Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Petition to Repatriate Geronimo's Skull

Petition link


It seems that Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale University, graverobbed "acquired" the skull of Apache leader Geronimo to use in their rituals. Sign the petition to demand its return for reburial.

Guess who stole it?



Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!

Tags:
,
,



Morning after the Bingorage xmas party

Click for larger/detailed pics.


Bingorage assistant, in compromising position, at Broken Vulture Art world headquarters.




Bingorage assistant, in compromising position, at Broken Vulture Art world headquarters




Bingorage assistant, in compromising position, at Broken Vulture Art world headquarters




Bingorage assistant, in compromising position, at Broken Vulture Art world headquarters


Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!

Tags:
,
,,,,,,,,



Bingorage X-mas story.

The Bingorage Christmas story.

Over at Drip and Spew. Sorry it's late, but enjoy, anyways.

:-)



By the way, anybody know what these are? Click for larger/detailed pic.


mystery balls


Tags:
,
,
,








Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!



Thursday, December 22, 2005

Snow turtle painting and digital riffs.

Click for larger/detailed pic.


Turtle snow-painting.

Turtle snow-painting.



Turtle snow-painting.

Turtle snow-painting.



Turtle snow-painting.

Turtle snow-painting.



Turtle snow-painting.

Turtle snow-painting.



Turtle snow-painting.

Turtle snow-painting.



Turtle snow-painting.

Turtle snow-painting.



Turtle snow-painting.

Turtle snow-painting.




Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!

Tags:
,
,








Mask Traditions - 1; Iroquois False Face

List of Iroquoiian tribes and info. on the Iroquois confederacy, at Native-Languages.org.


I was familiar with two big "traditions" of First Nations mask-making, while growing up: The Northwest Coast tradition (you know; totem poles and stuff) and the Iroquoiian "False Face" Society . I remember watching a television show, demonstrating the steps in the creation of a "False Face", including carving the mask into a living Basswood (Linden) tree. The spirit and power of the tree would be transferred into the mask, which was not removed, until the mask was finished. These were by far, the scarier masks, distorted and "unnatural". I recognized them as unnatural, even before I knew the word.

Basswood is a popular wood for modern bird-carvers and an important prehistoric resource for Native peoples as a source of bark-fiber and cordage.




Supposedly, there were two ways to join the society: Either be cured by them, or have a powerful dream compelling you to do so. The faces were pretty scary when I was a kid, but I imagine that everyone would find them downright nightmarish in the right smoky, fevered halflight.

:)


Click mask pics for larger/detail.


(Flint) Stone Giant Mask.

(Flint) Stone Giant Mask; carved by "Stick-on-the-Shoulder", at The Wolf Den.ca





"Spoonmouth" mask; carved by "Stick-on-the-Shoulder", at The Wolf Den.ca




False Face Mask.Charles Gatewood/Art Resource, NY via MSN Encarta.

False Face Mask.Charles Gatewood/Art Resource, NY via MSN Encarta



An unidentified False Face mask

An unidentified False Face mask, from the Recursos.org slideshow (link below).



A slideshow at Recursos.org - "...an educational, non-profit organization specializing in symposiums and conferences in the arts, sciences, humanities and letters, and tours which focus on Southwest culture, architecture and history."

Recursos.org Main page.






The 'False face' tradition, has definitely had an influence on my own work. Here's a couple examples
Papier-mache mask;

Papier-mache mask; "Warrior"


Carved cedar mask, with Moose hair, metal eyes.

Carved cedar mask, with Moose hair, metal eyes.




Tags:
,
,
,
,
,
,




Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!



Tuesday, December 20, 2005

FIVE centuries of white rule in Bolivia have ended with the election of the country's first indigenous head of state.

link
World news from The Times and the Sunday Times - Times Online

However; the title given to the article-"Cocaine plants to be legalised by the first home-grown President" speaks volumes about the external view of Bolivia's Indigenous president.


(Excerpt) "Senor Morales built his campaign on a promise to break the power of the European elite that has run Bolivia since independence from Spain in 1825 and which is seen by many as having ransacked the country's vast mineral wealth and left its people impoverished.

Senor Morales has pledged to nationalise the country's huge gas reserves and call a constituent assembly to write a new constitution that will reflect the indigenous majority. Ethnic Aymara and Quechua people make up a majority of the 9.3 million population."


Tags:
,
,
,
,



Friday, December 16, 2005

New installment of the Bouncer's Lament

The title, Bouncer's Lament, comes from the philosopher-bouncer, Denny Moore, in Minneapolis. The travails of a hardly-working schmuck among the detritus of the "Downtown" and "Uptown" crowds.

