Monday, January 28, 2008

More flimsy meteor crater evidence and artstuff, etc.

Canadian Tribe Serves Papers on Queen of England.
"The letter reads, in part:
We, as the friends and relatives of tens of thousands of children who died or were murdered in Indian Residential Schools in Canada established and run by your Church of England and the British Crown from 1867 to 1996, do hereby demand that you, Elizabeth Windsor, in your capacity as Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, and Head of the Church of England, publicly disclose the cause of death, and whereabouts of the buried remains, of all children who died in Indian Residential Schools operated by the Church of England in Canada, aka the Anglican Church. [T]his Common Law Notice also requires that you, Elizabeth Windsor, arrange the immediate repatriation without conditions of the remains of these persons to their homes for a proper burial..."

Haida building toward prosperous future.
"Looking beyond the resource-base economy is crucial first step"

Mapuche International Link.
"... MIL's aims and objectives have been developed and widened with a view to enabling indigenous peoples to contribute fully to their own development, and ultimately, to achieve the right to self determination..."

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This series of pictures are screenshots taken from Google Earth, showing the Canadian and American sides of the Lake Superior/Lake Huron/Lake Michigan junction area. I have detailed and highlighted two sets of possible double craters. The 2 sets have different orientations and probably do not represent a single event. One crater has an entire airport [Chippewa County International] within its bounds.
[Pics click to enlarge.]

The Upper Penninsula of Michigan.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

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The Canadian area around Sault St. Marie, Ontario:


Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

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The overall region:

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.

Possible meteor crater evidence; presented by Broken Vulture Art.


View Larger Map
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RE: Generations, Legacy & Tradition. Ancient Traders Gallery, MPLS, MN.
"up through Feb. 23, features contemporary beadwork, paintings, ledger drawings, quilts and sculpture by 10 artists who honor the past but leaven their work with distinctly modern sensibilities."


TREASUREPOSTCARDS'08 Deadline March 8, 08.
"We invite FEMALE artists from across the globe to celebrate the 2008 International Women's Day* with us by sharing their visual voices/expressions/perspectives, and donating their postcard-sized artwork."

New shows from Bunky Echo Hawk [Myspace page]:Weapons of Mass Media, Living Icons and more.

First Peoples Fund.
"Our vision is to communicate to the world the roots and philosophy of Indigenous artistic expression and its relationship to the collective spirit of First Peoples...

First Peoples Fund supports the advancement of American Indian arts by focusing on three funding areas:
*The Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards-
A national recognition and fellowship award for American Indian artists.
*Artists in Business Leadership Program -
This program provides artists with technical assistance, access to capital and to new marketing opportunities.
*Cultural Capital Grant Fellowship -
This program is designed to further the important cultural work of artists who have previously been honored through the Community Spirit Awards."


Institute of American Indian Arts.
"IAIA is a federally chartered institution that provides higher education in Native American arts and cultures through fully accredited associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs. Located on 140 scenic acres on the southern edge of Santa Fe, the IAIA campus offers wide vistas and excellent facilities. The IAIA Museum in downtown Santa Fe is home to the 7,000-piece National Collection of Cont
emporary Indian Art and showcases the work of Native artists."

1st Annual NativeEnergy "Energy in Motion" Photography Competition Deadline is June 30 2008; USA enrollees.

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National parks robbed of heritage.
"Looting of fossils and archaeological artifacts from national parks — such as Native American pottery and Civil War relics — is increasing as demand for such items rises on the Internet and the world market, U.S. National Park Service officials say."

The Bowers Museum in LA is one of the entities raided in the investigation of smuggled and looted artifacts; Bowers Museum didn't need this publicity. The columnist makes the lame arguement that the stuff in question is of little interest or value to the museum, anyway.
"If the Bowers has indeed stumbled, it was over objects that are of comparatively little interest to the public: antiquities from Thailand and ladles unearthed from Native American lands in New Mexico. They have scant value to a museum that has virtually lost interest in adding to its collection of about 100,000 artifacts..."

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Haida Heritage Centre.
"Haida Heritage Centre at Qay'llnagaay commemorates our traditional Haida cedar longhouses. This unique, modern-day replica is a place for the Haida voice to be heard, a meeting and gathering place - a place of inspiration and sharing...
Qay'llnagaay is a place to learn... to teach... and to work according to the Haida way of life.
Through our Heritage Centre we will communicate who we are and what Haida Gwaii means to us by sharing our rich culture with the world...."

