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American-Indians-R-Real
Tuesday June 5, 2007
| Traditions are in bloom at Tumacacori National Historical Park |
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| Posted: May 30, 2007 |
| by: Lee Allen / Today correspondent |
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Photo courtesy Tumacacori National Historical Park -- Guillermo and Gloria Moroyoqui de Roques stand at their booth at Fiesta 1991. Gloria Moroyoqui de Roques, Mayo/Yaqui, known also as the ''paper flower lady,'' has been making flowers from papel de china (Chinese paper) since childhood, continuing a Mexican tradition that has endured for more than 200 years. Her work can be found at Tumacacori National Historical Park in southern Arizona. Bottom Photo by Lee Allen -- The historical Mission San Jose de Tumacacori was established at the request of Pima Indians in 1691 and attracts thousands of tourists each year. An adjacent adobe visitor center contains historical mementos and craft exhibits. |
| TUMACACORI, Ariz. - The paper flowers were there. The paper flower lady was not. But then, having reached age 75 with a touch of arthritis because you've been making flowers out of colored tissue paper since you were a child, perhaps a bit of the ''maybe tomorrow'' philosophy is permissible.
Gloria Moroyoqui de Roques, born in the valley of the Yaqui near Ciudad Obregon in Sonora, Mexico, has been making flowers from papel de China (Chinese paper) since childhood. She never had any formal education, but learned to read, write, cook, sew and make flowers and pinatas from her mother. Her handicrafts are on display in windows, lobbies and adorning altars at Tumacacori National Historical Park in southern Arizona. When she does show up to demonstrate her paper artistry - or make tortillas by hand on less creative days - Moroyoqui de Roques astounds audiences with the ability to fabricate any kind of flower from roses and carnations to zinnias - perhaps as many as 30 in her extensive repertoire - just by looking at a sample.
Making paper flowers has been a tradition in Mexico for more than 200 years, enlivening festive occasions such as fiestas, church masses and gravesites on All Souls Day. The folk art construction takes on widespread forms from pinatas to cascarones (eggshell filled with confetti) to the artwork the paper flower lady has been making for 25 years since she first participated in the annual Tumacacori Fiesta.
She is not alone in bringing Native and Spanish tradition to the park and its ancient historical Mission San Jose de Tumacacori, established at the request of Pima Indians in 1691.
''The original peoples in this area were Pima and Papago [now known as Tohono O'odham],'' said Park Ranger Anita Badertscher. ''What we find looking at mission records is that the O'odham and the Yaquis, Gloria's people, got along peacefully with the Spanish because they were already farmers living in settled communities. The O'odham vision of life fit well and the Yaquis seemed to do even better in some ways, showing up in records as having positions of responsibility, primarily cowboys, and mixing in with other inhabitants.''
Jesuit priest Eusebio Francisco Kino first visited the area at the request of Indians from the villages of Tumacacori, Guevavi and San Xavier del Bac. Impressed by the Pima Tribe and its land development of the Pimeria Alta, Kino established the mission. ''His understanding of Pima ways and lack of dogmatism won the confidence of his charges,'' according to National Park Service literature. Kino brought ritual and pageantry with him and mixed it with an introduction of wheat, livestock and fruit trees.
In one room of the mission edifice that still attracts upwards of 50,000 visitors annually, a display of clay pots is accompanied with a marquee reading: ''Priests and their converts labored long and hard to make the mission self-sufficient with enough food [primarily corn, beans and squash] to last the winter and help others less fortunate. The seeds, livestock and food cuttings brought by the priests flourished in the fertile valley and the Pimans quickly learned the new agricultural techniques. The best seeds from each harvest of beans, grains and fruit were stored in large clay pots [ollas] and used for next years planting.''
Nearby, Knights of Columbus members sponsored annual mass in the church in the 1960s and 1970s with masses held inside the adobe building through 1974, when 4,000 worshipers crowded inside. Building damage, caused by the large crowd, caused future gatherings to be held outside, an activity that continues with a two-day fiesta held the first full weekend of December.
''We try to represent all the cultures that have been here over time,'' Badertscher said. ''In addition to mass and a procession, we have O'odham dancers, Yaqui dancers, Apache dancers and dancers from the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico. Last year Yaquis from Tucson asked for a list of every single person buried in the church cemetery and they spent the day there, decorating, dancing and praying for every name on the list.''
2007 will be the 99th year since Tumacacori National Monument was established by executive order of President Teddy Roosevelt and the mission itself, its cemetery, the chapel and portions of the convent area will be open for self-guided walking tours.
