spring sprung

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Resources and random stuff:



Frybread Clan

Lisa Cherino is a one-woman dynamo. She is a puppeteer, a seamstress, a songstress, an artist, and she bakes one mean banana bread. Cherino is also a master's level social worker who found a need in her Native American clients for counseling tools and methods specifically designed for them.

Cool little codetalker carvings at Tribal Artery

Garvies Point Museum

The Museum is a center for research on Long Island geology and a valued resource in the study of the Island'sNative American archaeology. Reference collections of original archaeological artifacts and geological phenomena are maintained... with emphasis on the natural history of Long Island.

Living Traditions

The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University announces "Living Traditions: Arts of the Americas," opening April 18, 2007, then continuing as an ongoing exhibition.

GFNAAA Site of the Great Falls Native American Art Association.

Woman of Colour Blog

Interview with Kiowa artist, Parker Boyiddle.His site.

Native owned arts store in Illinois. NAAI

Native American Arts Inc, is a wholly American Indian owned company. We are in the business of developing and marketing authentic Native American Indian Arts and Crafts and Silver and Turquoise Jewelry Items; created by Artists from various Native American Tribes.

Story about how early native peoples may have found and speculated about fossils. fossil Croc and legend

Article discussing the Freedmen Cherokee

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I have linked to George Dvorsky's Sentient Developments blog, previously and wished to share a favourite SD podcast, the first of his thatI had listened to, including: a film review of The Fountain (D. Aronofsky) and a discussion of the future of chess. I had first heard of George Dvorsky when he appeared on CBC TV's news show, The Hour. He challenged me to think about ethics, humanity and the possible future in a different light.


Archive.org's collection of SD podcasts.

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Tags: sentient developments, frybread clan, kiowa, native art, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

vase-thingie and Eagles on The Rainy

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Video documenting the first part of making a vase-thingie.


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Random resources and stuff:

I've been listening to The Angry Indian podcast (Freedman Cherokee), Radyo Intelligent Aboriginal. Sharpen your critical thinking and question what you've heard.
*Strong Language Warning* Sample here:


An online guide to Amazon Indians.

"Amazon-Indians.org is a resource for photos and videos of native indigenous people of the Amazon Rainforest. It is an educational resource and an introduction to the cultures of Amazon native tribes from the South American Amazon River Basin. In addition, this website is a resource for information and geographic maps of the native indigenous tribes of the Amazon Rainforest."

Wintercounts. An online Smithsonian exhibit.

"Winter counts are histories or calendars in which events are recorded by pictures, with one picture for each year.

The Lakota call them waniyetu wowapi. Waniyetu is the word for year, which is measured from first snowfall to first snowfall. It is often translated as "a winter." Wowapi means anything that is marked on a flat surface and can be read or counted, such as a book, a letter, or a drawing."

Lakhota Lakhota Sioux Culture, Heritage and Language site.


First Nations Development Institute

Our Mission

Through a three-pronged strategy of Educating Grassroots Practitioners, Advocating Systemic Change, and Capitalizing Indian Communities, First Nations Development Institute is working to restore Native control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own - be they land, human potential, cultural heritage, or natural resources - and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native communities.

American Indian Science and Engineering Society.

The AISES mission is to increase substantially the representation of American Indian and Alaskan Natives in engineering, science and other related technology disciplines.

"Official" site of the Cherokee Nation.

Cherokee Heritage Center

American Diabetes Association

Awakening the Spirit: Pathways to Diabetes Prevention & Control was created to help share important messages about diabetes. No one should have to fight diabetes alone.

Mohawk Nation News

American Indian Media and PolicyInitiative at Buffalo State University.

Mission

The initiative has a four-fold mission:
- Public forums feature lectures and written presentations on topics focusing on the intersection of mainstream media and public policy issues related to American Indians.
- Media analysis projects focus on research and analysis on topics similar to those associated with the public forums.
- Media planning seminars assist tribal leadership and other Indian entities in developing compehensive strategic communication programs.
- An educational component involves students and faculty in research, planning and training activities.

