Codename: Guppy

I wanted to create a male character, for the "Lost Treasures" event (facebook page) coming up in Kenora, Ontario, to acknowledge the fact that most killings-of-women in this world... are at the hands of men. Husbands, brothers, fathers, lovers, sons, lovers, friends and strangers.

It would be simplistic and wrong, however, to say that men are inherently prone to kill women, by nature and testosterone. They/We are programmed by cultures, religions, mass medias, ancient archetypes and legends, corporate environments, etc., etc. I want this piece to reflect upon the anguish of two human potentials lost, when a man kills.

That's not to let us off the hook; the male gender has given the world "honour-killing", "murder-suicide", "serial-killer", "date-rape". "scorched-earth", "mutually assured destruction"...
So on, and so on.

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[Pics click to enlarge.]

I started out by playing with the spare parts and various heads-in-progress lying around the studio.



Once the head was chosen; I scrapped the huge arms and started papering/taping the figure.







I added another pre-made papier mache fragment to the back of the head to bulk it out. I think that I am going to leave the piece unpainted for the Kenora event. It radiates some real emotion, without being individualised, this way.









Lay it down, to get at the underside. I think that I will put some metal weight in the base of one leg to make it "stand".



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Tim Giago article

Ledger Art

"The Plains Indian Ledger Art Digital Publishing Project (PILA) was conceived as a way to keep this irreplaceable historic and cultural information intact, address the challenges of research and public access to the Plains Indian ledger books, and preserve the images for future generations."

NARF myspace page.

"The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has announced its 2nd Annual National Call for young Native artists, ages 15-35 years old. NARF is seeking art entries for its 2nd Annual Art Show in Boulder, Colorado-Modern Day Warriors: Empowering the Young Voices of Native America . The dynamic art exhibition will celebrate and highlight present and future generations of modern day warriors for Native rights. It will also place focus on the fact the Indian Wars Never Ended-they have merely changed venues from the historic battlegrounds of our ancestors to courtrooms; the media; schools; communities; Congress; and the modern day world around us... DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS 5PM, FRIDAY OCTOBER 12TH, 2007!"

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. The Festival will take place at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs, California, March 5 - 9, 2008... Film submission entry deadline is December 15, 2007."

Indigenous nations hit hard by hurricanes


The Fenimore Art Museum September 22-December 30, 2007.

"Being Indian: The 6th Contemporary Iroquois Art Biennial, an exhibition featuring the works of Native American artists Peter B. Jones and George Longfish"

AIEA 2007 Native American Youth Conference October 18 & 19, 2007 Phoenix Arizona

Nike has designed and produced a shoe, based on the Native American foot.

"...the Air Native N7 is designed with a larger fit for the distinct foot shape of American Indians, and has a culturally specific look. It will be distributed solely to American Indians; tribal wellness programs and tribal schools nationwide will be able to purchase the shoe at wholesale price and then pass it along to individuals, often at no cost."

How is this for a great idea? The New Zealand government has opened a "wiki" so that the citizens can write the new law on policing. Police wiki lets you write the law.

"Superintendent Hamish McCardle, the officer in charge of developing the new act, said the initiative had already been described as a "new frontier of democracy".
"People are calling it 'extreme democracy' and perhaps it is," he said.
"It's a novel move but when it comes to the principles that go into policing, the person on the street has a good idea ... as they are a customer," he said.
"They've got the best idea about how they want to be policed."
NZ Police were reviewing the old Policing Act, from 1958, which had become "anachronistic" and was "written for a completely different age, not policing of today", Superintendent McCardle said."

Columbus Day is approaching again, United Native America was formed...

"in 1993 as a nation wide grass roots movement to bring about a federal national holiday for Native Americans. The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma fully supports this issue with resolution 91-93. United Native America resolution 1-1 calls on the federal government to stop using our tax dollars to pay for Columbus Day.

Columbus does not rate a federal tax paid holiday in this country. We are standing up against the racial exclusion of Native Americans in our society to include these industries, national television stations, movie industries, national sports industries, national news media and music industries. Bringing about these changes have to take place before America can say it represents all its people equally.