Travel the canyon. A visitor from Tuckkwhiowhum stopped by Bingorage and left a comment. Check out their canyon tourism site.
"First Nations Native Pictographs Sites can be found in various locations throughout the Fraser Canyon, although most of these sites are not known to the public..."

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Film festivals seeking submissions:

Moondance Film Festival. Deadline April 1, 2008.
"Our objective for this competition and film festival is to promote and encourage screenwriters and independent filmmakers, and the best work in stage plays, radio plays, TV scripts, musical scores, lyrics, librettos, musical videos, & short stories..."

Festival Présence autochtone 2008 - Montreal Native Film & Video ShowcaseDeadline March 7, 2008.
"As always, we will include a program of recent films and videos about the First Nations of the Americas,
giving priority to works made by native directors, without excluding works made by non-native directors about aboriginal topics. We are looking for films and videos that reveal aspects of the life of native communities, their real and imaginary world, as well as their customs, culture, history and spirituality."

Urban Film Series.
"Next Generation Awareness Foundation ("NGAF") seeks notable films and participants for its 2008 Urban Film Series programs. Urban Film Series is comprised of several highly-acclaimed film-related programs that enhance awareness and provide exposure of the arts, independent cinema, media, and the motion picture industry to underserved communities across America."

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Advocate for Justice Scholarships, at Univeristy of the District of Columbia.
"Committee welcomes applicants to share information on specific legal career goals, if they have them. If applicants do not have a clearly developed practice area in mind, they should explain to the Committee what in their personal background and history demonstrates their values and/or proves their commitment to serving as an advocate for justice. The Committee is particularly interested in the applicant's having taken initiative, having applied creativity, having organized others, having participated in public discussion or debate, or in other activities working for justice."


First Nations Development Institute
"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."


NIEA Revitalizing Native Language Research Scholarship

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Native artists paid less for work.
"...pointed to a 2005 Hill Strategies Research report - Diversity in Canada's Arts Labour Force - that found the annual income of aboriginal artists is significantly below that of other artists.
Aboriginal artists earn 29 per cent less when compared to all other artists - $16,866 compared to $23,489."


Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance.
"IPAA is a member-driven organization consisting of professional Indigenous performing artists and organizations which services as a collective voice of its members. For the betterment of Indigenous performing arts, IPAA provides leadership, national representation and practical assistance to its members, enabling members to do their own creative works."


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Saturday, January 26, 2008

big freeze

Artsy pic; Broken Vulture Art

Artsy pic; Broken Vulture Art
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Former students being revictimized.
"We were told that the payment process would be conducted with respect and dignity, but for many, it has resulted in frustration and humiliation..."


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Eyak language dies with its last speaker.
"The last traditional speaker of the Eyak language died yesterday, making the language extinct."


Eyak, Wikipedia article.

Native village of Eyak, homepage.
"The Native Village of Eyak Traditional Council is a tribal government that promotes self-determination to Native Village of Eyak tribal members. Under the guidance of the Council, tribal offices provide health and social services, economic development, natural resource/environmental education, jobs, and job training to the Native Village of Eyak."

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It looks like the Jay Treaty may be coming under fire with new US border restrictions.
Canadian Indian wonders why U.S. yanking back welcome mat.
"Two months ago on his way to church in nearby Point Roberts — a U.S. enclave accessible by land only through Canada, and where he owns property — Roberts was stopped and questioned. U.S. Customs and Border officers seized the special treaty-related green card he holds and ordered him to appear this Friday before an immigration judge...

Rights by blood
If you are a Canadian with at least 50 percent aboriginal blood, you have the right to:
• Cross the U.S./Canadian border freely.
• Live and work in the United States and be eligible for public benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.
• Register for college or a university in the United States as a domestic rather than foreign student.

You do not have to:
• Obtain a work permit to hold a job in the United States.
• Register for the military.

The U.S. government cannot:
• Keep you out of the United States or deport you.

Source: American Indian Law Alliance"



A Good Time to Remember Standing Bear
"The trial of Standing Bear lasted two days. Shortly after it ended, the chief offered this impassioned plea to the court in an effort to prove he was a human being and entitled to the same right to freedom as every human being:

"That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both."

About two weeks later, federal Judge Elmer Dundy ruled that "an Indian (is) a person within the meaning of the law," entitled to the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens."