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Participation opportunity for Native graduates:

My name is Andrea Laverdure. I am a graduate student in the Human Development and Education, Counseling Program at North Dakota State University, and enrolled in the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe, Belcourt, North Dakota. I am conducting a research project exploring a Native perspective on what characteristics make up a successful Native post-secondary student. Results of this study will help us learn more about the characteristics of successful Native students.

I will be conducting the survey via the Group Decision Center at NDSU. An email contact with and introductory letter and a subsequent email message with directions to the web link will be sent to each participant. The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Once the online survey is completed summary results will be reported to me without identifying information. Participant identity will not be revealed in the survey results.

I am requesting assistance in locating college seniors or college graduates that have finished their programs since 1999-2000. I would appreciate if you could refer me to potential participants or request that you provide me with phone numbers or email addresses so I may contact them.

If you have any questions about this project, please call me at 701-364-3946 (home) or 701-550-0102 (cell) or 701-239-8050 (office), my email is andrealaverdure@msn.com. You may also call my adviser, Dr. Robert Nielsen at 701-231-7676 or email Dr. Nielsen at robert.nielsen@ndsu.nodak.edu.

Please feel free to forward this request to other who maybe able to help locate potential study participants.

Andrea Laverdure
Human Development and Education
Counseling Program
FLC 210H
North Dakota State University
Fargo ND 58102

or

4406 44th Avenue S
Fargo ND 58104

Andrea Laverdure
4406 44th Avenue South
Fargo ND 58104
office 701-239-8050
home 701-364-3946
cell 701-550-0102

Tags: papier mache, paper sculpture, native art, ojibway, vase, youtube, first nations, resource, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

Bringing the Bassalope.

Some of my image links still have not been imported; since my image-hoster rolled over to the new system. I assume all will be fixed, shortly, but email me if there is something that you can't see/find. Thanks.
:Eric

This is the piece that I put together for the 2007 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship. I decided to scrap the semi-realistic representation and create a fantastical, stylised look. Pics click to enlarge.


First thing: Increase the size and 'movement' in the dorsal fin, clip the other fins down in size.






Second: I decided to add dimensional relief 'critters' to the side of the bass; building it out with modeling clay, styrofoam and premade papier-mache pieces.












Third: On the other side, I added premade masks, then added extra relief with clay and paper.







In the following pic, you can see how the small mask is tilted out (hot glue) at an angle and the space bridged with paper struts.






I began playing with other papier-mache pieces and a pair of antlers, to see possibilities. The antlers and the owl mask would stay (The pipe/rattle might).






In the last few days, I added a "hat", creating a false "plaiting" look, with rolled and flattened paper strips. This is where the piece is at, right now. Check out the youtube video (below) and let me know what you think. Big hello to the Yahoo-groups, papier-mache people.












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The "Reworking the Smallmouth Bass Sculpture" video.




My video channel at youtube.


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Websites whose podcasts I am listening to:

Urbanshooter. Kenn Blanchard in Washington DC gives us the funky truth about legal, conscientuous firearms ownership. Some info. is DC/America specific, but there is stuff for everyone. Father Kenn preaches a bit; but truth is truth, will out.

Sentient Developments Great transhumanist blog with a great podcast exploring the bleeding edge of post-humanist exploration. What?!!!! You just have to give it a whirl and stay curious.

Linux Reality. A podcast to introduce newbies to the the LINUX operating system. You've heard of it, but don't know what exactly it is? Me too; but I am learning.

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Jello Biafra keynote address (Part1) (Part2) at the Fifth HOPE.

Once again; truth is not happy, but you need to hear what he says. Take the time to download and listen.
[Strong language warning.]

Alternatively, go to Seeqpod (online flash player) and type in "Jello Biafra" and look for sunday keynote (1 & 2).

