Paging Gazhekwe

[Ravine]

Wow.
This thread is pretty much the Greatest Thread Ever.
I will always be able to say that I was the original cause of something truly terrific on DY.
Gazhekwe, you are a gem.

[gazhekwe]

Thank you, Ravine, for providing a platform to explore a world that has been ignored for too long. I have been enjoying putting the info out there, but it would be a lot more fun if people would just talk to me a little bit now and then. Questions? Comments? Opinions? I promise not to bite.

[gazhekwe]

Stosh, Buckskin Bread is flattish, it has a biscuit texture. It's great cut in wedges to go with soup or stew. You dunk the bread in the stew and it soak up a nice amount to eat. It also goes with baked beans, and I suppose you could put toppings on it before you put it to bake. I have put seeds, but not olive oil or cheese,or herbs. Kind of a good idea you suggested with your flatbread question.

[Pam]

but it would be a lot more fun if people would just talk to me a little bit now and then. Questions? Comments? Opinions? I promise not to bite.

Ok, here's an old song I ran across recently, that you might like. [[Or maybe not, sure is catchy though.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Vqh3MP3BA

[Ravine]

Good lord, Gaz, you are really branching out. Lore-Passer-Onner... Recipe-Sharer... Comedienne...
You don't seem to engage in the act of offending, and alienating, folks, though, so I will continue to cover that part of the field for both of us.

[gazhekwe]

Well, we are not one dimensional people, after all. And laughing is a huge part of our lives.

Pam, I had never heard that song, amazing! I LOVE Johnny Horton. Thanks so much! It's a fun tune kind of reminscent of the Ubangi Stomp, and he really rocks it out. I couldn't understand the words and had to look them up, pretty classic 50s stuff.

[Ravine]

Uhh... really didn't mean it like that... sorry...

[Pam]

Well, we are not one dimensional people, after all. And laughing is a huge part of our lives.

Pam, I had never heard that song, amazing! I LOVE Johnny Horton. Thanks so much! It's a fun tune kind of reminscent of the Ubangi Stomp, and he really rocks it out. I couldn't understand the words and had to look them up, pretty classic 50s stuff.

Do you know if he is actually saying something in Cherokee? The song was written by Moon Mullican and Chief William Redbird.

[gazhekwe]

I don't think so, hey ya is a pretty common song refrain, and the rest looks like Tin Pan Alley interpretations. However, I do not know the Cherokee language so I could be wrong.

Sorry, Ravine, I meant no offense, I was having a reflexive moment. I am so used to people looking for my beads and feathers, it pops out sometimes. I know you weren't doing that.

[gazhekwe]

Here's an example of reflex humor, sometimes funny is the best way to go.

A Dine' guy is sitting in a bus stop with two old Anglo men. The first Anglo guy says, "Hey Herb, where you going for vacation this year?"

Herb tells him, "I'm going to Montana to fish this year."

The first guy looks at him and exclaims, "What you want to go there fer? They ain't nothin' but a bunch of damned Indians up there."

Herb then says, "Well, where you goin'?"

The first guy says, "I'm going to Arizona and soak up some sun!"

Herb looks at him and yells, "You moron, there's nothing but a bunch of Indians in Arizona!"

Then the little Dine' guy speaks up and comments, "Why don't you both just go to hell! There's no Indians there."

[gazhekwe]

Every October, we get our overly lax immigration policy celebrated by those who took advantage of it and us. This event coming up at Grand Valley State looks interesting. I haven't heard of anything similar over on our side of the state yet.

Re-enactment of Columbus’ Arrival: Greeted by the American Indian Movement


Panel Discussion

Scott Stabler, Associate Professor, History, Grand Valley State University
Barry Phillips, Educational Director, Nottawasseppi Huron Potawatomi
Shannon Martin, Director, Ziibiwing Center, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Ben Williams, Tribal Member, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi
Moderator: Levi Rickert, President, Wamimi Inc.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Noon to 1 PM– Loosemore Auditorium, 122 E DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4:30 PM to 5:30 PM – Louis Armstrong Theatre, Allendale Campus

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dee Ann Sherwood Bosworth, Director of Intercultural Training
616-331-5034 . sherwood@gvsu.edu

SPONSORED BY:
The Division of Inclusion and Equity
The School of Communications
Continuing Education
Anthropology
Native American Student Association

[gazhekwe]

Elder's Meditation of the Day - October 2

"Laughter - that is something very sacred, especially for us Indians."
--John [[Fire) Lame Deer, ROSEBUD LAKOTA

Laughter is mental, laughter is emotional, laughter is physical, and laughter is spiritual. Laughter helps us find balance. If we get too angry, laughter will turn that emotion in a balanced direction. If we have a mental picture of someone who is too strong, laughter will help ease the tension. If the body is stressed, laughter will release natural relaxants into our muscles and our nervous system. Laughter often changes our attitude. We need to lighten up and laugh more.