The American Indians helped give birth to this country and helped form the government we have today, this is the true beginning history of America. This contribution and many more are noted in the American Indian heritage month of November resolution passed each year by the United States Senate and signed by the president, please join us in the struggle in the spirit of Crazy Horse, Tecumseh and countless others to live in peace on our land."

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Ugly Necklace Contest

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Tags: native art, papier mache, male figure, paper sculpture, human form, ojibway art, violence, lost treasures, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

Blog Against Abuse

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Blog Against Abuse (Click pic for link to BlogCatalog page).

"The Outcome we are after is to be part of the largest group of bloggers to ever blog about an important cause, all on the same day.
So how do you participate?
On Sept. 27th, blog about putting an end to some sort of Abuse (you decide what kind of abuse to blog about)."

That's a fairly wide-open mandate: "blog against some kind of abuse".

I think that I will go for the big one. The ultimate abuse; murder.
Most countries have laws and sanctions against it. Religions proscribe it. Most individuals say that it is a bad thing. The "golden rule" makes it illogical.

I'm probably misquoting Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven): "Killing's a hell of a thing... take away all that a man has... and all that he'll ever have."

And, yet...
We go on murdering by the tens of thousands each year; perhaps hundreds of thousands and millions, world-wide, depending on the so called realpolitik of the day.
And it's easy to let that slide, thousands of miles away and next neighbourhood over. "Dirty, savage people" who don't look like you, pray like you, believe like you, grow up like you or live in your patch. Just numbers and probably thieves, whores and terrorists to boot.
Mothers, brothers, babies, daughters, sisters, fathers, farmers, cobblers, teachers, preachers, ditchdiggers, waitresses, painters, bricklayers, shopkeepers, doctors...

Armies murder.
Religions murder.
Gangs and cops murder.
Friends and lovers... family and strangers murder.
People kill for spite, money, love, hate, fear, guilt, country, god, shits and giggles.

Some have "good reason to", others have no reason at all.
Some are just "doing their duty"... and breaking every moral code they claim to believe in.
Some are just trying to save their own skins.

It's easy to kill someone.
By the time you're eighteen, the average TV viewer has witnessed hundreds of enacted murders, if not thousands. If you live in a part of the world without television, or in certain parts of "urban jungles" anywhere, you've probably witnessed a few killings up close. You become desensitised.
If you join an army, a police force, or a middle eastern death cult, killing "on behalf of a greater good" can be rationalised; become second nature.

So. How does it end?

I don't believe that religions, laws or punishments can prevent murder. Indeed, even though they are meant to prevent it, they often incite and promote killing.

I've been tossing an idea around for a while: plan for and publicise a yearly, worldwide "Day Without Murder". The hardest part may not be reaching all the crackheads, street-thugs, psychos, shitbags, terrorists and religious nutjobs... it might be educating and convincing all governments and police forces to refrain from killing. Just for a day.

Could everyone stop? Just for one day? Can there ever be a single day, throughout the whole planet, in which nobody is killed by another human? I think that if that day is ever achieved, then there might never be another murder.

How about December 21'st?
Every december 21'st.

:Eric

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Previous posting about "Lost Treasures", an NWAC event in Kenora (Ontario), in synch with Sisters in Spirit vigils (October 4, 2007)in other cities around Canada and in Columbia and Peru. The events are to raise awareness of and memorialise the large number of missing and murdered First Nations women in Canada.

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Tags: Blog Against Abuse, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, lost treasures

touch of frost

Pics click to enlarge.
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Not sure what this is becoming. I may just let it sit for a bit and concentrate on other things until it starts to say something else.













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Grandma moon; version 2, clay model (three days ago) and start of second paper coat (last night).


Grandma moon; version 1 (touch-ups).


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Screening schedule for new Chris Eyre production, Imprint.

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New exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum in MPLS; Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation. 26 October, 2007 to 13 January, 2008.