OR

Click and listen to Part1.


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Random useful stuff:

A review of the book - Dances with Dependency: Indigenous success through self-Reliance. It sounds like a tough look at the complacency of Native People's, ourselves.

Thunderbird Theater at HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY.

Another Native blogger, Indigenous Action Movement.

Our Indigenous People are beautiful. .we come from a rich and beautiful history with strong ancestors who would guide our steps .. if we would only listen

Mindblowing, strange realistic sculpture.

Daphne Odjig wins the Governor General's Awardfor visual arts.

American garbage giant, Waste Management, is trying to extend a landfill into a burial ground at the Cahokia mounds.

My Extra Life -- cartoon

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Tags: smallmouth bass, papier mache, fish sculpture, paper sculpture, native art, ojibway, first nation, indian, information, mask, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

A (few) (Im)Modest Proposal(s) - Part one.

There are opportunities for us (Fort Frances artists and residents, plus regional entities) to acknowledge portions of local prehistory that have been lost to "development" over the last several decades.
The point of land that is called Pither's Point Park (PPP), previously had SIX prehistoric ancestral burial mounds (page 18, reference link) that were destroyed by rising waters behind the dam on the Rainy River, an archaeological excavation in 1959, "landscaping" for the park and road/rail development.

This summer, the Fort Frances township and museum will begin moving the tower and drydocked ship, The Hallet, from Pither's Point Park to the town riverfront. This presents an excellent opportunity to honour and acknowledge the ancestral importance of the property.

I have some project proposals for the PPP site:
---Honour and acknowledge the lost mounds, by replacing or recreating them.
---Design and install a new historical plaque, or interpretive station.
---Design, create and install significant public statuary on the site.
---Lobby the railroad company to build a pedestrian walkway around the end of the point, under the rail-bridge.

I believe that realisation of these ideas will provide benefits beyond mere aesthetic considerations.

The Couchiching Community, local First Nations, the Township of Fort Frances, the regional 'Tourism Economy' and the local artistic community all stand to gain from the presence -and investment in- of a strong, prominent cultural destination.

How -and where- could we recreate a mound?

It is spiritually and physically impossible to remake a mound, "exactly as it was"; original burials were scattered, the original locations have been eroded away by water and obscured by development. The concrete base of the tower could be a solid base to build a simple conical mound upon, but the location is very close to the railway track and potential erosion; instead, I suggest keeping it as a platform for any historical plaque or interpretive station. I would suggest a location nearer the southernmost point of the peninsula, on the large grassy flat, visible from: the water, the road, town 'harbourfront' and the USA side of the river.

A new mound need not be a simple, rounded pile of fill, stabilised by grass and drainage gravel, but could be in the form of a shaped "earthwork" or effigy mound(s) -with symbolic meaning beyond its mass. There are many pictographic "rock art" paintings on Rainy Lake that suggest design motifs for an earthwork mound (Illustration 1 and 2): Canoe, Turtle or Thunderbird, perhaps. Earthwork mounds are best viewed from above, but visually engaging at ground level.

How would a historical plaque get created?

There is a program at the provincial level, through the Ontario Heritage Trust, to create and install historical plaques at significant sites.

What would a historical plaque on the point say? If I were to write the history of the place, it would emphasize the importance of the area's rivers and lakes as a continental transportation hub for prehistoric economies and resource-provider for eons of civilisations.

How does public (bronze) statuary get made?

(The short answer.): Artist and community discuss what ideals/hopes/honouring need to be expressed by the art-piece. Artist suggests several possibilities and provides sketches to discuss. Community agrees on a visual form, presentation and placement. Artist firms up budgetary needs. Money is sought and found to make the project happen. Artist creates the initial form and keeps community up to date on progress; community begins to prepare site. Bronze foundry receives form and creates rubber and plaster negative "mother moulds". Foundry creates wax "positives" of the forms, then casts them in bronze. The metal pieces are broken out, welded together, surface-finished and prepared for installation. Community has installation site prepared; any lighting finished. Statue is transported to site and installed. TV crews, politicians, tourists show up for unveiling.