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CALL FOR ART SUBMISSIONS ::: FREE SHAWN BRANT[Deadline: April 1]
"Punchclock Printing is calling all artists on Turtle Island and beyond to submit art to our upcoming show Shawn Brant Is No Criminal. The show will take place from MAY 16th to 18th (YES YES- THE DATES HAVE BEEN CHANGED) at Whippersnapper Gallery, and will be host to a LIVE music show . It will feature art by indigenous, and anti-colonial artists all over. Money from the door will go to Shawn's Legal Fund- Money from the Art sales will go to Shawn or the Artist."

'Day of Action'; CBC story.

Support site.

Whenua, Fenua, Enua, Vanua; Revolutionary Anti Colonialism & Anti Capitalism in the Pacific.

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Drew Hayden Taylor's new play, The Berlin Blues is being staged at Thunder Bay's Magnus Theatre until February 9, 2008.
"The play features six characters and takes place in Otter Lake and the plot revolves around the arrival of a large German company on a small Canadian reserve with hopes of building a huge theme park, called Ojibway World. Taylor says he didn't write the play to send a message to the audience, he just hopes it gets everyone laughing."


2008 Festival of Native Film & Culture, at Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. March 5 - 9, 2008, Palm Springs, California.
"The Seventh Annual Festival of Native Film & Culture (formerly known as the Native American Film Festival & Cultural Weekend) is currently accepting submissions. All feature length and short film Native American and indigenous work produced after January 1, 2007 is eligible for consideration."

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Yay! Native Podcast! Indigenous Politics:
Blog.
Podcast archive.

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Longhouse Media founder to receive university's Horace Mann Award.
"Through Longhouse Media, she is helping to train a new generation of storytellers in filmmaking and new media. The program operates youth filmmaking programs at Muckleshoot and Swinomish. The program was a recipient of the 2007 Seattle Mayor's Arts Awards and participants' films have been shown in film festivals in Seattle and New York City."

Explore Mirador
"Mirador is the largest and oldest Preclassic Mayan site located in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in the Peten, Guatemala. This area is home to earliest and largest Preclassic Maya sites in Mesoamerica. There are many ancient cities and sites in the area including El Mirador, Nakbe, Xulnal, Wakna and Tintal."

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China trouble.

Wanna visit a Chinese zoo? probably not, after reading this article.
"East of Badaling lies the equally horrific Qingdao zoo. Here, visitors can take part in China's latest craze — tortoise baiting..."


No reincarnations without approval.
"The rules are apparently aimed at empowering China to name the next Dalai Lama when the 14th and current Dalai Lama dies... In 1995, the Dalai Lama and China's Communist authorities chose rival reincarnations of the 10th Panchen Lama, who died in 1989. The Panchen Lama is the second-highest figure in Tibet's spiritual hierarchy.
The boy anointed by the Dalai Lama, then aged six, swiftly disappeared from public view, prompting international rights groups to call him the "world's youngest political prisoner."

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Brickstitch beaded baubles, bait and stuff

Listening to Our Past.
"Sixty seven Nunavut Elders were interviewed extensively during the ten years it took to produce the twelve books made available online on the Listening to Our Past web site. Ten scholars were involved with the editing of the books, and dozens of Nunavut Arctic College students participated in the interviews, over many years. Numerous interpreters, translators and proof readers were also involved."


Isuma.
"Our name Isuma means 'to think' – as in Thinking Productions. Young and old work together to keep our ancestors' knowledge alive."


Creating local connections Canada.
"TakingITGlobal.org is an online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities."


2008 Paddle To Cowichan and Indigenous Games
"The largest-ever Tribal Journeys Canoe Voyage is set to mark the beginning of the 2008 Indigenous Games.
As many as 80 traditional ocean-going canoes, from a variety of canoe cultures and nations, will make a two-week journey to Cowichan..."


"Nunavut is in the process of writing its own official languages act, one that could give the Inuit language - which includes its regional dialects - equal status with English and French...
Though its draft versions are less radical than Bill 101, many Inuit are looking to Quebec's strict language laws as an example of how legislation can strengthen a minority language within Canada."


Raccoon meat making inrods in Chicago.
"the kitchen of Moto, a cutting edge Chicago restaurant, where chef Homaro Cantu prepared it to look like roadkill, with a yellow stripe across the plate."


Searching for atonement in the Arctic.
"A $2-million truth commission will begin travelling around Nunavut today in an attempt to shed light on a dark chapter in Inuit history and also solve a long-standing mystery: Who killed thousands of their sled dogs?... Some elders have even alleged the RCMP - either acting alone or with the federal government -deliberately murdered up to 20,000 of their sled dogs to help officials control the Inuit and speed up the process of assimilation."

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More exciting content from Broken Vulture Art!