City of Nanaimo returns waterfront property to the Snuneymuxw First Nation; a former village site.

Apply to exhibit at Gesai 2007, Miami. Deadline for application is October1, 2007 {receive-application-by deadline, not postmark-deadline}. Artists and students without gallery representation.

Vineyard poster contest

Taxonomists have previously posited that animals are closer to fungi than green-plants, but new evidence suggests that we are closer to ferns than mushrooms.

Maverick former Yellowstone ranger studied Bison in the wild.Part 1.Part 2.

"As individuals, each bison has distinctive roles in the herd and this herd consists of families, extended families, bands, clans and tribes, the same as all indigenous peoples. Families also meant they have to have homes and homes meant they, as extended family groups, had territories to live in and defend. I found out they did not make these homes in areas disruptive to family life development, i.e. watering holes, travel routes and mineral licks used as common ground by all extended families."

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Eight day old road blockade in Manitoba was rammed by a logging skidder.

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Native American Cuisine

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KFAI radio, of the Twin Cities:

Indian Uprising

"Indian Uprising is a one hour public and cultural affairs program concerned with sober and meaningful issues by, for and about Indigenous people."

Who's Spinning Who?

"On "Who's Spinning Who?" producer Cyn Collins gives a voice to those in the know, interviewing musicians, producers, bookers, record store and label staff, and other music fans about their favorite music. They'll spin samples of these picks enticing you to pick them as your own favorites. They will also fill you in on upcoming new shows and projects you’ll hear about here, first!"

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How does a police state come about?... and are we there already? If the evidence fits...

"#9. Dissent equals treason

Cast dissent as "treason" and criticism as "espionage'. Every closing society does this, just as it elaborates laws that increasingly criminalise certain kinds of speech and expand the definition of "spy" and "traitor". When Bill Keller, the publisher of the New York Times, ran the Lichtblau/Risen stories, Bush called the Times' leaking of classified information "disgraceful", while Republicans in Congress called for Keller to be charged with treason, and rightwing commentators and news outlets kept up the "treason" drumbeat. Some commentators, as Conason noted, reminded readers smugly that one penalty for violating the Espionage Act is execution...

...We US citizens will get a trial eventually - for now. But legal rights activists at the Center for Constitutional Rights say that the Bush administration is trying increasingly aggressively to find ways to get around giving even US citizens fair trials. "Enemy combatant" is a status offence - it is not even something you have to have done. "We have absolutely moved over into a preventive detention model - you look like you could do something bad, you might do something bad, so we're going to hold you," says a spokeswoman of the CCR.

Most Americans surely do not get this yet. No wonder: it is hard to believe, even though it is true. In every closing society, at a certain point there are some high-profile arrests - usually of opposition leaders, clergy and journalists. Then everything goes quiet. After those arrests, there are still newspapers, courts, TV and radio, and the facades of a civil society. There just isn't real dissent. There just isn't freedom. If you look at history, just before those arrests is where we are now.

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New Native publication seeking input and collaboration:

Osiyo Dohitsu everyone.

I am a native professional freelance writer/photographer in the
northwoods region of Wi. I am actively seeking Native non pro models
for a long term publication project. Also seeking native individuals
skilled in creative and journalistic writing styles, people who believe
they may have a skill in marketing business etc. eduaction and
employment history unimportant. Good skills speak for themselves. This
is a long term project with the intent of launching a much needed by
Natives for Natives monthly or bi-monthly quality publication.

If you think you have a contribution of skill and time to brainstorm
ideas contact me at spiritwarriorhorse[at]yahoo[dot]com... or add and contact me on yahoo messenger(spiritwarriorhorse)

Look forward to hearing from you.

Shawn

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imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 1:30pm - Sunday, October 21, 2007 at 11:00pm

Al Green Theatre
750 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON

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Tags: native art, papier mache, moon mask, paper sculpture,Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

autumn mush

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"The Ascent"

This is a painting which I've been putting together for the "Lost Treasures" event, the photo documentation is collected in this album, but the more final version won't be seen until the "Lost Treasures" opening.