Great Spirit, teach me to laugh.

[DocTerry]

Regarding the Fort Wayne Mounds -
I am sorry I am just seeing this, and even more so that it seems things went ahead despite what I had thought was an agreement to wait until tribal elders were consulted and we had come to a consensus as a community. I am disappointed, to say the least, that we seem not to all be doing as we agreed in this regard, nor attempting to come to consensus, as we should. How sad.

[gazhekwe]

It was maddening. Tribal elders all over the state were consulted and came up with some fairly clear instructions. Principally, the work was to be conducted by women in skirts. The skirts are worn for ceremonial occasions. Ceremony must be conducted when taking something out. Women with their hands cannot do a whole lot of damage to larger plants.

Some of the people there seemed to get the bit between their teeth once they got started, and one of them was a very vocal community leader. They brought in tools and the men kind of took over. The few of us who wanted to wait for the right season and not cut things were uncomfortable but not determined enough to put a stop to it. I don't know what has happened since then, I need to get down there and take a look. I haven't heard of any other cleanup sessions. The one I attended essentially opened up the area around the eastern gate and towards the northeast corner. Our instructions from the elders was to put any plants we pulled out in the northeast corner and then a group was to come and collect them to ceremonially send them on their way. My principal concern was the grapes, there were scads of fruits that could have been valuable to the migrating birds.

[DocTerry]

OK - you and I were there for the same one. I also have heard nothing since, although information has been "put out there" on a very piece-meal basis. The "garage sale" is in a couple of weeks, so that will be a good time to go [[no hassle getting in) to see what has happened. Perhaps you and I can back-channel/pm further discussion on this?

[gazhekwe]

Yes, that would be good, we can ID ourselves so we recognize each other next time. Sending you a PM now.

[gazhekwe]

Elder's Meditation of the Day - October 5

"The dances are prayers."
--Pop Chalee, TAOS PUEBLO

When we dance to the drum we pray to the Creator and attract the heartbeat of the earth. We never dance without reason; every dance has a purpose. We dance for rain; we dance for healing; we dance for seasons; we dance for joy; we dance for our children; we dance for the people; we dance for courage. The drum plays to the beat of the heart, to the beat of the Earth. The drum connects us to the Earth while we dance our prayers.

Oh, Great One, let my dance and prayer be heard by You.

[gazhekwe]

I will be stopping by here on Friday night, this looks like a great weekend for seeing the cranes migrating. From today's Free Press:

Experience the outdoors
CRANES WOULDN’T MISS CRANEFEST
If you want proof that today’s birds are pretty much leftover dinosaurs, you should have seen the three sandhill cranes that landed a few feet in front of a deer blind recently. Five feet tall with 6-foot wingspans, it’s not difficult to imagine these birds’ ancestors being velociraptors that raced across the ground in pursuit of prey. And you can get a great look at thousands of these ancient birds, whose fossils are the oldest known, at the annual Michigan Audubon CraneFest this weekend at the Battle Creek Kiwanis Youth Area. Every fall thousands of cranes fly in from about 4 p.m. to dusk to roost on Big Marsh Lake at the Audubon Society’s Bernard W. Baker Sanctuary.

Last year nearly 10,000 cranes were counted passing through the marsh on their way south for the winter. On good evenings as many as 2,000 of the birds will be there, and the evening fly-in is a pretty spectacular sight. Jonathan Lutz, executive director of Michigan Audubon, said this year’s CraneFest promises to be very good because “the weather looks like it’s going to be spectacular. There are a lot of birds, and they’ll be closer to the people because of the way the vegetation has grown around the marsh.” If you want to take photos, I’d recommend a camera with at least a 10X optical zoom and a lightweight tripod, and it wouldn’t hurt to carry binoculars for close views.

Sandhill cranes have been around about 10 million years. They’re shaped a lot like great blue herons but are a little taller, gray where the herons are slate blue, and have a red crown on their heads. It’s easy to differentiate the two species in flight because cranes fly with their necks stretched out and herons keep their necks tucked back against their bodies. Cranes also fly at amazing altitudes, sometimes over 5,000 feet. They have a loud, raucous call that they voice constantly in flight. Last fall we were hunting ducks when we heard some cranes. When we finally located them by looking almost straight up, they were just little specks in the sky. People often hear migrating cranes in fall without seeing them.

CraneFest is a free event, although there is a $3 parking fee that goes to Kiwanis Club service projects. I’ve visited a few times, and it’s well worth the drive from the Detroit area, especially on a sunny October weekend. It starts at noon Saturday and Sunday, but the first birds don’t usually show up until about 4 p.m., and most arrive between 5-7 p.m. The event also has a wildlife art show where about 25 artists will have works for sale, including watercolor, oils, photography, wood, stone, clay and pressed flowers.

