November 06, 2011

Me-Wuk bless Capitol Christmas tree

First cut is the cheeriest

U.S. Capitol Christmas tree begins its journey across the country

By Dana M. Nichols
The Stanislaus did, however, log a significant first with this year's Capitol Christmas tree harvest: members of the local Me-Wuk tribe were on hand to bless the tree and its journey.

"We are the first tribe that's ever partnered with the Forest Service to take the tree," said Reba Fuller, 62, government affairs specialist for the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians.

Fuller, a tribal elder, and her grandson Sheldon Bradford, 16, will travel with the tree for the next three weeks as it slowly crosses the continent to Washington.

Before that journey began, and before the tree was even cut, Tuolumne Me-Wuk head singer Carlos Geisdorff, 35, sang a "Tuda" song of blessing while wisps of smoke from wormwood rose into the gray dawn sky.
Comment:  For more on Christmas, see Cheyenne Ornaments for National Christmas Tree.

1 comment:

Rob said...

For more on the subject, see:

http://www.examiner.com/small-communities-in-san-francisco/california-s-native-american-first-to-dance-the-library-of-congress

California's Native American first to dance in the Library of Congress

A group of Mi-Wuk Indian tribal dancers, who escorted the National Christmas Tree from the Stanislaus National Forest to Washington DC, made history in Washington.

The Indian dancers were the first Native Americans to dance in the Library of Congress, according to the US Forest Service coordinator.