If all goes as planned, food samples from several cultures will be available, a basketweaver from the Tohono Tribe will demonstrate the centuries-old technique using bear grass fibers, potters will display their crafts, ceremonial dances will be performed and the paper flower lady is scheduled to attend, chatting away rapid-fire in her native language as she works her tissue paper magic.
To visit Tumacacori, its mission and the national park, drive south from Tucson on I-19 and take Exit 29. For further information, visit www.nps.gov/tuma. | | | | |
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What's Gibson doing there? |
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| A Native night in Hollywood |
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| Posted: May 23, 2007 |
| by: Tara Pretends Eagle |
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Photos by Mc George De Marrias/Harrison Lowe Photo courtesy FAITA (From top left to bottom right) Wes Studi, Rudy Youngblood, Mel Gibson, Mizuo Peck, "Red Crow" Westerman, Mary Youngblood and Harrison Lowe. |
| CLEVELAND - In 1991, a group of people gathered in Harrison Lowe's apartment just on the edge of Hollywood to start an organization dedicated to American Indians in the arts that would not only support and promote the established artist, but also provide funding opportunities for up-and-coming American Indian artists. They also believed that part of their organizations' mission would be to honor Native actors and actresses for their achievements in the arts. Today this group is known as the First Americans in the Arts.
''There were not many opportunities for Native American actors and actresses, especially in the early '90s. Our group did not have any money; as a matter of fact, we started off in the hole but continued to reach out to the communities and studios. And now look, we just celebrated our 15th annual awards show,'' explained Lowe, Navajo, FAITA founding trustee.
In mid-April FAITA hosted the 15th annual awards presentation, honoring American Indians for their outstanding performance in motion pictures, theatre and in prime time TV at the Beverly Hills Hilton. The gala's master of ceremonies was longtime actor Wes Studi, who was joined by host, Native comedian Charlie Hill.
Mary Youngblood, Aleut and Seminole, the two-time, Native American GRAMMY Award winner and the only Native woman flutist to win a GRAMMY, also received the FAITA award for outstanding female performer (traditional) for her fifth CD, ''Dancing with the Wind.''
About her award and the evening, Youngblood said, ''I was very honored to receive the award and glad I got the chance to play as well. It was so great! I was so happy to be around such creative Native people. Success is a journey, not a destination. I want to do good work with the youth and kids and not be known for my awards. I want to help them realize our obstacles as a people and be a part of their healing and growth ... I want to give young people hope.''
Another winner that evening was Thirza Dafoe from the Ojibwe and Oneida nations of Wisconsin. She was awarded outstanding performance by an actress (theatre) for her performance as Sacajawea in ''Stone Heart.'' She felt the evening was very inspiring for her as a young actress to see the accomplishments of those American Indian entertainers before her.
Dafoe, a traditional Hoop and Eagle dancer, spoke enthusiastically about her award. ''I am very honored to get recognition ... for something so many worked so hard on. I accepted the award on behalf of the group representative of ''Stone Heart.'' She is also a recipient of the FAITA scholarship, which has provided funding for a current project she is working on.
There were also well known non-Native actors who presented or received a FAITA award. Mel Gibson presented Rudy Youngblood, Comanche and Yaqui, with the Outstanding Performance by a New Actor Award for his role as Jaguar Paw in ''Apocalypto.'' Clint Eastwood of Malpaso Productions was presented the ''Trustee Award,'' which is given to a production company who has provided American Indians opportunities in the entertainment industry.
Between the established Natives who are already members of the entertainment industry and the up-and-coming multitalented entertainers of the next generation, the next 15 years at FAITA will most definitely busy, fun and exciting.
Who would have ever thought a meeting in someone's living room would end up bringing so much pride and honor to those American Indians performing in motion pictures, TV, theater and those making the music? One thing is for sure; their ancestors would be proud. | | | | | |
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| Coeur d'Alene Tribe begins stream rehabilitation |
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| Posted: May 30, 2007 |
| by: Jack McNeel / Indian Country Today |
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Photo by Jack McNeel -- Jennifer DeGraffenreid and Lorraina Gentry stand near Benewah Creek during a tour with the wildlife section biologists. DeGraffenreid is acting editor and Gentry is a staff writer for Council Fires, the Coeur d'Alene tribal newspaper. More than two years after the Coeur d'Alene Tribe began rehabilitating 410 acres of fish and wildlife habitat along Benewah Creek, a tributary of Coeur d'Alene Lake, the results are remarkable. (Bottom) At one time, this small section of Benewah Creek was essentially a straight ditch. Work on a project to restore the creek to its original, meandering location began in 2005 with the reconstruction of 2,100 feet of channel and replanting of vegetation, some of which is enclosed in plastic sleeves to protect them from browsing by wildlife. |
| PLUMMER, Idaho - It was 2001 when the Coeur d'Alene Tribe acquired 410 acres of fish and wildlife habitat along Benewah Creek, a tributary of Coeur d'Alene Lake. Mitigation funds from Bonneville Power Administration provided the money for the purchase.