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Brickstitch beaded baubles, bait and stuff [pics click to enlarge]:

Lemon and cobalt glass beads with 'Tigereye' stone chips on small glass specimen jar; necklace hardware included.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Gold and violet pearl glass beads and garnet chips on small glass specimen jar; necklace hardware included.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Grass-green, gray and pearl glass beads, with pink (limestone?) chips on small glass specimen jar; necklace hardware included.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Silverlined pastel, black, scarlet and violet pearl glass beads on small glass specimen jar. Necklace: Blue glass beads, tigereye and moss agate stone chips on nylon-coated steel wire.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Glass beads and horsehair on steel fish hook.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Glass beads, embroidery floss and "daredevil spinners" on steel fish hook.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Various glass beads, malachite stone chips and lether on steel fish hook.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Various glass beads and "snowflake obsidian" chips on 'disposable' razor.
Brick stitch beaded sculpture. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

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Another "sturgeon Hunt" sculpture idea sketch.
Sculpture sketch. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

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Native Artstuff:

Ronald Roybal Music Portal



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Uqqurmiut.
"Situated on the leeside of a mountain (uqqurmiut, prounced oo-koo-me-oot, is an Inuktitut word that means “the people of the leeside”), the Uqqurmiut Centre is an Inuit arts facility conceived and constructed more than ten years ago to serve the Inuit artists and community of Pangnirtung. The Centre provides an effective way to present Inuit fine art and fine craft to southern markets, and this website is an extension of that idea.
Visitors to this website will, of course, be familiar with Inuit art. Sometimes still referred to as Eskimo art, this world-famous genre is known for its striking soapstone sculpture..."


Northwest Native Culture TV

Cherokee potter: Art keeps culture alive.
"Our North Carolina partners have taught us how to use the old traditional paddle-stamping method," she said. "In doing so, we are a reviving 3,000-year-old tradition. This is something that, by the early 1800s, had completely disappeared..."


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Airport's lethal light.
"After the expansion of Stevens International Airport in 2004, the airport's collection was moved into a new art gallery in a light-saturated mezzanine. Works made of natural materials and dyes began to suffer. The state conservator reported in January that if these sensitive pieces aren't moved or protected somehow, within five years they will be ruined..."


Stevens airport art slideshow.

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A great homage to Norval Morriseau, the Norval Morrisseau Blog.

Native Networks.
"In 2001 the NMAI has launched the Native Networks Website to welcome you to the field of Native media throughout the Americas. The site provides information about new productions and media makers, current areas of special interest and accomplishments in the field..."


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Explore Mirador
"Located deep in the heart of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, the Mirador Archaeological and Wildlife Area is home to the earliest and largest Preclassic Maya sites in Mesoamerica. Ancient cities including El Mirador, Nakbe, Tintal, Wakna, and Xulnal are offering valuable information to the study of Maya society and culture. Leading experts now herald the Mirador area as being the Cradle of Maya Civilization."

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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Johnny helps out

One-third of pupils at T.O. native school suspended

Aboriginal population skyrockets: Census Canada.
"In total, 1,172,790 people reported aboriginal identity -- North American Indian (First Nations people), Métis or Inuit... The report says several factors may account for the growth in the Aboriginal population, including:
* Demographic factors, such as high birth rates;
* More individuals identifying themselves as aboriginal;
* A reduction in the number of incompletely enumerated Indian reserves since 1996."

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Couple new beaded bracelets; random-colour "loomwork".
[Pics click to enlarge.]

Johnny helps out. I jerry-rigged the loom from cardboard, staples and a couple screws.
Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Add some sequins.
Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Tape threads down on backside, after finishing addition of sequins and cutting off the loom.
Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Stitching loomed piece to the leather. The leather went through a couple washes with a little bleach, couple rinses and the dryer; so, it shouldn't bleed.
Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Finished piece. For a small wrist; 5-5.75 inch.
Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

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Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.

I gots the mad teardrop-fringe bead look. [or something like that]
5.75-6.75 inch wrist.
Loomwork beaded bracelet process. Ojibway art. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage Studio.
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Isuma TV

isuma story at Nunatsiaq News
"Igloolik's Isuma film production family launched a bold new project late last month: a free web site that offers hundreds of hours of internet video made by indigenous filmmakers..."


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2008 Student Artist Competition

Native Threads, through march 10, 2008.
"Native Threads is curated by Native American Joni Murphy, an art historian and faculty member of the Lawrence, Kansas, Haskell Indian Nations University.
According to Murphy, these quilts are traditionally not sold, but instead serve a variety of purposes and functions within the community. Some are used functionally as altar cloths, room dividers, bed covers, sweat lodge coverings and burial shrouds.
Others are offered as symbols of respect."