The Pither's Point Park site is a natural location for sculptural installation and is currently under-recognised by our visitors; often missed entirely.

I think that large sturgeon and bass sculptures would resonate with prehistorical, historical and contemporary economies. My preference with outdoor statuary is bronze. My experience is through the Anurag Art Bronze Studio and Foundry.


Why a pedestrian path under the bridge?

Currently; the two side of the point are divided by the raised railway bed. The only way to legally reach the other side of the tracks is to walk back three hundred yards, cross at the level crossing, then walk back up three hundred yards.

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Pic (click to enlarge) of construction of original bridge at PPP; 1907-1908, as far as I have been able to narrow it down.

Archive location for above pic





Burial Mound (date unknown to me, currently); Pither's Point Park, Fort Frances, Rainy Lake, Northwestern Ontario.



Pither's Point Park ("about 1936-7" written on photo); beach and pavillion, Fort Frances, Rainy Lake, Northwestern Ontario (click to enlarge).





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Tags: pither's point park, burial mounds, earthworks, international bridge, sculpture park, bronze sculpture, public art, native art, couchiching, ojibway land, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

I 'heart' masquetry

"Heart" mask.
Pics click to enlarge.












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Random Stuff:

Become a(legal) radio pirate. Resources for radio activists. Talk hard!

Grassy Narrows activists on 3 000 mile journey to Weyerhauser headquarters in Washington state.

A historic, pictographic drawing is an original record of Treaty4 signing. First Nation is trying to buy it back.


Manufacturing Dissent May 15-17 at University of Windsor.

"CONFERENCE OVERVIEW:
The year 2008 will mark the 20th Anniversary of the publishing of the book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Communication (Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, Pantheon, 1988). In this book, the authors (both of whom will be attending/participating in this conference) put forth a model, the Propaganda Model (PM), as a way of understanding the way our mass media system interrelates with our economy, political system, and society in general. Since putting forth their propaganda model, there have been both praise and criticism of this model, and there have also been many changes and technological advances in our entire communication and media landscape. This May 2007 conference and Spring 2008 publication (of an edited scholarly collection inspired by the conference) will, through vigorous debate/discussion and fresh insight, make great strides in critically analyzing (revising/updating) the ongoing relevance of the Herman/Chomsky Propaganda Model as a useful conceptualization for understanding 21st century media and society."

Local Cooling. Tweak your own computer to save on electricity, reduce your carbon footprint and shave the world.

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Tags: papier mache, paper sculpture, mask, native art, ojibway art, modeling clay form, longhouse songs, chomsky, treaty 4, grassy narrows, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

long wednesday's night

Testing, testing...1, 2, 3.





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Mining industry warned to brace for more aboriginal protests.
Canadian Press: LAURA BOBAK

" The irony, junior mining companies say, is that the colossal failure of governments to settle land claims promptly is curbing mine exploration and development, which would create jobs in on poverty-stricken reserves."

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NEW AMSTERDAM
Pilot
1 hour
Fox and Regency Television
Location: New York, NY
MAIL PHOTOS TO:
ALEXA FOGEL CASTING
516 WEST 36TH STREET
4TH FLOOR
NY, NY 10018
[OLD NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN] Woman, 50s-80s, Native American. She does not speak
English only her Native language. When Amsterdam
saves the young Native American woman’s life, she brings him to the Old Native
American Woman so that they can bring him back to life…ONE
SCENE. NO LINES IN ENGLISH. PREFERABLY SOMEONE OF NATIVE AMERICAN DESCENT WHO
CAN SPEAK IN A NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE.

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Indian Blood.

"Winer announced they weren’t buying beer after all. Instead, he said, they were going to a "party" in a secluded area just north of town known as The Glades, a scrubby system of juniper- and sage-lined trails frequented by teenage partiers and mountain bikers.