The stream was severely impacted by forestry and grazing activity for the previous 70 or 80 years. The meandering stream was changed to a straight line with high dirt banks, and erosion was taking an estimated 140 - 390 tons of soil a year due to channelization. Other problems included loss of streamside vegetation affecting both wildlife and fish, culverts that prevented fish passage, and a lowering of the water table that impacted native plants, including camas. It also reduced underground water flow into the creek, resulting in higher water temperatures.
Rehabilitation efforts began in 2004 and already the changes are remarkable. An early priority was to correct a problem of fish passage that prevented fish from moving upstream to areas where spawning habitat was available. A culvert under the road was impassable as the stream below had lowered in elevation. Several riffles were constructed, joined by pools, to raise the level of the stream so fish could get through the culvert. A large squash culvert also replaced the previous small culvert.
Another immediate need was to restore some of the forest habitat in the valley. Much had been cleared nearly a century earlier and those actions had contributed to degrading the stream habitat as well. Native trees have been planted the past several years to begin the forest restoration process. Recent plantings are very visible, enclosed in plastic sheaths to prevent damage by wildlife until the trees are a little larger.
The area does contain good populations of white-tailed deer, elk, moose and black bear. Other species are in very low numbers. Beaver is perhaps the prime example of an animal that's been affected by not having the necessary food plants available to survive in any abundance. Such plant species as alder, several willows, dogwood and cottonwood have been planted to remedy that lack and to help return the valley to its original condition.
Perhaps the most visible change has been the reconstruction of the stream itself. The plan was to restore the creek to its original, meandering location and to fill in and replant the straight channeled ditch that it had become. Work began on that project in 2005 when 2,100 feet of channel were redone. Last season's work brought the total to 4,000 feet and another 2,500 feet are scheduled for this summer. The larger objective is to complete about three miles of the main-stem of Benewah Creek over an eight- to 10-year period. The overall objective for fisheries is to improve rearing conditions in the main-stem of the creek. This will also help maintain the flood plain wetlands and allow plants native to this habitat to return. It's being done slowly but ultimately, when completed, will be the largest project of its kind in the state.
The transformation has taken just two years. The channelized portion has been obliterated, filled in and replanted. One has to really look to see where it had been. The stream now flows in its original course, perhaps for the first time in about 70 years. This also required raising the stream level through a series of riffles and pools to return it to its historic level. Pools now are five or six feet deep, helping hold fish in the summertime and providing main-stem rearing sites. The relocation has increased the length of this section of stream by 40 percent, comparable to what it was historically.
It's not inexpensive. Fisheries budgets have expended close to $1.3 million already, plus wildlife expenditures bring that total to over $2 million. Fisheries program manager Ron Peters estimated that between the two budgets, and working on just a few streams, the tribe could invest as much as $50 million protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat over the next 10 years. | | | | |
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| Mashpee Wampanoags officially recognized |
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| Posted: June 01, 2007 |
| by: Gale Courey Toensing / Indian Country Today |
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AP Photo/Julia Cumes -- A group of Mashpee Wampanoag youths celebrated their tribe's official recognition by the federal government, which went into effect at midnight May 25, by playing traditional drums and singing at tribal headquarters in Mashpee, Mass. The tribe, which shared the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims in 1621, was granted tribal status by the BIA in February after pursing it for 32 years. |
| MASHPEE, Mass. - The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's federal acknowledgement became official May 24, three months after the BIA issued its positive final determination: and no one challenged it.
Tribal members met for a daylong celebration at the tribal headquarters in Mashpee, where tribal council chairman Glenn Marshall issued a statement for the occasion.
''Three hundred and eighty-six years ago, the Mayflower landed at Plymouth and was met by representatives of a sovereign nation. The complexities of that relationship, the friendship, the first Thanksgiving, the betrayal, the battles, the efforts at resettlement and the constant struggle are well documented. Today has reaffirmed the faith of that first meeting. But in another respect, we are today who we were then - the keepers of an important American story, one that was in danger of dying out, but has been given a new birth,'' Marshall said.
