Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Minus 40, with the mindchill

Politics and Culture stuff:

Leonard Peltier moved and assaulted. his sister feels that this may be an attempt to interfere with his upcoming parole hearing.

Interviews from the "Defenders of the Land" gathering.
"... Between November 12-14, 2008, the historic Defenders of the Land gathering took place in Winnipeg. The gathering brought together dozens of grassroots activists, elders, youth, women and men from Indigenous communities across "Canada" who are in active struggle to defend their land and assert self-determination..."

Ted Haggard facing more charges of hypocrisy.

Winona LaDuke article; Uranium Mining, Native Resistance, and the Greener Path.

More than words: Can Canada's dying languages be saved?
"... there are around 50 indigenous languages spoken in Canada (other organizations reach higher figures by counting certain dialects as separate languages), and 222,210 people reported them as a mother tongue in the 2006 census. Only a handful of these languages -- principally Inuktitut, Ojibway and various dialects of Cree -- can be expected to survive without active intervention, according to linguistics experts. In 1951, 87% of aboriginal Canadians reported an indigenous language as a mother tongue compared with 21% by 2001 and 19% in 2006..."

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ GLOBAL SUMMIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE, April 20-24, 2009.
"... The purpose of the summit is to enable Indigenous peoples from all regions of the globe to exchange their knowledge and experience in adapting to the impacts of climate change, and to develop key messages and recommendations to be articulated to the world at the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009..."

My friend, Larry Mitchell (Potowatomi, deceased) of The Native Blog, would have been very interested in this story; Daniel Inouye, American Senator, is trying to get compensation for a band of U.S. Potowatomi who fled to Canada, after being dispossessed by the ethnic cleansing of Andrew Jackson in the 1800's. U.S. senator campaigns to pay back Canada's 'lost tribe'.
"... As early as the late 1800s, petitions were being made by the Pottawatomi heirs in Canada to collect payments promised by the U.S. government at the time of the removals.
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.
But American officials repeatedly balked at issuing payments to natives beyond the U.S. border. Although Pottawatomi descendants in the U.S. have received recognition and compensation for the displacement of their ancestors, their Canadian cousins have so far received nothing..."

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The National Film Board of Canada has put is putting all of its works online. This is an incredible resource that all Canadians (and the world) can now freely access.



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Artstuff:

Bingorage wishlist item at Jerry's Artarama: Item# 62532; 96" x 30 Yards, Unprimed Cotton Duck Roll.

Casting call for young Native actors, for upcoming "Twilight" sequel. January 30 deadline.

Another Native Blog; Keex' Kwan. Pics and reflections on Alaskan coastal life.

Voting Opens for Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award.

Gitxan hereditary chief and carver, Walter Harris (Simogyet Geel), died January 12.

An example of a growing problem: Norval Morrisseau works are being faked to cash in on his growing reputation. But, at the same time, real Morrisseaus may be "denounced"; collateral damage in the battle to protect the value of real works. Collectors sue gallery over disputed painting.

Native actor and playwright is turning his one-man show, Tales of an Urban Indian, into a show for APTN.

Art opportunity, for U.S. Native artists, including Hawaiian. Design NIEA blanket.
"NIEA is soliciting qualified artists and designers to participate in an open competition for works of art design to be incorporated onto the Pendleton Commemorative Blanket - A 40th Annual NIEA Pendleton Exclusive Limited edition..."

8'th Annual New Sun Conference on Aboriginal Arts: Inspiring Resilience. February 28, 2009, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Exhibit exploring the Indian Residential Schools era, at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, in Owen Sound, Ontario. Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools. January 23 to March 8 2009

Television writing and production workshop opportunity: The Institute of American Indian Arts 2009 Television & Film Summer Workshop. March 27, 2009 deadline.
"... workshop will be divided into two separate tracks, with cross-collaboration between the Writers Workshop and the Production Workshop..."

Native Californians arts grants; Native Cultures Fund, 2009 Community Partnerships grants.

Canada Council for the Arts Aboriginal Peoples Music Program March 1, 2009 deadline.
"... Program supports activities that contribute to the career and artistic development of Aboriginal musicians, and to the continued vitality of Aboriginal music..."

Additional Canada Council for the Arts "Aboriginal Arts" grants. (Mostly May 15 deadlines.)

New England Foundation for the Arts National Native Artist Exchange. Grant for U.S. Native artists to travel within the USA.

Blogpost about early abstract work in Northwest Coast Art, specifically a piece by Doug Cranmer called "Ravens in Nest".
"... And in the mid-Seventies, who else was doing abstracts? Back then, even Bill Reid had just complete his mastery of traditional form and had yet to edge towards the free-form works of his last period. It would be almost two decades, too, before Robert Davidson would become one of the best known artists to move towards abstraction and post-modernism..."

Canadian Native music concert film, "Larger Than Life" is being shown at Cineplex theatres across Canada; one day only. January 28, 2009; tomorrow, if you are reading this posting fresh.

Young Saugeen artist, A.J. Vandrie is steeped in the "woodlands school" and uses thick, bold colours. Stuff looks fresh, even though I thought I had 'seen it all' within the "woodlands school" style.

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