New life for polygon fish canvas. Ahnishnahbeh Become Maymaygwayshi.

This canvas has been around the block, for a couple/few years and has undergone a couple/few changes. Just previously, I had used the canvas to help illustrate a portion of the Larry Mitchell biography, Potowatomi Tracks, in a previous Bingorage posting.

The current incarnation of the piece is a scene from an alternate future, many, many thousands of years from now, when the Ahnishnahbeh have evolved to live underwater; becoming... the Maymaygwayshi.

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Ahnishnahbeh Become Maymaygwayshi[All pics click to enlarge.]

Initial configuration:



The Potowatomi Tracks illustration:



The Migisi {Eagle} incorporation. (Look closely):



The current changes made to the piece incorporate elements from the Migisi phase (upside down):















detail







detail



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Tags: papier mache, paper, canvas painting, acrylic paint, maymaygwayshi, mermen, ahnishnahbeh, ojibway art, native art, future, Canadian blog, First Nation, Native blog,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog,pics

Post-Tronna linky post

A native grandmother's epic walk for the water. An Ojibway gramma is walking around the great lakes and down the St Lawrence River to raise awareness of the water system's fragility and importance to all of us.

"... 40 years ago, Akwesasne was known for its farms and fishery, which had thrived for at least 3,000 years and made it a pillar of the legendary Iroquois Confederacy. Henry Lickers, head of Akwesasne's environment department, likes to remind Torontonians that the reserve shipped its extra food to our soup kitchens during the Depression, yet we didn't even notice when its economy disappeared.

The fisherman and farmers were ruined by the industries that came with the St. Lawrence Seaway. Domtar Paper and General Motors poisoned the fish with, respectively, mercury and PCBs. Alcoa pumped so much fluoride into the air that cows' teeth grew brittle and broke, and they died. Pollution also caused the farms to go bust..." (TheStar.com)

Her website, MotherEarthWaterWalk. Josephine (Mandamin) is scheduled to finish the St. Lawrence stretch at the beginning of May.

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Air France plane forced to divert from Am3ric@n air space, because a critical journalist aboard has apparently been flagged for the US no-fly list. If so, then this is further proof that the measures that are supposed to further the safety of Am3ric@an citizens, are instead being used to silence and harass critics of US policies.

"... Do you know how to handle firearms?" I told him that the only time I held one I was very young; it was a shotgun and I was knocked down by the recoil. I never even went through military service, I said. In fact, I added, "my only weapon is my writing, especially to denounce the American government, whom I consider terrorist."
They looked at each other, and the seated man said something I already knew: "That weapon sometimes is worse than rifles and bombs..."

USA paper industry abusing "green law" to create a biofuel subsidy. Pulp and paper mills burn a byproduct called "black liquor" to heat pulp and create electricity for the manufacturing process. American mills are adding diesel fuel to the mix (very unnecessary) in order to qualify for a biofuel rebate; unfortunately increasing the overall amount of fossil fuels that they burn, in the process. The exact opposite of what the rebate was meant to do.

According to spectrographic analysis, the milky way galaxy tastes like raspberries.

"Long Now"; building the 10 000 year clock.

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From FailBlog.Org


see more pwn and owned pictures

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The following clip was found at HiddenFromHistory.org (The Canadian Holocaust). The uploader claims that this interview segment is no longer available at CBC online.



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Katimavik, still alive.

United Nations creates the World Digital Library.

"The principal objectives of the WDL are to: * Promote international and intercultural understanding; * Expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet; * Provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences; * Build capacity in partner institutions to narrow the digital divide within and between countries."

Fossil seal, with legs, found in Canadian arctic.

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Graham Greene, speaking at the National Arts Centre, in Ottawa. May 11, 2009.

New Moche culture tomb excavated. "King of Bling" Tomb Sheds Light on Ancient Peru.

"... His body was covered with a tunic and train of tiny gilded copper plates, and his face was covered with two funerary masks—a first, according to Bourget. A necklace of four-inch (ten-centimeter), disk-shaped silver rattles encircled his neck. On his head was a gilded crown. Six more crowns and ten V-shaped headdresses called diadems were arrayed on top of his body..."

