Billboards depicting a rifleman taking aim at the iconic Kansas City sculpture “The Scout” were taken down Monday after drawing a whirlwind of spirited reaction.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/30/4520544/kc-billboard-removed-after-creating.html#storylink=cpy
Artist A. Bitterman had rented the twin billboards near 19th Street and Baltimore Avenue in the Crossroads Arts District after Missouri Bank had accepted, but then rejected, the work for its Crossroads “Artboards” program.
The work went up Sept. 23 and was supposed to be displayed until Oct. 21, according to Bitterman’s website.
“I was very glad to see that,” Moses Brings Plenty said of the news that the billboards were taken down. A member of the Oglala Lakota nation and the community outreach coordinator for the Kansas City Indian Center, he had vociferously opposed the work as a symbol of racism and hatred.
“I did it for our children,” he said. “Our common enemy is racism.”
A message seeking comment from officials at CBS Outdoor, which had rented the billboard space, was not returned Monday.
Bitterman did not respond to an email seeking comment, but in a post on his website dated Sunday, he sought to explain his intention:
“The one thing that can not be disputed in my image is the fact that the Scout is not an indian at all, it is a depiction of an Indian, a sculpture, created by and for white culture, and it carries a historical narrative of what white people at the turn of the 20th century wanted the indian to be. The artist on the scaffolding is confronting that narrative.”
In an earlier post, Bitterman wrote, “If anything The Scout is a gesture in defense of the native American.”
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/30/4520544/kc-billboard-removed-after-creating.html#storylink=cpy
EVERETT — Researcher and professional photographer Jeff Hogan brings back his “Killer Whale Tales” to the NW Stream Center in Snohomish County’s McCollum Park, 600 128th Street SE, Everett.
The show is at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Hogan will show surface and underwater photos and videos. After attending this show, people will be able to identify when a whale is swimming to get to another location, hunting for salmon or just playing.
Hogan will also discuss the sleeping habits of orcas: Their brains are so large that they put half their brain to sleep, but use the other half to keep on the move.
Hogan also will provide a unique view of what it is like to swim with the San Juan orcas, thanks to a research webcam that was temporarily attached to a very large male killer whale’s dorsal fin.
He also will provide news on the baby orca that was born earlier this year and bring along a whale skull for people to examine.
Cost is $5 for Adopt A Stream Foundation members, $7 non-members. Proceeds benefit the Adopt A Stream Foundation’s Streamkeeper Academy.
Call 425-316-8592 now to register. Space is limited.
Reading “Showdown: JFK and the Integration of the Washington Redskins” allows the American Indian reader a fast clue as to why the ownership of the football team, located in the nation’s capital city, has remained clueless as to why the vast majority of American Indians oppose its name.
I know there have been surveys done that proclaim the opposite. And, I know the media have a way of finding someone’s uncle Indian Joe, who is eager to get on television to declare he thinks it is an honor when non-Indians use Indians as mascots.
I honestly don’t believe the surveys and feel sorry for uncle Indian Joe from the Does-Not-Get-It Tribe. I know a survey can be commissioned to deliver desired results for the entity commissioning the survey. The tobacco companies did it all the time when they were attempting to prove second-hand smoke does not injure the non-smoker.
I know the vast majority of American Indians I know find the term “redskins” akin to the “N” word. Even the Merriam-Webster defines the word as offensive.
I must disclose the book is not about the name of the team per se. The author devotes less than a full page to the fact American Indians took the use of the name to court in the early 1990s.
“Showdown” discusses how the National Football League was behind Major League Baseball in integration of African Americans into its ranks. The book is about how the Washington football team was the last team to have an African American on its roster.
The book’s central figure is the Washington football team’s owner, George Preston Marshall, who was a brazen racist.
“Blinded by racism,” author Thomas G. Smith writes,
“Marshall refused to tap into the pool of African-American talent,” despite the franchise’s shortcomings on the field. ”
Smith suggests that to keep in good favor with his mainly white, Southern fan base and not hurt his profit margin, Marshall refused to draft black players from 1946 through 1961, making his team the only team in the professional league to have an all white team. During this time, the team had a dismal record of 69 wins, 116 losses and 8 ties and went through eight coaches.
However, Marshall’s racist hiring policy would be challenged by President John F. Kennedy’s Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall.
