradition than ever before, from the inside and through Inuit eyes.

For countless generations, Igloolik elders have kept the legend of Atanarjuat alive to teach young Inuit the danger of setting personal desire above the needs of the group.

The tale of making the film is itself made up of many stories…”

Visit the website to learn more about the film, it’s actors, the  many awards the film has won, and to view more of the photos from the film. Very intriguing!

 
Website: Atanarjuat The Fast Runner

“Who plots evil with deceit in his heart–he always stirs up dissension.”~ Proverbs 6:14~

Apple’s Visionary Redefined Digital Age, By John Markoff,  The New York Times

Steve Jobs-1955-2011 photo: Wired Magazine

Osiyo,

We here at Talking Feather send our sympathy to Mr. Jobs’ family and friends. He will be missed.

“doh-na-da-go-huh-i…”

“The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

~President  Barack Obama~ 2011

Tags: Apple, Steve Jobs

New Moon by The Buffalo Post

The Pack: from left, Alex Meraz, Chaske Spencer, Bronson Pelletier, and Kiowa Gordon.

We are  pleased to announce that the Quileute Nation has been added to Tribalpedia. The tribe has been doing quite well since members of the tribe have starred in the Twilight sagas. This was a positive experience for the young members, and for the tribe in general.

Here are excerpts from several interviews collected by the Buffalo Post.

“The Quileute Nation on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula has found itself in the spotlight with the runaway success of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twlight” series… .According to  councilwoman Anna Rose Counsell, The Twilight phenomenon gives the Quileutes the opportunity to educate those about who we are by way of sharing our own stories, food, song and dance passed down from generation to generation…   Visitors to the Quileute Nation – there have been 70,000 so far this year, the tribe estimates – can hear traditional storytelling on special fan weekends. The tribe also hosts weekly healing drum circles on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Center where fans can learn more about its culture,….Finally, says Taté Walker of Sioux Falls, S.D., movies for teens take a positive view of Native Americans… Walker, program manager for the Native American Scholars program…In the book, one of the lead characterers, Jacob Black – played by Taylor Lautner in the movies – is a member of the Quileute Nation… Here’s this Native kid with a typical lifestyle. … He’s the good guy. He’s a legitimate main character.. .Native American Scholars program is part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sioux Empire. It matches Native American students with mentors… You can’t tell me that there aren’t kids thinking, ‘That’s me someday,’” Walker tells Becker. “They can see themselves represented in pop culture, and that will connect them more to the world around them.”

 

“The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it…generation after generation.”-Pearl S. Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973)

Tags: Quileute Nation, Tribalpedia, Twilight Sagas, Wolves, Wolves. Twilight Sagas

Street Artist Jaque Fragua Helps Osage Youth Create Mural in Pawhuska, by ICTMN Staff

And…from the website of Jaque Fragua.

Osiyo,

We’re proud to present another great person, Jaque Fragua, originally from the Jemez Pueblo. Jaques is known for his wonderful graffiti artwork and  his colorful murals. In addition to this, he has helped young children with art lessons and has given them good advice. In May, Jaque went to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, to collaborate on a massive mural on the side of the Osage Nation Language Building. He’s too good to miss!

Jaque fragua live painting Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Click photo to see his video.

The finished mural of a straight dancer-Osage Nation Language Center.

“Fragua, who is based in Albuquerque but lives a somewhat itinerant existence, was called in to aid NVision, the youth arts and culture program founded by Osage designer/entrepreneur Ryan Red Corn. “Ryan and I had never collaborated before,” says Fragua, “but he was in Albuquerque last year and saw some of my work in a street art show, as well as a large mural I had done. We had been communicating ever since; he’s been trying to get a mural in Pawhuska for a few years, and finally got the Osage Language Department to let him put one on the side of their building. Extremely prolific, Fragua has left his mark on urban environments all over North America—sometimes in accordance with the law, other times not…

He’d spent much of April preparing “Vision Quest, a joint multimedia show with the Dine pop artist Ryan Singer that opened at FireGod Gallery in Albuquerque on March 29, coincident with the Gathering of Nations Powwow… Fragua also ended up teaching the kids some lessons about his own vision. “I was teaching them the philosophy of art, and my definition maybe speaks to them more than what they would get in the classroom,” he says. “I work with modern materials, and what I create is a little different from some people’s preconceived ideas about Native art.”… Keep up with his travels and art at his blog, fragua.tumblr.com

Youth helped artists at NVision. photo: S. Shaw/Osage News

Partial Image of Ryan's new painting "Tuba City"debuting at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Click for larger image.

Jaque Fragua from his website video

Fragua and his brother “show their dance skills”on the Rez

Fun in the Sun: Reservation Breaking

Credit: Fun in the Sun: ICTMN Staff [Video]-photos: Jaque Fragua

“Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.” Jawaharlal Nehru (Indian Prime Minister 1889-1964)

Tags: graffiti, Jaque Fragua, Jemez Pueblo, Murals