The tribe's new life includes eligibility for federal funding for health, education, housing and other programs, and the right to pursue a gaming compact with the state.
The tribe has been actively preparing to pursue gaming and in the past months announced plans to develop a resort destination modeled after the hugely successful Mashantucket Pequots' Foxwoods Resort and Casino and Mohegan Sun facilities in Connecticut.
The tribe envisions a 150,000-square-foot casino with 4,000 slot machines, 125 gaming tables, and a 1,500-room, five-star hotel, with restaurants, entertainment, shopping, convention space and golf courses.
Agreements are in place to purchase around 350 acres of land in Middleborough, about 30 miles southeast of Boston - a location that could capture much of the gaming traffic that now heads out of Boston to Connecticut, but the tribe is also considering other locations.
On the same day the tribe received news of its official acknowledgement, Massachusetts Treasurer Timothy Cahill proposed that the state beat the tribe into the casino business by soliciting bids from commercial casino developers. The casinos would be privately owned and operated, and regulated by the state.
Senate President Therese Murray, a Democrat, said the state should consider all possibilities.
''We must keep an open mind in examining every potential new revenue source that won't end up on the backs of taxpayers. Gaming is already well established in the Commonwealth and the Wampanoags are poised to ratchet up the debate with their plans for economic development. We need to start thinking about the best ways to position the state's interests in an industry that is on the brink of expanding within our borders,'' Murray said.
Mashpee spokesman Scott Ferson said the tribe also welcomed Cahill's proposal.
''We're encouraged by the state treasurer's comments. He confirmed that the real growth in revenue is not going to come from the lottery and that, in fact, a destination resort casino, which he would recommend, is the way to increase revenues for the state,'' Ferson said.
Cahill thinks the best deal for the state would be to have something to compete with Indian gaming, Ferson added.
''He doesn't want the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to drive the process; he wants to drive the process. That's hard for us to fault. That's probably what he should be doing as an advocate for the state,'' Ferson said.
The tribe is already preparing to negotiate a Class III gaming compact with the state, which could include a percentage of the gaming profits to the state.
In Connecticut, the state receives 25 percent of slot revenues - more than $450 million annually from the two tribes - in exchange for the exclusive right to operate the casinos.
But the Cahill proposal is also wining one for the tribe.
''If the state decided to just do a commercial bid that did not include the Mashpee, obviously, the tribe would get to have a casino by right without having to share revenue with the state - and that would be fine as well,'' Ferson said.
Under IGRA, the tribe is entitled to offer the same gaming that is available in the state. If a commercial casino was established, the tribe would be less inclined to offer the state any substantial cut of the profits.
''So, we're approaching the potential negotiations with the governor the same way. We've had very good discussions with the governor and his staff and we expect that under either scenario, whether there is or isn't a push for a commercial license, that governor would negotiate in good faith,'' Ferson said. | | | | |
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The hoop is symbolic of ''the never-ending circle of life.'' It has no beginning and no end.
Many tribal groups across North America used the hoop in traditional healing ceremonies, and the hoop's significance enhances the embodiment of healing ceremonies. Tribal healers and holy men have long regarded the hoop as sacred and many have used it in their ceremonies. Visions and ailments were seen through some of these hoops by tribal holy men and women.
Many tribes lay claim to the Hoop Dance. It wasn't until the 1930s that a young man named Tony White Cloud, Jemez Pueblo, played an instrumental role in its evolution and began using multiple hoops in a stylized version as ''founder of the modern Hoop Dance.''
He used five hoops made of willow wood bent to form a circle. These hoops were approximately 24 inches in diameter, enough to get his small frame through. Through this new art form, he invented hoop formations to symbolize traditional designs and teachings that were a part of his culture and traditional pueblo upbringing. The hoop designs that White Cloud invented are still the foundation of hoop formations and routines in modern Hoop dancing. American Indians saw his modern multiple Hoop dances in his performances in the 1930s in the American Indian Exposition in Anadarko, Okla., the Gallup Indian Ceremonial in New Mexico and Chicago's Railroad Fair, and adapted it in their own Indian dance shows for the public.
White Cloud made a cameo performance of his Hoop Dance to the American public in the 1942 movie ''Valley of the Sun,'' starring Lucille Ball. During World War II, White Cloud traveled with Gene Autry across America and Europe promoting war bonds to fund the war effort by performing the Hoop Dance. He later danced in Autry's movie, ''Apache Country,'' in 1952.