In 1961, the same year the Kennedy administration came into power, Marshall purchased a 30 year lease for a newly built 54,000 seat stadium, writes Smith. The landlord was the federal government. When President Kennedy issued an executive order creating the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, Secretary Udall, after consulting Interior Department attorneys and decided to move against the Washington “Paleskins”, as he referred to the NFL franchise.
Citing a no-discrimination provision in the stadium lease, Udall gave Marshall an ultimatum, integrate the team or lose the stadium.
“Showdown” does a good job of describing how the team relented and became integrated. However, Marshall – even after his death in 1969 – stipulated in his will that the Redskins Foundation with funds from his estate was not to direct a single dollar toward “any purpose which supports or employs the principle of racial integration in any form.”
Unfortunately, the team, through a couple of different owners since Marshall, remains clueless as to the use of the word it uses for its name – much to the gross disrespect of American Indians across the nation.
The Gathering of Nations powwow, the world’s largest gathering of Native American and indigenous people, has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2014 by the American Bus Association.
“Each year, more than 100,000 people from throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world attend the powwow and we want to make sure that it is a positive experience for everyone,” Derek Mathews, founder of the Gathering of Nations, said in a press release. He also said that it was an honor to be recognized as one of the Top 100.
The 31st annual event is to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico from April 24-26, 2014. The powwow was selected from hundreds of nominated festivals, parades, theaters and shows. The judging committee considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motor coaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of relevant criteria to make their final decisions.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Kentucky Derby and Mardi Gras made up the list of top 100. The Star-Spangled Spectacular in Baltimore, was listed as the No.1 event in America; and the Québec City International Festival of Military Bands was the No. 1 event in Quebec, Canada.
Peter J. Pantuso, ABA’s president and CEO, said in a news release that this honor gives the powwow an important boost in visibility. “The Gathering of Nations has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy.
Glass gourds: Shack-toberfest is already under way and runs through Sunday in downtown Everett. There will be pumpkin carving and classes on how to make your own glass pumpkin. There will also be glass pumpkins for sale. There is a beer and brat night on Friday. Get all the details here.
Live music: See Rose Windows, who recently signed to SubPop, perform with The Maldives and Learning Team on Saturday at 8 p.m. The show is at Kroakers in Everett. You can get tickets here.
Spruce up your home: The Everett Fall Home Show is Friday to Sunday at Comcast Arena. You’ll find vendors that will do just about anything to improve your home. There will also be free seminars on home improvement. At the same time, there will be a gift and food show in the arena. Taste some good food and get a jump on holiday shopping. Get the details in our story here.
Free parks day: All state parks and national parks will be free on Saturday to celebrate National Public Lands Day. There are also a number of work parties on trails. Check here for more information.
Find a feline: Look for a new family friend, or just go for fun, at The Secret Life of Cats adoption event at the Everett Animal Shelter on Sunday. More than 100 cats and kittens will be available for adoption. There will even be a tarot reader to do readings for humans and felines alike. Get more details in our story here.
Good gourds: Check out the winner of the Giant Pumpkin contest at the Skagit Valley Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Christianson’s Nursery and Greenhouse, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. In addition to huge veggies there will be music, carnival games and food. And don’t forget the toad races. Read more in our story here.
Go for a flight: Kids can take free plane rides at the Arlington Airport Appreciation Day. The event is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Get the details in our story here.
Look up: Take a virtual trip to Rome to view the unequaled artwork of Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Everett Public Library, 2702 Hoyt Ave. Rebecca Albiano of the Frye Art Museum will be your tour guide at this free presentation.
Friendly persuasion: Grab a pal or meet one at the Friendship Walk Saturday at Arlington’s Legion Park, 114 N. Olympic. Registration for the walk begins at 11 a.m. and donations benefit people with special needs. The one-mile walk begins at 1 p.m. You can also get friendly with reptiles in a special demonstration or enjoy a $5 hot dog lunch. Click here for more information.
Autumn leaves: Pick up some tips on what plants work well in fall and winter gardens at a free workshop with Trevor Cameron at 10 a.m. Saturday at Sunnyside Nursery, 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., Marysville. Call 425-334-2002 for more information.
It’s science, guys: The Arlington Library double-dog dares you to show up at 2 p.m. Saturday to learn some amazing challenges and tricks. The free science demonstrations are for all ages at the library at 135 N. Washington Ave. Call 360-435-3033 for more information.
When in Rome: Stomp some grapes, toss some pizza, watch a bocce tourney and learn to cook Italian at Festa Italiana from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Seattle Center.