Sorry kids; no kewl pictures, and lotsa big words there.

BL-I
BL-II
NEW BL-III



text




Tags:
,
,





Some "Coral-Stitch" earrings ...

That I've been working on. Click on pics for larger detail.



TurquoiseGlassFringe_PinkSilverLinedTransparentBranch_Sterling.jpg
TurquoiseGlassFringe_ PinkSilverLinedTransparentBranch_ Sterling.jpg


PinkOpaqueBranch_Lt.BlueTransparentSilverLinedFringe_TurquoiseStone_Sterling.jpg
PinkOpaqueBranch_ Lt.BlueTransparentSilverLinedFringe_ TurquoiseStone_Sterling.jpg


PearlGlassFringe,BronzeGlassBranch_RedSwarovskiCrystal_Sterling.jpg
PearlGlassFringe, BronzeGlassBranch_ RedSwarovskiCrystal_ Sterling.jpg


PearlFringe_IridescentTransparentBranch_4CornerColours_Sterling.jpg
PearlFringe_ IridescentTransparentBranch_ 4CornerColours_ Sterling.jpg


LimeFringe_SilverLinedTransparentPinkBranch_CandyAppleFreshwaterPearl_LargeGoldBead_SterlingEarwire.jpg
LimeFringe_ SilverLinedTransparentPinkBranch_ CandyAppleFreshwaterPearl_ LargeGoldBead_SterlingEarwire.jpg


GreenChromeFringe_TransparentForestGreenBranch_SnowflakeObsidian_Tigereye_MetallicPurpleGlass.jpg
GreenChromeFringe_ TransparentForestGreenBranch_ SnowflakeObsidian_ Tigereye_MetallicPurpleGlass_ Sterling.jpg


BronzeGlassFringe_SilverLinedTransparentRedBranch_LgTransparentTurquoiseGlass.jpg
BronzeGlassFringe_ SilverLinedTransparentRedBranch_ LgTransparentTurquoiseGlass_ Sterling.jpg


CopperGlassFringe_ForestOpaqueBranch_PaleTurquoiseStone.jpg
CopperGlassFringe_ ForestOpaqueBranch_ PaleTurquoiseStone_Sterling.jpg





Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!

Tags:
,
,
,
,
,
,



Wednesday, December 14, 2005

CBC - Conservationists pay more than $1 million to end bear hunt

link



"It's an area where the [white] spirit bear is found... the purchase doesn't mean an end to all hunting in the area. McAllister says B.C. residents will still be entitled to hunt in the territory."





Tags:
,
,
,
,



Black and White Winter

Winter underpass, Portage Ave.
Winter underpass, Portage Ave.



Construction season never really ends, but it's worse in other places.
Construction season never really ends, but it's worse in other places.




Winter has started to suck, again. There is another winter storm watch over the area. The gloom is looming, baby. Merry pagan-motif, solstice-based holidays.





Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!
Tags:
,






Sunday, December 11, 2005

Cool drawing demo.

FCMX.net link


A very cool drawing demo, from the bones up. Requires Flash.


Tags:
,
,
,
,



Saturday, December 10, 2005

DIG YOUROWN GRAVE.COM - Subcategory: ART

link


A really funny art resource. Well, actually, some of it is kinda gross. Enjoy.


Tags:
,
,
,



Friday, December 09, 2005

"Numb3rs" episode; December 9, 05 -"Bones of Contention"

I'm a fan of the CBS show, "Numb3rs". Tonight's episode had me a little concerned; because, as usual, a little knowledge can be a bad thing.



Numb3rs home
Main castmembers of 'Numb3rs', c/o CBS.

Main castmembers of 'Numb3rs', c/o CBS.


Graham Greene; Wiki entry
Graham Greene; costarring on 'Numb3rs'.

Graham Greene; costarring in 'Bones of Contention'.



"Bones of Contention" is based upon an actual Anthropological find, "Kennewick Man",from the headwaters area of the Columbia River in Washington state.


Update. The following synopsis is about the actual archaeological find, and not the TV show:


The essential problem being: the skeleton was initially radiocarbon-dated to about 9300 years ago, but the skull appeared to have "caucasian" characteristics. In fact, the clay reconstruction of the face was famously compared to "Jean-Luc Picard" from STNG (actor:Patrick Stewart).

Patrick Stewart; Star Trek the Next Generation.

Patrick Stewart; Star Trek the Next Generation.

Kennewick Man clay reconstruction.