Alice Lazore; casino management, Mohawk, beadworker.

US National Park Service, national historic site; Hubbell Trading Post. Apply for their artist in residence position. [PDF link]

Homepage of Navajo singer, Radmilla Cody, Miss Navajo Nation 97-98.

"... Canyon Records recording artist, Indie Award Winner, Indian Summer Award Nominee, and four-time Native American Award Nominee continues to maintain Navajo culture by recording music that children sing with pride and lyrics the Diné elders can be proud of..."

Short essay on the evolution of Native American Art.

"Santa Fe Rotary Foundation for the Arts chose Naranjo Morse as its 2009 Distinguished Artist of the Year."

Native Arts and Cultures Foundation created in Portland, Oregon.

"... to foster indigenous arts in American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native communities."

New Native American museum opens in Warner Springs, California.

The Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival is now accepting submissions. Earlybird deadline is June 19, 2009, late deadline (with late fee) is July 31, 2009. Festival runs November 18-22.

NativeFilm.com

Waila, Native American polka-based music.

Coast Salish artist creates box for healing.

"... Salish artist Luke Marston of Ladysmith was commissioned by the federal Department of Indian Affairs to create a box to be the centrepiece of the meetings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission held across Canada... Participants will be invited to put whatever they want into the box, a symbolic act of letting go..."

Ontario boosts arts council budget by $5 million.

Micheal Greyeyes 'official' website.

Canadian National Arts Centre seeking artist submissions for cover of Prelude,NAC magazine. Theme is "The Arts are alive in Canada"; deadline is May 31, 2009.

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Tags: Josephine Mandamin, Mother Earth Water Walk, Canadian National Arts Centre, Micheal Greyeyes, Luke Marston, Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival, Naranjo Morse, waila, Moche, black liquor, Canadian blog, First Nation, Native blog,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog,pics

New piece in progress, for upcoming Spring art show at Fine Line Gallery: "Threads"

Working on this piece for upcoming "Threads" theme spring show at Fine Line Gallery, Fort Frances. May 4-29, 2009.

A previous Bingorage posting about Pither's point Park.

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[Pics click to enlarge]
This canvas had a ton of paint ladle on it, randomly, for a while. I had no idea what it wanted to be. When I heard that the spring show theme would be "Threads", I started to get a rough idea of where it might go.



I roughly sketched a thread spool with a pen, and then started to work with it.













At this point, I tried to shape the spool a bit more with outlining and add more definition to the thread, needle and button elements.





A human(?) figure added. There are many stories around the world of "the little people" helping out with craft activities (as well as hindering the process.).















Current incarnation of the "Spool Canvas".
Dimensional definition added to button element, with light and shadow.



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Progress of central figure detail:













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Blast from the past:

Just say NO to deer-hunting with platypi.



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Tags: Fine Line Art Gallery, Fort Frances, Threads, acrylic painting, canvas, native art, human figure, Ojibway art,Pithers Point Park, spring art show, Canadian blog, First Nation, Native blog,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog,pics

Closed walleye season

Technically, as an Ahnishnahbeh "Indian Band" member of Grand Treaty #3 with "status", I do not have to absolutely refrain from fishing during the closed walleye season. There are those who exercise their treaty rights to harvest fish for personal use at this time... and I wholeheartedly support their right.
However, I also recognise and respect the reason for the closed season and will wait until the third Saturday in May to bring in the most-favoured meal... walleye!

Until then, sit back, look at these pictures and weep;
for Dad and I are the walleye kings.

I'd like to thank Rainy Lake Sports in Fort Frances for letting us use their scales. We get much of our tackle and bait there. (Pics click to enlarge, see video below.)