Get involved: It’s also Family Day Saturday at the center, thanks to Melinda and Bill Gates. Free events for kids include arts and crafts, games and brainiac activities. The foundation will also show kids how they can give back like the Gates family does. Go to www.seattlecenter.com for information about all center activities.
Poetry reading:Uppercase Bookshop in Snohomish will host two renowned poets for a reading and Q&A at 7 p.m. Friday. John Sibley Williams and Amber Nelson will both read from their works. Get more info here.
Hum along: Songwriter Nick Drummond performs at 7:30 Saturday night at Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 Fourth St., Snohomish. Drummond used to be with Impossible Bird and The Senate. Tickets are $15 at brownpapertickets or at the door. Call 360-568-9412 for more information.
Who are you? Curious about your ancestors? The Snohomish Genealogy Workgroup will help you get started researching your family history from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the Snohomish Library, 311 Maple Ave. Call 360-568-2898 for more information.
Celebrate diversity: Marysville’s first Multicultural Fair to celebrate diversity in the Marysville-Tulalip communities and the many cultures who call the area home is Saturday. The free event is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Comeford Park, 514 Delta Ave. There will be music, dancing and food. Get more info here.
Art Walk: A Stanwood art walk will cover the historic east end of Stanwood, encompassing the 8700 block of 271st Street NW one block north of Highway 532, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Get your “passports” stamped and initialed at the participating businesses then turn in your completed “passport” for a chance to become a winner in the free drawing. Fifteen small local businesses are showing paintings, pottery, jewelry and more.
Car show: The Snohomish Classic Car & Hot Rod Display is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. More than 600 antique, classic and exotic hot rod cars and trucks will be on display. Get more details here.
Live sustainable: Check out the Sustainable Preparedness Expo on Sunday at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. The show focuses on preparing your family in the case of disaster, sustainable living and homesteading. Vendors will be there with hard-to-find supplies and there are a number of workshops and seminars planned. Click here for the details.
So soft: Stop by Fern Ridges Alpacas in Clinton to learn more about alpacas their fiber and the farming business on Saturday and Sunday. Find out more about the farm here. The event is part of National Alpaca Farm Days.
Celebrate salmon: Enjoy riverside salmon viewing tours, Indian tacos, a native flute concert and more at the Return of the Salmon celebration in Sultan. The event, featuring kid’s activities, live music, dance and horse-drawn covered wagon rides, is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Osprey Park, 801 First St. For details, call 425-359-8936.
Cheers! Taste and celebrate the return of Foggy Noggin Brewing’s seasonal scotch ale at a special tasting event on Saturday. You can also buy pint and growlers of the seasonal beer, which will run out within eight weeks, at the brewery’s tasting room in Bothell. More information here.
CHICAGO – Combined with his own artwork and artifacts from The Field Museum’s collections, hand-selected by Native artist Bunky Echo-Hawk, The Field Museum’s latest exhibition, “Bunky Echo-Hawk: Modern Warrior,” opens on Friday, September 27.
Native Artist Bunky Echo-Hawk heads to Chicago
Echo-Hawk is a member of the Pawnee and Yakama Nation. He and curator Alaka Wali personally selected the Pawnee objects from The Field Museum collections as well as several Yakama and Arapaho objects.
A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, he is a painter, graphic designer, photographer and writer. He is also is a traditional singer and dancer.
Throughout his career, Echo-Hawk has merged traditional values with his lifestyle and art. He has exhibited his work in major exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally in New York City, Chicago, Denver, Santa Fe, and Frankfurt, Germany, among many others.
Highlights of this exhibition include a vibrant portrait of Yoda sporting Native American headdress, basketball sneakers Echo-Hawk designed for Nike, a 100 year old historic Pawnee drum, and skateboards designed by Bunky. The exhibition also includes a Field Museum produced video about Echo-Hawk’s “live art” process.
The exhibition will feature historic objects from The Field Museum’s collections alongside Echo-Hawk’s artwork. Echo-Hawk’s spirited and witty presentation gives visitors a look into The Field Museum’s historic clothing, weaponry and musical instruments from the Pawnee nation. “Bunky Echo-Hawk: Modern Warrior” is a part of the ongoing “Straight from The Field” series of exhibitions.
The exhibition is organized by The Field Museum and co-curator Bunky Echo-Hawk.