Kennewick Man, reconstructed by Jim Chatters and Thomas McClelland



Skirting, for the moment, the arguments about whether or not the skeleton belongs to an ancestor of "European origin", "Asian origin" or of "North American origin"; any skeleton in North America that is over 9 000 years old is likely to have contributed genetic material to the people who were "here" at the time of first historic 'Old World' contacts (From a millenium ago with the Vikings, through several hundred years ago (possibly) with Basque fisherman and lost Chinese/Japanese mariners to the 'discovery' of the West Indies in 1492). Therefore, ancestor; unless he dropped from the sky, by himself, and was killed by the impact before reproducing.



Scientists wishing to study the remains, petitioned the US Army Corps of Engineers not to return the remains to the local tribes (to comply with The Native American Graves and Repatriation Act [NAGPRA]), because:

(from the Tri-City Herald, story link)

"The anthropologists want to:

-Stop the corps from transferring the remains to the Indians.

-Study the remains to verify they are related to any Indian tribes.

-The anthropologists argue no proof exists the skeleton is related to any present tribes in the Mid-Columbia."


Essentially, the scientists were arguing that since the skeleton may be "European in origin", it should not be subject to NAGPRA, while the tribes were claiming that any remains that old in the area would necessarily be an ancestor.

Is it irony when proponents of the most progressive of sciences are arguing for (indirectly) retroactive racial purity and non-miscegenation (Wiki link)?


This, partially, answers the question: Why would Native-Americans and Tribal Governments oppose this kind of study?

-Even sympathetic scientists and researchers inadverdently undermine hard-won rights and dignities, because of the previous wording of laws such as NAGPRA.

For example:"Lineal Descendant - An individual tracing his or her ancestry directly and without interruption by means of the traditional kinship system of the appropriate Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization or by the common law system of descendance to a known Native American individual whose remains, funerary objects, or sacred objects are being claimed..."link
blah,blah,legal blah...


Regardless of the other reasons to oppose the continued "studies" of Kennewick man and other Native American remains, one huge and undeniable complaint/reason hangs over the debate: The gross historic and ongoing contemporary disrespect shown towards our B-U-R-I-A-L-S.

I need to spell it out, because even the most enlightened amongst the "greater society" just don't get it, sometimes.

It is bad enough in Canada, but in most of the USA, a human B-U-R-I-A-L on your private property belongs to the property "owner", along with any associated "grave goods" (the "treasure", if you will). This situation may have been partially addressed by NAGPRA, but only in a diminishingly miniscule way.





The skeleton was recently studied by a researcher at the Burke Museum in Seattle; so a report clarifying some of the remain's affiliations may be forthcoming.



By the way: One of the characteristics cited as an argument for "European origin" is the dolichocranic nature of the skull (meaning relatively "long", as opposed to "wide"). There are numerous Precolumbian examples of artificially elongated skulls created by the "binding" of the head, as a child. Presumably, a careful examination of the skull may provide evidence of such a practice with Kennewick man. If that evidence were found, it would be doubly amazing for perhaps tying a North American individual of great antiquity to relatively recent (classical Maya) cultural practices in Central America.

Ahhhh. Idle speculation.

:)



Anyways... It was a good episode. I didn't guess the bad guy.



Update. An article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer; July, 2005.


Some main sources:

-Tri-City Herald "Kennewick Virtual Interpretive Center"

-Smithsonian Inst. article, by James C. Chatters

-Wikipedia

-US Dept. Interior - Bureau of Reclamation

-NOVA; online



-----------------------------



In an unrelated note:

I'm watching a report on CNN, about deer attacking people in California. It had to be either a Whitetail or Mule deer buck, but the graphic on the screen showed a Fallow deer or Red deer stag (European species).
One of the deer-attack victims was a holocaust survivor, attacked in his own living room (The deer crashed through a window; it may have charged its own reflection). What a drag that would be; survive the camps but lose it to a hormone-raging buck, in its rut.





Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!

Tags:

,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,



Thursday, December 08, 2005

New fiction piece

I've set up a new page for a writing project that's been in the pipe for awhile.
The Sh*tbag Opera.
For non-children, only.



Kids, go play with the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Flash required).




Tags:
,
,







Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Back in town

I went down to Toronto (Tronna) to hang out with some other like-minded dudes and dudettes in the Learning Through The Arts program. We had a productive weekend that I'll talk more about, later; but I gotta run. So; I leave you with a doodle from this weekend and some digital riffs. Laterz, ragers.

:Eric



text


text


text


text




Digg it!,Add to del.icio.us,,
Googlize this post!
,Save to newsvine!,Add to RawSugar
Spurl this!,tagtooga This!,Add to MyWeb
Add To Any Service!,Sphere it!

Tags:
,
,
,
,
,
,



Friday, December 02, 2005