Blackie sensed trouble. He asked Winer to pull over so he could relieve himself and Winer did, but no sooner had Blackie stepped out than he was clocked hard and fast in the head with a club. He fell to the ground and tried to crawl away as the men stomped and kicked his prone body, shouting, "Die n*gger! Just die!"

When Blackie’s pockets revealed only crumpled receipts and a bottle of medicine, Winer later told police they decided to "cut their losses," and left their victim bleeding in the desert..."

This story was produced
by the Intelligence
Project of the Southern
Poverty Law Center, www.intelligencereport.org.


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Another Native blog, Somena Media, "Indigenous News, Media, & Contemplations".

Wikipedia entry for the Somena Nation, in B.C.

" In recent years, some descendants of the original Somena Aboriginal peoples have taken steps to assert their independence from the Cowichan Indian Band. Most recently those same members sparked a tax-revolt on the reserve when the Cowichan Indian Act band government attempted to impose what some thought was an illegal tax upon Aboriginals' and non-Aboriginals' purchases of alcohol, tobacco, and fuel.

These same Somena Aboriginals have officially requested that the Government of Canada recognize their independence from the Cowichan Indian Act created "Band". Furthermore, they have informed the British Columbia Treaty Commission that the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group does not represent their interests in treaty negotiations."

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Looks like the galleries and pics on the index page are back up. The guys at Zoto.com were overwhelmed for a few days, but it looks like they're ironing things out. It really is a great image-hosting service.

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The Kwakiutl are restless.

The main image hoster is still changing over. New picture stuff, shortly.
Update March 7, 2007: Current and archived photo links are not yet back up, but should be in a few days. My apologies. If you are/were looking for something specific, email me brokenvultureart@gmail.com and I will post it for you.
:Eric

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US 'Lost Tribe' in Canada seeks the money owed to it by the American government.

"Driven from their traditional territories in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, most Pottawatomi - pressured to relocate at gunpoint by the U.S. army under the infamous "Indian Removal" policies of president Andrew Jackson - resettled west of the Mississippi River... A 1908 report to Congress concluded that if the claims from Canada were judged "solely on the basis of descent, then it would seem that these Canadian Indians would be entitled to the same share in any fund arising from the claim" as U.S. Pottawatomi."

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Two First Nations buildng a cultural centre in Whistler, BC.

"...joined forces to build the large $30-million cultural centre in Whistler's Upper Village. The shared initiative resulted directly from the historic Squamish Lil'wat Protocol Agreement signed in March, 2001 which heralded a new era of mutual cooperation and the resolution of centuries-old territorial overlaps.

Now three-quarters through the construction phase, the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (Skwxwu7mesh Lil'wat7ul) will showcase the rich history, arts, culture and cosmology of the two neighbouring Nations. Standing as a real-world symbol of a new friendship, it will open in spring 2008."

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The province of Ontario is in the process of "devolving powers" to its First Nations. I am not entirely clear what that will mean, eventually, but I hope that somebody is on top of it.

"Canada's New Government is committed to working with First Nations to support stronger First Nation governments as a key step in improving the lives of First Nation people," said Minister Prentice. "This important agreement sets the groundwork for participating First Nations to adopt new governance institutions and structures that are more responsive and more accountable to their communities."

"The AIP on Governance is one step toward eliminating the Indian Act, re-asserting our jurisdiction, and re-establishing our own Anishinaabe forms of government," said Grand Council Chief Beaucage, who represents the forty-plus member First Nations of the Anishinabek Nation. "We look forward to completing these negotiations and forging new relationships with Canada that provide practical and effective ways to implement our inherent right to self-government and improve living conditions for our people."

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The Kwakiutl are restless. It seems that the province of BC has just given away some land that was under land claim. Sound familiar? That's kind of the situation that has lead to the ongoing Caledonia/Six Nations standoff, near Hamilton, Ontario.