There also will be a display of crane art created by students from Bellevue High School and a life-size display of the world’s 15 crane species painted by local artist Joanna Learner. Children can be kept busy with guided nature walks, educational presentations and hands-on activities from local environmental groups, and an exhibit of live birds of prey, reptiles and amphibians.

The festival site is on 15 Mile Road between T Drive North and Junction Road in north-central Calhoun County [[a little south of Bellevue). For information, go to www.cranefest.org  .

[gazhekwe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DviNNxaJJk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[gazhekwe]

This is a challenging video, with very good way of presenting the teachings from different viewpoints. In the Anishinaabe teachings, try going through in the order of East, South, West and North [[Yellow, Red, Black, White).

http://www.fourdirectionsteachings.com/main.html

[gazhekwe]

White Bison's Elders Meditation of the Day

"But we have to stick by the wisdom of our ancestors..."
-- Paula Weasel Head, BLOOD
A long time ago the Elders and our ancestors learned to walk on the Earth and to live in harmony. They were taught the Laws which govern everything, and they were taught traditional values. This wisdom should be made available to the younger generations. We need to speak to the Elders and learn from them. We need to do this so we can pass the knowledge on to our children.

My Creator, help me learn the wisdom of my ancestors.

When you look at the teachings of the circle, you see that as we grow in life, we are to progress through the stages of life. It is true that in the South, young adult phase, what we might call adolescent these days, we are breaking away from our elders, learning on our own to apply the things we have learned so far, and shape our future. In this phase, it is quite normal for us to think our elders are not so smart, thus we rely more on our own knowledge and instinct. During this time, we are supposed learn that we must return to our elders for knowledge when we run into trouble. Our elders have the knowledge we need to live well.

It seems to me, as a culture here in the US, we are stuck in the early phases of Adolescence. We don't respect our elders or look to them for teaching. This has been going on here for at least three generations, so the current generation of elders has not really benefited from the earlier teachings. We have a tendency to think we know better, just like our teenagers. Growing requires seeking knowledge to the point where we have wisdom to share with others. No one ever has all the knowledge possible, so learning must continue all our days.

[gazhekwe]

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/153795

When some native land claims were settled in 1971, The Alaska Native Claims Act was passed into law, creating 13 corporations to administer the claims. [[Somehow, the US will never give the funds to the tribes to handle autonomously.) Well, now the Republican Tea Bag candidate for Senate, Joe Miller, is challenging donations to write in challenger Lisa Murkowski by these tribes through their corporate administrators on the grounds that they are federal contractors and thus barred from contributing.

We couldn't make this up. A situation created by the US government is being used to threaten the right of an entire group, Alaska Natives, to contribute to a candidate of their choice.

[gazhekwe]

John Williams, a First Nations woodcarver from Vancouver Island frequently sold his carvings at the Pike Street Market. In August he was either sitting on a wall carving, or he was crossing the street carrying his carving knife and a piece of wood as was his habit when a Seattle officer pulled over to stop him and shouted at him to drop the knife. Williams continued on his way, and did not drop the knife. The officer shot and killed him.

Williams was known to be frequently inebriated, often incoherent, and he was partially deaf. He was also known to sit and carve or carve while walking.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...ooting01m.html

The Seattle PD has determined the shooting was unjustified:

http://www.publicola.net/2010/10/14/...g-unjustified/

That makes the harassment of Williams' family by the PD inexplicable. As reported by a native community member on Facebook, the family members who gather with friends near the market where he sold his carvings are being watched, videoed and harassed by Seattle PD officers.

http://www.lisp4.facebook.com/weaveaname#!/note.php?note_id=491655795420&id=545775930

[gazhekwe]

Twilight fiction separated from Quileute fact:

The Seattle Art Museum opened an exhibition of some of the oldest known objects from the Quileute Nation, including more than a dozen items that have never been displayed from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

The exhibition, “Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves,” is meant to provide a counterpoint to the popular “Twilight” series of books and movies, which fictionalizes the Northwest tribe and its origins. When the first movie came out in 2008, the Quileute’s one-square-mile reservation in a remote part of coastal Washington state instantly became a worldwide destination for tween fans.

But real Quileute have nothing in common with the werewolves that the movies interpret them to be, as 1,600 people who crowded into the Seattle museum this summer to see the tribe’s teens and adults perform their ancient wolf dances soon learned firsthand.


“After ‘Twilight’ came out, I got my ears pinned back by some of our elders,” said Ann Penn-Charles, a Quileute, who dances and shares her culture with her tribe’s youth. She is known as Miss Ann. “They said, ‘How dare they portray us as werewolves? That’s so disrespectful. I want you guys to go represent us the way we Quileute are meant to be.’


“When you get directives from the elders like that you have to honor them. A lot of our youth were like, ‘We’re not werewolves.’ We have been here since the beginning of the flood. Our kids are like, ‘Man, we’ve got to show it.’”


http://www.americanindiannews.org/20...twilight-fans/

[gazhekwe]

I love this, the Haka:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eGCs...ayer_embedded#!