This project is made possible by a grant from the US Institute of Museum and Library Services.
WHAT: “Bunky Echo-Hawk: Modern Warrior” Exhibition Opening
WHEN:
Friday, September 27
WHERE:
The Field Museum
1400 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60605
MARYSVILLE — The city is planning its first Marysville Multicultural Fair to celebrate diversity in the Marysville-Tulalip communities and the many cultures who call the area home.
The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 28 in downtown Comeford Park, 514 Delta Ave. There will be music and dance from around the world on stage in the Rotary Pavilion, demonstrations and displays of traditions from other lands, and a food court where ethnic foods will be available for purchase.
The multicultural fair is sponsored by Sea Mar Community Health Centers, HomeStreet Bank, Marysville/North County YMCA, Molina Healthcare and the Marysville Free Methodist Church.
The day’s performances open with the Korean Dancers and Drums. The will be Celtic music from Seattle favorites the BOWI Band, Mariachi Juvenil Voces, American Indian flautist Peter Ali, American Indian S-du-hoo-bsh storyteller Lois Landgrebe, belly dance performances, and Karen Ann Krueger, a former paralympian and inspirational speaker on disabilities.
Some cultural food favorites include Mae Phim Restaurant (Thai), Sampaghita Cuisine (Filipino-American), Rosie’s Frybread (Tulalip/Native American), La Hacienda (Mexican), Craving Cajun Grill, Sons of Italy and others.
The multicultural fair will also have dozens of cultural resource booths, informational displays and hands-on activities for children.
For more information, contact diversity committee staff liaison Doug Buell at 360-363-8086, email dbuell@marysvillewa.gov, or visit the website at http://marysvillewa.gov/multiculturalfair.
This fall, SWAIA is launching its first annual NextGen Intensive Performing Arts Workshop for Native youth led by renowned Native artists Brian Frejo, Louie Gong, Ehren Kee Natay and Michelle St. John.
Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB) September 23, 2013
NextGen SWAIA Intensive Performing Arts Workshop is a weekend program for Native youth (ages 12–18) that explores art, traditional and contemporary music and dance, and spoken word. A series of interactive workshops will take place from November 15-17. Participating youth will perform in front of an audience on Sunday (Nov 17) afternoon and during SWAIA’s Winter Indian Market (Nov 30). This exclusive opportunity will provide eight Native youth a unique opportunity to work with and learn from renowned Native artists and performers Brian Frejo, Louie Gong, Ehren Kee Natay, and Michelle St. John. Applications are due October 4, 2013.
Brian Frejo (Pawnee/Seminole) is a cultural activist, motivational speaker, youth advocate, actor, musician, photographer and DJ. He is a member of the Grammy–nominated drum group Young Bird and plays the Native American flute. Additionally, Frejo has appeared in over twenty feature films and television series in his career.
Louie Gong (Nooksack) is an educator, artist, and activist. Gong is the founder of Eighth Generation, which combines elements of Salish icons and urban pop culture to create one-of-a-kind shoes that speak to questions and statements on identity and culture. Gong is known for his workshops around the world, his partnerships with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, and has been featured on NBC News, in the New York Times, and Native Peoples Magazine. Gong was also named in Native Max Magazine’s list of the “Top 10 Inspirational Natives: Past and Present.”
Ehren Kee Natay (Diné/Kewa) is a musician, dancer, actor, painter, and jeweler. Natay has toured the nation as a professional drummer and has been awarded various fellowships for his work as an artist, including the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian Fellowship and the SWAIA/Heritage Hotels Rising Artists Fellowship. Natay designed t-shirts and merchandise for the 2013 Santa Fe Indian Market Artist Designed Collection.
Michelle St. John (Wampanoag) is a two-time Gemini Award winning actor with over 30 years of experience in film, theatre, voice, and music. Her film credits include Smoke Signals, Northern Exposure, and The Business of Fancy Dancing. For ten years she was the co-managing artistic director for the award winning play The Scrubbing Project and co-founded the Native women’s theatre company Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble based in Toronto. St. John is currently a producing partner for Frog Girl Films.
NextGen SWAIA Intensive Performing Arts Workshop is open to eight Native students at no cost; all food, lodging, and supplies are provided. Applications are available at this link. Deadline is October 4, 2013.
This was James “Smitty” Hillaire’s debut as a stage actor, and yet he emoted anger, frustration and pain like a pro.