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Tags: walleye, ice fishing, hard water, fishing, pikeperch, dore, grand treaty 3, rainy lake, Fort Frances, Rainy Lake Sports, Canadian blog, First Nation, Native blog,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog,pics

Spring Fever Linky Post

Public urged to write letters about (Pither's) Point. The 99 year lease on Fort Frances Park expires at the end of April andthe local Rainy River Bands are seeking to reclaim ownership of the land. The town is seeking to "keep" the land, and the governments of Ontario and Canada don't want to have anything to do with the mess.

I attended a "public forum", put on by Andrew Good, local videographer and filmmaker. Some progress was made in discussing the issue, but leaders from the town and First Nations did not attend.

My personal recommendation to townspeople was to contact the Mayor and Council and insist that they not contest ownership of the land, as it should inevitably revert to Band ownership/co-ownership. Contesting this, only wastes town resources.

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Teachers supplement; Alaska Native perspectives on Earth and Climate.

Make a film to explain evolution in two minutes for Discover Magazine, win recognition.

New Native Artists exhibit, REMIX, at the Art Gallery of Ontario; (Star.com review). April 4 - August 23, 2009.

Upcoming arts conference in Winnipeg, for Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario artists. May 28, 2009.

New TED Talks posted! This is a great series of informative and inspiring lectures about the direction and progress of technology, and how it will influence all of our lives.

Zion Flute & Drum Festival. May 15th, 16th, 17th, 2009. Unity Park in Ivins Utah.

Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis presents Red Ink. Features two prominent Canadian Native writers; Tomson Highway and Drew Hayden Taylor.

"... Red Ink is a play within a powwow, written as a series of short scenes that explore many aspects of the Native American experience, from casinos and native art to reality television shows. The play explores a side of the Native American experience that is rarely brought to the stage. Commissioned by Mixed Blood Theatre, the writers of Red Ink have been working on the piece for three years, this will be its first production..."

The Royal Conservatory's Artist Educator Skills Development Course [PDF link] supported by Ontario Arts Council. Various dates throughout May and June, various locations in Ontario.

Hugo Awards logo contest. May 31 deadline.

Indigenous news blog, Mama Radio.
Blog of theater producer for Native Theater at NMAI DC.

Short review of U.S. Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), Protecting Natives from Knock-offs.

Native blog, Native History Native Anthology

Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival. May 1 deadline. August 8-9, Tacoma, WA.

Art of the Seminoles exhibit in Maitland Florida, until April 26.

Blackfeet artist, Farrell Cockrum showing at Sky Dog, the Artspace, throughout April. Corrales, NM.

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An interesting review of the Ward Churchill firing, in light of his recent win in court. The author speculates that the University of Colorado may be forced to rehire him. Now, I do not know much about Ward Churchill (Wikipedia link), other than he is an ardent supporter of the Free Leonard Peltier movement and a way-left academic. However, when I was living in Minneapolis, there were always rumblings in the community that he wasn't even Native American. Who Knows? The hatchet job on Ward Churchill may be the last gasp of COINTELPRO.

"... The accusations that fill its pages are the kind scholars regularly hurl at their polemical opponents. It’s part of the game. But in most cases, after you’ve trashed the guy’s work in a book or a review, you don’t get to fire him. Which is good, because if the standards for dismissal adopted by the Churchill committee were generally in force, hardly any of us professors would have jobs... there wouldn’t have been any special investigative committee poring over Churchill’s 12 single-author books, many edited collections and 100-plus articles had he not published an Internet essay on Sept. 12, 2001, saying that the attacks on the World Trade towers and the Pentagon were instances of "the chickens coming home to roost"... These incendiary remarks were not widely broadcast until four years later, when Bill O’Reilly and other conservative commentators brought them to the public’s attention. The reaction was immediate. Bill Owens, governor of Colorado, called university president Elizabeth Hoffman and ordered her to fire Churchill. She replied, "You know I can’t do that." (Not long after, she was forced to resign.) "

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Native Art vandalised, again, at University of Illinois. Perhaps in retaliation for the loss of their racist mascot.

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Smiley omelet.



Dad's great walleye. 4.5 pounds.