"Grandma Moon" mask.See the photo album.

First variation:


Sculpting a second variation:








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"Hidden from history: The Canadian Holocaust"

Teutonic "Indians"

Poverty Point archaeology site in Louisiana.

Talk like a pirateday. "Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr..."

You need the Miro player and it needs your help.

An Ojibwy elder's site, Native Art in Canada.

"My name is Nokomis. I'm an Ojibwa artist and storyteller who grew up in the bush almost seventy years ago. The literal translation of my name means "the great mother" for Nokomis was the spirit who created the Ojibwa in the world. In another context the word can mean grandmother. The name was given to me by my elders at a naming ceremony when it was apparent to them who I would be in this lifetime."

Makah whalers harvest another grey whale, in defiance of tribal injunction and federal law, to protest delays in settling their hunting claim; provoking racist reactions.

"On Sept. 9, the Makah Tribal Council issued this prepared statement: "The Makah Tribal Council denounces the actions of those who took it upon themselves to hunt a whale without the authority from the Makah Tribal Council or the Makah Whaling Commission. Their action was a blatant violation of our law and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are cooperating with the National Marine Fisheries Service in their investigation of this incident and will continue to do so."

Goons story, by Tim Giago

Lotus Symphony; the newly free office suite from IBM, supports ODF format.

A new Native directory; NDN411.Com. I you are a dancer, artist, musician, consultant, etc., sign up and list your facebook, myspace and other profiles.

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California Indian trailer:



written, produced & directed by Timothy Andrew Ramos.
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Tags: papier mache, paper sculpture, sculptor, native art, broken vulture art, first nation, ojibway art, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics

post 9-11 grandma moon blues

Many 9/11 ceremonies on the tube, yesterday.

I watched an interesting story on the PBS Nova show, Building on Ground Zero. It's interesting to note that the WTC engineer Les Robertson (who feared that his company and his career were over when the twin towers fell) is currently working on the Shanghai World Financial Centre construction.

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This is a "Grandmother Moon" mask that I am putting together for the "Lost Treasures" event in Kenora, October 4, 2007.








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Sketches of a sculpture idea; Drummers.





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"Turquoise Rose"; Navajo film reaches across cultural lines

"It's the story of a college-age Navajo, raised in Phoenix, apart from her cultural roots, who is summoned to the reservation to care for her ailing grandmother.

Much of the film was written while Hamilton was deployed in Iraq. His signal brigade from the Arizona National Guard accompanied the first Army soldiers who entered that country in 2003.

In his unit was a woman from Chinle named Rose and a non-Native schoolteacher who was familiar with the Navajo Nation. As Hamilton worked on his story during the 15-month deployment, he would bounce ideas off both."

New Native myspace-style social networking site, Red Nation Society

National Indian Education Association

Community Arts Network

"The Community Arts Network (CAN) is a portal to the field of community arts, providing news, documentation, theoretical writing, communications, research and educational information. Headquartered at its Web site on the Internet, CAN is a program of Art in the Public Interest (API), a nonprofit organization based in North Carolina."

Manitoba's Peguis First Nation has just agreed to a large land claim settlement. Plans to purchase 67 000 hectares to expand reservation.

Kenora area First Nation scheduled to evict lease holders at the end of the year, but they may file suit to appeal the eviction.

Native American basketry on exhibit at the Rockwell museum until November 11.

My Broken Vulture page at Red Nation Society.

Just a reminder to check your local area for American Indian Heritage day events.

Creatively Speaking September 14 at Seattle Art Museum.

"Explore the contemporary connections of traditional Coast Salish weaving with Susan Pavel (sa'hLa mitSa) in conversation with SAM Curator of Native American Art Barbara Brotherton."

Antiwar minister tries to enter the "Petraeus Hearing" and gets his leg broken by Capitol police, who then arrest him for assault. (video included}

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Tags: 9 11, lost treasures, papier mache, paper sculpture, moon mask, native art, modeling clay, Bingorage, Broken Vulture Art, blog, pics