“We don’t like to call it acting,” Hillaire said. “We’re trying to tell a story, a story that hasn’t been told … A lot of people didn’t realize why we’re still fighting for our rights today. It’s still going on.”
Hillaire portrays Chowitshoot, a leader of the Lummi people and a reluctant signer of the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott in “What About Those Promises?”, a stage production about treaty promises that have not been fulfilled by the United States.
To develop the script, Shelly Muzzy pored through transcripts of proceedings stored at the University of Washington. The audience is confronted with a true version of history not like those found in many textbooks.
“What About Those Promises?” brings to life the realities of—and the emotional trauma stemming from—the unfulfilled promises of the Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855. (Lummi Nation)
Here, Chowitshoot and other Lummi representatives raise concerns about how the treaty will affect their rights to fish, hunt, harvest, and continue their way of life. Chief Si’ahl, or Seattle, leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples, urges his peers to not sign the treaty.
The treaty was signed under duress, Hillaire said. “Sign or walk knee deep in blood—those were the words. We had no choice. We were forced to sign.”
The play brings to life the ongoing struggles of the Lummi people to see the promises of the treaty fulfilled, and gives voice to the people involved in those struggles.
The scenes take place when the United States was in the “fever of the termination era” and terminating its treaty responsibilities owed to tribes, Jewell James wrote in Whatcom Watch; he is director of the Lummi Nation’s Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office. The region’s First People were jailed for trying to fish and harvest in their traditional grounds, as promised in Article 5 of the treaty; their rights to fish and harvest were upheld in 1974 in the U.S. District Court case, U.S. v. Washington, also known as the Boldt decision.
“What About Those Promises?” also reveals to the audience the emotional toll the post-treaty years have had—the residential schools, the termination era, and the continuing fight to protect rights, the environment and sacred places.
“We’ve been treated like animals, actually,” Hillaire said. “I believe we are one of the most regulated people in the whole country. We’re treated like prisoners of war; we’ve never gone to war [against the U.S.], we never surrendered either, but they treat us like a conquered people.”
“What About Those Promises?” brings to life the realities of—and the emotional trauma stemming from—the unfulfilled promises of the Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855. (Lummi Nation)
Hillaire and his wife, Lutie, who also has a role in the play, have been participating in workshops to help them deal with the emotional impacts of historical trauma.
“I have a difficult time right off trying to deal with the anger,” he said. “I have kind of mixed emotions—some of it anger, some of it sadness.”
What producer Darrell Hillaire hopes people take away from his play: “That their word is good. Anybody. All people. All cultures. To keep our word to one another. We have such diverse peoples living in this country, in our communities. How do we best learn to live together? Well, you keep your promises first. From there, you learn to live together.”
State Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, one of two Native Americans in the state House of Representatives, authored laws that require the history and culture of Washington’s First Peoples is taught in the state’s public schools, and allow tribes to open their own schools and create their own curriculum.
“This would be a great production to be out there [in schools],” he said. “You bring in your youngsters and your current leadership and your elders, and then do this production. If every tribe would do that, we’d really educate the state of Washington.”
He added, “Youngsters, you have to listen—listen to the stories of the elders, so we know where we’ve been, so you know where to go.”
The next staging of the production will be October 18 at Seattle University’s Pigott Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at BrownPaperTickets.com.
Norma Smallwood was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1906. She graduated from high school and earned the title of Miss Tulsa when she was 16 years old.
Smallwood was an art major at Oklahoma State College and was in her sophomore year of college when she captured the Miss America title in 1926.
During her year-long reign, Smallwood became a popular poster girl, and reportedly earned more than copy00,000, which, according to pbs.org, was more than Babe Ruth made that year.
Smallwood died in Tulsa in May of 1966. She was 57.
Both Smallwood and Davuluri came from relatively small towns, and were both firsts: Davuluri is the first Indian American to hold the title; and in 1926, Smallwood was the first Native woman (she was of Cherokee descent) to wear the crown.
And while Smallwood lived in a time when women marched in the streets for equality (American women had only been given the right to vote in 1920) Davuluri is being forced to fight to be accepted as an American woman. ICTMN wrote about the racial slurs that marred her win. Those racist comments referenced convenience stores and linked her to terrorism.
She shrugged off the racist backlash. “I have always viewed myself first and foremost American,” she said after being told about the comments in her first post-pageant press conference. “I have to rise above that.”