Native Customs; galleries of the brothers Glendale, artists.

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Art helps students, teacher pass along cultural values
"Following a tradition of passing along cultural values, Sacaton Middle School students and their teacher, Amil Pedro, are displaying art and tools at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts through Jan. 30..."


Amil Pedro is an artist and listed as an ATLATL MANUFACTURER.

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New work and performance for Brent Micheal Davids.
"The late "Stands with Eagles" Louis Ballard made it his life's mission to illuminate the unique motivations behind Native American music. The ISO pays homage to Ballard with both Incident at Wounded Knee and the World Premiere of Indiana Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, completed posthumously by his protégé Brent Michael Davids..."

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Tribal Council Approves Arts and Crafts Act
"For far too long, non-Native Americans or others claiming to be members of non-recognized tribes have sold art as true Native American art. This Act will help to stop some of these sales. Anyone buying Native American art in the Cherokee Nation can be better assured that the piece was created by a true Native American."


US Dept. of the Interior; Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.

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Vote and help pick the "best Native films".

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Help tag and comment the (USA) Library of Congress photo collection; on Flickr.

[Pic clicks to Flickr page.]
Library of Congress pic; Yaqui Indians

[Pic clicks to large detail.]
Library of Congress pic; Yaqui Indians_detail.

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A Chinese construction worker -and blogger- was beaten to death by Chinese "urban management officers", for filming their beating of villagers who had disallowed dumping of city garbage in their town.
CNN Asia story.


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Friday, January 11, 2008

Beads, beads, beads

[Pics click to enlarge]
Some new coral-stitch earrings:

Coral-stitch earrings. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage studio.

Coral-stitch earrings. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage studio.

Coral-stitch earrings. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage studio.

Coral-stitch earrings. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage studio.

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Hey there, Bingoragers. I put a trio of earrings up on Ebay; check out the auction, here.

Coral-stitch earrings. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage studio.

I'll toss in an extra set, if a Bingorager wins!
8-)

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Some, random, mixed beads; larger size suitable for desktop wallpaper:

Random mixed beads. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage studio.

Random mixed beads. Broken Vulture Art. Bingorage studio.

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WEST VALLEY INVITATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN ARTS FESTIVAL. January 12 and 13, 2008; Litchfield Park, Arizona.

A blog about Native Art, with a scholarly perspective: Native Art Practices
"A research project comparing archaic and petroglyphic art practices with modern Western practices, and examining the unique challenge that traditional practices pose for contemporary artists."

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Is aspartame really dangerous? Check out this posting for some eye-opening info.

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Saturday, January 05, 2008

winter blahs

The Indian Residential School Museum of Canada is seeking documentary materials for its initial setup
"In August 2003, a group from the Long Plain First Nation near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba proposed to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation in Ottawa to establish a Residential School Museum of Canada. Funding was approved, and work is now underway.

The Indian Residential School Museum of Canada will be situated in the former Portage Indian School (now the Rufus Prince Building) on Long Plain Reserve land adjoining the city of Portage la Prairie. Resolutions of support have been passed by both the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Assembly of First Nations.

Organizers of the Museum are seeking the help of MHS members and others who have information on the Indian Schools in Manitoba (or elsewhere). They are currently looking for any information, documents and photos relating to the following schools and the communities in which they operated:

* Portage Indian School (both schools: the Methodist School formed in 1880 and the more contemporary Presbyterian/United School which opened in 1911)
* Brandon Industrial School
* Sandy Bay Indian School
* Birtle Indian School
* Assiniboia Residential School
* Cecilia Jeffery Residential School - Kenora

Please contact:

Shanyn French Silinski
Project Coordinator,
Indian Residential School Museum of Canada
Long Plain First Nation
Box 430
Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3B7
Email: lppr@mts.net
Cell: (204) 871-1045
Temporary office: (204) 252-2774"

Missing records complicate residential school claims.
"A growing number of former residential school students in Nunavut — especially those who attended one school in Manitoba — say they are having trouble receiving compensation, as the federal government claims there was no record of them attending the institution.
Most of the former students affected, including Arviat resident Charlotte St. John, attended the Churchill Vocational Centre in northern Manitoba."


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Another Native art blog; The Soul of Native art- a Robert Sebastian Art Vision.