The Hoop Dance soon became a crowd-pleaser in American Indian and First Nations dance performances as the modern multi-hoop Hoop Dance allowed dancers to weave stories of how all life is connected with changes and transitions. The dance itself began to tell visual stories through the creation of ever-changing discernable symbols.
In 1991, Ralph Zotigh, my father, was the director of entertainment at the New Mexico State Fair Indian Village. He asked me to brainstorm ideas that would attract crowds to the Indian Village. I suggested having a world championship Hoop Dance contest to see, for the first time, who was the best of the best.
Once the decision was made to host the championship at the New Mexico State Fair, I integrated the Olympic Likert scoring system of one to 10, with one being the lowest score and 10 the highest. I then created five categories to score each contestant: precision, timing/rhythm, showmanship, creativeness and speed. It was my rationale that speed and creativeness would balance the scoring between Hoop dancers who used only four hoops but danced to extremely fast songs, versus dancers with 20 or more hoops who danced to a slower drumbeat.
All contestants participated in a grand entry together after which each dancer individually danced to live music, recorded music or an accompaniment selection of his choice. They had two chances to compete to make the top 10, who competed in a final heat. Out of 18 contestants, the first world champion Hoop dancer was Eddie Swimmer, Cherokee, from Cherokee, N.C.
After tremendous response and success, co-founders Zotigh and I decided to move the venue of this championship to a larger location. Three possible venues included the Heard Museum in Phoenix; the Grand Casino Celebration Powwow in Hinckley, Minn.; and the Schemitzun Green Corn Festival in Ledyard, Conn.
Upon pitching the idea to the Heard Museum in late 1991, an agreement was made for the Heard to host the second championship. It was called the Tony White Cloud Memorial World Championship Hoop Dance Contest to honor White Cloud for his contributions in founding the modern Hoop Dance.
New additions for this contest were five regional representatives who would serve as judges. They were Charles Tail Feathers, Cree, from Oregon (representing the West Coast); Dennis Bowen Sr., Seneca, from New York (representing the East Coast); Gordon Tootoosis, Plains Cree, from Saskatchewan (representing Canada); Sidney Whitesell, Lakota, from South Dakota (representing the northern Plains); and myself, Kiowa, Santee Dakota and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, of Oklahoma (representing the southern Plains). Zotigh, Kiowa from New Mexico, served as the master of ceremonies.
Unlike the first competition, dance competitors were allowed to choose to compete on an even cement stage or grass arena on the Heard Museum property. There were also new breakdowns of Tiny Tot, Youth, Adult and Senior divisions. The adult winner of this competition was Quentin Pipestem, Tsuu T'ina, from Alberta, Canada.
In 1994 Jackie Bird, Mandan, Hidatsa and Santee Sioux, from South Dakota, became the first adult female contestant to compete in the world championship. Bird was also the first competitor to use props in her Hoop Dance routine. When asked if she felt women should have a separate category, Bird replied, ''I think women are just as good as the men and should be able to compete with them!'' This set a precedent for later Hoop Dance contests that integrated women and men on the same level of competition.
In 2000, Lisa Odjig, Odawa and Anishnaabe, from Ontario, became the first female adult Hoop Dance world champion. She again repeated as world champion in 2003. Between 1994 and 2003, a series of Hoop Dance competitions took place throughout Indian country, sparking a greater interest throughout North America in Hoop dancing and its evolution.
Modern hoops are made from an array of materials. Traditional wood hoops made of willow and bois d'arc are still used to limited extent. More popular are reed and plastic hose hoops decorated with tape and paint, according to the dancer's preference. Hoop dancers who perform frequently prefer the reed and plastic hoops because of their durability when traveling. Today, many contemporary Hoop dancers mark four symbols on each hoop when performing their Hoop Dance to symbolize the philosophy of seasonal changes, the four cardinal directions and four sacred colors.
As Hoop dancing evolves, it incorporates multiple creative designs, intricate body and footwork and ever-changing routines. Modern Hoop dancers present their unique variation of the Hoop Dance along with their distinct perspective of interpretation. Individual routines are presented using as few as four to as many as 50 hoops, which are used to create designs including animals, birds, deities and global symbols. Hoop dancers are now sharing this art form throughout the world! Modern Hoop dancing will continue to evolve in new directions as future generations of Hoop dancers emerge.
Dennis Zotigh, Kiowa, Santee Dakota and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, is a contributing writer for Indian Country Today. He is a pow wow historian, dancer, singer, director of The Great American Indian Dance Company, co-founder of the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest and cultural events coordinator for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
by: Dennis Zotigh / Today correspondent
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