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Tags: Pithers Point Park, remix, Art Gallery Ontario, TED talks, Mixed Blood Theater, Tomson Highway, Drew Hayden Taylor, Farrell Cockrum, IACA, Ward Churchill, Canadian blog, First Nation, Native blog,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog,pics

Planned changes for Bingorage website.

Planned Changes For Bingorage website

In order to make the main page and archive pages load faster: a) Most third party directory links will be assigned to the static "Bingorage Links Page" (BLP) and removed from the blog's template. b) There will be fewer third party scripts running on the front page and archive pages. Third party scripts may run on the BLP. c) The number of posts on the main page may be reduced and smaller, more frequent installments will be posted. e) The page design will be cleaned up, updated and made less glaring. (Not... less colourful.)

The affected link associates will have their directories -and my accounts- updated to reflect the BLP. Directories that no longer have representation on my front page and archived pages will be informed to reflect the update; such directories may remove Bingorage from their database, according to their terms of service, but most will reflect the updated account information, BPL and web site.

Links that are required by my main service providers and media hosters (Blogger, Zoto, Youtube, etc.) will be maintained on the main page and archives.

The advertising footprint will be reduced and made more harmonious with the site.

More written articles with fewer link posts will be made. More of the text will be original Bingorage content rather than quoted third party content in these posts. The news and arts "linky posts" will still have a significant proportion of quoted text, (in blockquotes).

Favourite websites and friends pages will remain in the sidebar.

The most important -or favourite- Bingorage pages will have a prominent link in a remaining, renamed sidebar list. Most important or prominent art projects should have dedicated link and description in its own 'category' list.

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Dad and I went ice-fishing on Clearwater Lake last month, off the Ross Camp property. We got some good size perch.



We found a nice place to fish near the Rainy Lake causeway. Pike and Walleye taken at this location, many lost fish.



Shovelmask contemplates his own reflection.



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Tags: blogger, blog, icefishing, x, hard water, shovelmask, papier mache, paper mache, mask, Canadian blog, First Nation, Native blog,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog,pics

Crane, Powwow Dancer (3).

This piece was finished, in order to be displayed at the ARTifacts show, produced by Willendorphin, for the ARTpreneur conference in Kenora, Ontario; March 31, 2009.

A great event. Good feedback from other artists and representatives of the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.

Crane Powwow Dancer; Part 1 & Part 2

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{All pics click to enlarge.}

As seen at end of Part 2.



Outlining added.



Shield added.





Addition of leg bells.



Adding "bustle" to the dancer's regalia. Falling leg bell added, without detail.



Detail of sketched bustle.



Facepaint added.



There was a paint spill in front of the crane figure that I tried to use, by converting it into a snake. It didn't really work, so I ended up painting more grass detail, over it. This worked out better, visually, adding to the vertically layered look of the piece.





I wanted to incorporate beadwork into the piece. Specifically, a "collar" around the base of the rattle head. To do so, I removed the work from the wall and positioned it between a table and a large toolbox, so that I could access the underside/back of the piece. This allowed me to embroider the beadwork, sitting down. I was hampered by the placement of the brace lumber piece, but was able to work around it. I laid out the chosen colours of beads and sketched the pattern with a pen.







Detail of the finished beadwork, incorporated into the rattle.



Finished piece; exhibited at Willendorphin production for ARTpreneur conference in Kenora: ARTifacts, March 17 - April 4, 2009.



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A couple of my favourite pieces from the ARTifacts show:

"Barren Angst", by Diane Morley. Her contact info.: dianemorley@shaw.ca



Her statement (Click to enlarge):



"Fork In The Eye", by Kris Goold. Her contact info.: krisg@kmts.ca
Very cool fusion of metalwork to bone.



Her statement (Click to enlarge):



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The installed Crane... and I.



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Tags: Willendorphin, ARTpreneur, ARTifacts show, Kenora, Diane Morley, Kris Goold, Crane Powwow Dancer, Native Art, Ojibway art, regalia, Canadian blog, First Nation, Native blog,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog,pics