" In the 1850’s, the Douglas Treaties secured aboriginal rights for First Nations on Vancouver Island. The treaty declared First Nations could continue hunting, fishing, and gathering plants on their traditional territory, and that village sites would be respected.

But the Crown breached the treaty when it made land grants to private individuals, the natives say. Until now, some of the private lands claimed by Western Forest Products, a giant logging company, were managed under a provincial Tree Farm Licence. Western Forest Products has applied to take the land back in order to log it and sell it off to developers. The province has quietly agreed to transfer 28,000 hectares (70,000 acres.) "

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What's up at Grassy Narrows?



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Okay... Here's a litlle story from the "my god are we that desperate" department.

Alberta First Nation seeking status as an online gambling haven.

" Just as other aboriginal groups have established constitutional self-governing rights to logging, fishing and hunting, the Alexander band could get a legal imprimatur to host offshore Internet gambling firms.... if it can prove that wagering was a major part of the band's ancestral heritage, gaming-industry lawyer Michael Lipton said...
If the facts exist to demonstrate that a rudimentary - very rudimentary - form of gambling exists, be it in the form of stones and sticks or beads or whatever the case may be, the law says that if they've got the facts, this is the law, they have to follow it," said Lipton, head of an international association of gaming lawyers... The Alexander band has remained silent on the issue, but apparently wants to charge up to $40 000 annually, plus startup fees, to offshore companies which set up computer servers in the Alexander reserve's new data centre. "

"be it in the form of stones and sticks or beads or whatever"

Well... Doesnt the gambling industry lawyer sound like he's all about the culture.

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Tags: displaced potowatomi, whistler cultural centre, kwakiutl, squamish, lil'wat, anishinabek nation, land claim, grassy narrows, online gambling, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

Hank, chilis and blastomycosis

My great image-hoster, Zoto, is upgrading and importing all pics to the new system, so I'll be uploading and posting new pics shortly.

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Hank Williams First Nation

I had only heard of HWFN a couple months ago and have only seen a couple episodes of the TV series; but, what I have seen has made me a fan.

HWFN Movie cast pics.

HWFN movie star gave a workshop at Enowkwin Centre, last year.

On February 24, 2006 Michelle Thrush and Stacy Da Silva from Calgary based 'Crazy Horse Theatre' were guest mentors to the National Aboriginal Professional Artist Training Program theatre students.

Hank Williams First Nation site.

HWFN at IMDB

HWFN movie star, Stacy Da Silva.

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World's new hottest chile pepper.

Accused Terrorist Is Big GOP Donor.

Nunavut Arts and Crafts Assoc.

Site with info about the Maya

Living in Northwestern Ontario has its risks. One being one ofg the highest rates of blastomycosis in the world.

" Blastomycosis is such a rare disease that many doctors -- even diagnostic hotshots from big-city emergency rooms -- may never have heard of it. But in the Lake of the Woods region, "blasto" has grown into a bogeyman that threatens to take at least some of the joy out of gardening, tree planting and boyish adventuring in the woods. A fungus called Blastomyces dermatitidis thrives in the acidic soil, and its spores, when inhaled, can thrive in the dark, moist interior of the human body, where they produce a yeast infection that can kill the victim if left untreated. "Blastomycosis can be found over much of North America," says Lyle Wiebe, environmental health program manager at the Northwestern Health Unit in Kenora. "Manitoba gets a few cases every year, and Timmins, Thunder Bay and Georgian Bay have all had small outbreaks. But the Lake of the Woods region has the dubious distinction of being the global hot spot."

Local First Nations residents are at higher risk, because of more contact with the forest soils in everyday activities, poor housing conditions and less non-emergency medical attention.

Tlingit artist, Clarissa Hudson.

Laval University Journal of Inuit Studies.

A cool flash site from the new Smithsonian "National Museum of the American Indian", giving a quick tour of NW Coast art and cultures.