Exploring the Early Americas
"features selections from the more than 3,000 rare maps, documents, paintings, prints, and artifacts that make up the Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress. It provides insight into indigenous cultures, the drama of the encounters between Native Americans and European explorers and settlers, and the pivotal changes caused by the meeting of the American and European worlds."


French museum compelled to return Maori head, taken by French "collector" in 1875.
"When Christine Abanel, the French culture minister, stepped in to block the return of the head last fall, she said she was concerned that sending it back could set a precedent that would open the way to demands for the return of other human remains in French collections."

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Online petition: Robert "Willie" Pickton should stand trial for remaining 20 murder charges he faces.

This guy is a real scumbag and will spend the rest of his life in jail... That is not the reason to have the second trial.
For too long, the police and city/federal/provincial authorities ignored that there was a problem. Now is not the time to let that.. disregard, slip away unnoticed.

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Norval Morrisseau, finally laid to rest.
"Morrisseau was buried in a private ceremony earlier this week on a reserve in northwestern Ontario, next to his wife."

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Native American Indian Culture & Art Videos, at Free Spirit Gallery.

James Luna's (Luiseño)"Emendatio" Opens in New York.
"James Luna's work challenges mainstream thought about Native culture," said Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the National Museum of the American Indian. "Through this multifaceted presentation, Luna responds to complex issues surrounding concepts of Native identity, origin and modernity."
"Luna's compelling works demand audiences worldwide to examine their own views and beliefs about Native peoples," said John Haworth (Cherokee), director of the George Gustav Heye Center."


A series of internal emails that chronicle some NMAI aftermath of the revelations that a quarter million dollars had been spent on the director's travel.
[Initial Washington Post story]"... spent more than $250,000 in institution funds over the past four years on first-class transportation and plush lodging in hotels around the world, including more than a dozen trips to Paris."
[Emails in WP follow-up]
"Sadly, many people and institutions will think twice before signing over checks to the NMAI as a result of the revelations and like myself, there are those who wonder, to what end did our own contributions go? I could have sent at least 25 deserving Indian students for a four year degree program anywhere in the US, or funded a wellness center or two on the Rez, or a sports program in many of the needy schools..."


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It looks like federal "recognition of Native Hawaiians might go through in 2008.
"While the Hawaiian sovereignty movement has several strands - including calls for a complete withdrawal of U.S. governance and restoration of the Hawaiian monarchy, overthrown 115 years ago this month - the more likely prospect is that ethnic Hawaiians will eventually be granted the same limited independence (minus the casinos) that mainland Indian tribes already enjoy."


The Portland Art Museum hires new curator of Native American Art.
"Before Seattle, Strankman worked at two important institutions: the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington and the registration and conservation departments of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City."


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2007 British Columbia Lifetime Creative Achievement Award For Aboriginal Art

2007 BC Creative Achievement Award for Aboriginal Art

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The Transformation of Rick Bartow.
"His style of expression is self-taught. It wasn’t until 1979 that he began drawing and strictly in charcoal and graphite. He used images from newspapers as models for his first works. They were crude charcoal, monochromatic newsprint drawings. He noticed the Expressionist influence when the erasures were as important in determining the shapes of his images as the material applied. He often fixated on the symbolism of masks falling away from figures, literally representing the rediscovering of himself beneath his layers. "


Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
"(ITK) is the national Inuit organization in Canada, representing four Inuit regions – Nunatsiavut (Labrador), Nunavik (northern Quebec), Nunavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories. We live in the Canadian Arctic, the largest geographic part of Canada. This site reflects our ancient and modern history. It allows us to communicate to the global community instantly, making the notion of a "Global Village" more real."


Southern California Indian Center, Inc.
"(SCIC) is a non-profit... community-based organization serving the American Indian, Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian communities of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties"


Alaskan Public Radio Network Podcasts
It looks like much of their content is available for download.

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Tim Giago article: The Powerful Medicine of Michael Haney
"... just before his death, that gentle giant Seminole Indian, Michael Haney, held a ceremony to place bad medicine on the Washington football team, and on any other sporting team that used Native Americans as mascots. That included the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, Florida State Seminoles (Michael hated that fact that he was Seminole and the Florida Seminole tribe allowed Florida State to desecrate his people) and the Atlanta Braves and their hideous tomahawk chop.

As I watched the game on NBC, I was grateful that the cameras did not pan the painted and feathered white and black folks seated in the crowd. But just as sure as there is a Space Needle in Seattle, I knew that the spirit of my friend Michael Haney would prevail..."


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