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A site dedicated to NW Ontario history. Not complete, but a start.

Baen Free Ebook library; mostly sci-fi stuff.

An arguement against DRM technology

Adam Beach update

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How to make a sling and play David. All you need is a Goliath...
and a rock.

Tired of superbug" germs developing resistance to antibiotics? Me too. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is about to approve new antibiotics for use in cows; unfortunately, the antibiotic is from a class of antibiotics that are the "last line of defense" for some infections that are resistant to all other antibiotics. Not for long, however, if we start putting it in our beef. Washington Post article. From the article:

"The industry says that 'until you show us a direct link to human mortality from the use of these drugs in animals, we don't think you should preclude their use,' " said Edward Belongia, an epidemiologist at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in Wisconsin. "But do we really want to drive more resistance genes into the human population? It's easy to open the barn door, but it's hard to close the door once it's open."

How does a case of vandalism get turned into terrorist action? And what are the consequences when prison radicalises a formerly mild-mannered genius?

JPG Magazine:

" PG Magazine is for people who love imagemaking without attitude. It's about the kind of photography you get when you love the moment more than the camera. It's for photographers who, like us, have found themselves online, sharing their work, and would like to see that work in print."

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Quebec Premier Jean Charest needs a history lesson...

at a news conference where former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin announced a package of gifts from France to Quebec City totalling $12.5 million, Charest sounded a nationalist chord.

"North America belongs to the French," Charest said. "And we want it back."

He seems to have forgotten that it was not the French who were here, first.

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Tags: hank williams first nation, blastomycosis, native art, american indian, canadian aboriginal, antibiotic resistance, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

manomin and old lace

The ManOMin Watershed Conference is coming up again; this time hosted on the USA side of the border, in International Falls, MN.

- "Seeing with both eyes: Balancing Traditional Aboriginal Knowledge and Contemporary Science" -


Welcome to the 2007 ManOMin Watershed Conference Website

This conference on the environmental sustainability of the Manitoba, Ontario and Minnesota basins, borrows its name from the Anishnaabe word ManOMin, or wild rice, a culturally significant food staple for the Indigenous people inhabiting the area since time immemorial.

The ManOMin Watershed Conference brings together scientists, resource managers and members of the general public who have an interest in protecting and enhancing the health of the ManOMin basin, in particular that of the Rainy River basin. It offers the opportunity to share the latest information on scientific understanding on the basin's trans-boundary issues, as well as strengthen cooperation efforts between the Minnesota Tribes, Ontario First Nations, federal departments, provincial agencies, NGO's, industries, and schools.

The conference will be taking place April 10-12, 2007 in International Falls, Minnesota.

Registration Fee (after February 28, 2007) $125 CDN / $ 110 USD*


Registration includes admission to all presentations, all breaks, two breakfasts and two lunches. *USD amount on credit card payments will be subject to daily exchange rates and may vary from listed price.

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The debate over climate change and global warming has become fairly heated and even sabotaged/hijacked recently. To what end? I think that it will be difficult to guess/estimate/model the end consequences of pouring millions (billions?) of tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into atmosphere, every year. The earth is a complex, closed system that may rebound in the opposite direction (as fantasized in "that film" with Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal). Anyways it is the International Polar Year (actually two years, in order to catch the complete winter cycle in the northern and southern poles).

The International Polar Year is a large scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009...

IPY, organized through the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is actually the fourth polar year, following those in 1882-3, 1932-3, and 1957-8. In order to have full and equal coverage of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, IPY 2007-8 covers two full annual cycles from March 2007 to March 2009 and will involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate, follow, and get involved with, cutting edge science in real-time.

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Useful, yet random:

University of Manitoba Aboriginal Issues press.

Antique Tribal Art Dealers Assoc. Theft Alert Page.

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I promise to tell you more about my artificial Bonsai experiments, shortly.



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Tags: manomin conference, international polar year, university of manitoba, art theft, native art, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics