Stars join Cashing In

'Cashing In' welcomes four new stars

Tina Keeper, musician Derek Miller among season 2 additions

By Etan VlessingTina Keeper ("North of 60"), Don Burnstick, Jennifer Baxter and Blues musician Derek Miller have joined the second season cast of the Canadian TV soap "Cashing In" from Animiki See Digital Productions and Buffalo Gal Pictures.

They join a returning cast for the APTN half-hour dramedy about a fictional First Nations-run gambling palace in Manitoba that includes Eric Schweig, Wesley French, Karen Holness, Glen Gould and Sarah Podemski.Comment:  For more on the subject, see 2nd Season for Cashing In and Cashing In Reflects Native Humor.

Another Indian at Iwo Jima

Apparently Ira Hayes (Pima) wasn't the only Indian present at the flag-rising on Iwo Jima during World War II.

Song honors soldier who raised Iwo Jima flag

By Kim BriggemanThe focus on Louis Charlo, when there's a focus at all, is how he helped raise the first flag on Iwo Jima and how he died there.

There is so much more to the story, and Jack Gladstone is determined to tell it.

"This is a coming out of the bear's den for this grizzly," Montana's Native "PoetSinger" from Kalispell and the Blackfeet Indian Nation said last week.

Gladstone is making an epic cut he calls "Remembering Private Charlo" into an 11-minute, 45-second centerpiece for his first new CD in seven years, one he's calling "Native Anthropology."

On Tuesday, the 65th anniversary of the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi on the tiny Japanese island in the South Pacific, Gladstone will be in the second day of a recording session in Tucson, Ariz. He'll be working with the likes of Montana virtuoso David Griffith and Will Clipman, a percussionist-drummer for Native flutist R. Carlos Nakai. Clipman, like Nakai, is a multi-Grammy nominee.Charlo's history as Gladstone tells it:The battle, which involved more than 100,000 U.S. and Japanese warriors, would last another 31 days after the first flag and then a second, larger and more famous, were planted. More than 6,800 Americans died, as did all 22,000 Japanese defenders.

On the morning of Feb. 23, "Chuck" Charlo was one of four men selected to scale the island's tallest feature, Mount Suribachi, in what many saw as a suicidal mission. They made it unscathed.

Gladstone has meticulously researched the battle and Charlo's part in it--"I probably know more than I emotionally should be allowed to know without having been there," he said.

The four-man squad then retreated down the slopes, but later in the day joined a 40-man platoon that went back up. There's debate about whether Charlo physically helped plant the first flag. Gladstone is convinced he was, based on a conversation with Chuck Lindberg.Comment:  Wikipedia notes several men involved in the first flag-raising but doesn't mention Charlo. Another site says:On the morning of February 23, the fifth day of fighting, Sergeant Sherman Watson led a four-man scouting patrol up the mountain. The patrol reached the top and ventured a look inside the old volcano’s crater without encountering enemy resistance. To secure the mountain, a forty-man platoon was ordered to the top; among them was Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class John H. “Doc” Bradley. First Lieutenant H. “George” Schrier, Easy Company XO and former Raider, lead the platoon. Lt. Col. Johnson, Battalion XO, gave Schrier a small flag (54x28 inches) from the USS Missoula, to hoist on top of the volcano. Without resistance, the platoon reached the top in approximately forty minutes at 10:00 a.m.

Once there; Lt. Schrier, Plt. Sgt. Ernest I. “Boots” Thomas, Sgt. Henry Hansen, Cpl Charles W. Lindberg (a flame thrower) attached the flag to the pole while PFC James Michels (or Michaels) held the pole and PFC Raymond Jacobs, radioman from Fox Company, looked on. At 10:20 five men raised the first flag. Four of the flag raisers were Schrier, Thomas, Hansen and Lindberg. The fifth flag raiser is unclear. Some sources reported either Michels or PFC Louis Charlo as the fifth man. Others report six original flag raisers, which include both Michels and Charlo.On the one hand, I think it's good to use historical moments like this to highlight the contributions of Natives. On the other hand, I don't think it's good to fetishize people as heroes. Charlo was one man in a 40-man platoon and he may not have raised the flag. You could sing a song for the entire platoon, but I'm not sure there's any reason to single out Charlo.

For more on the subject, see Flags of Our Father.

Below:  Lowery's most widely circulated picture of the first flag raising.

Renaming Mt. Diablo

Getting the devil off the mountain

A devout Christian wants to change the name of Mt. Diablo. Who's in favor of Mt. Reagan?

By Maria L. LaGangaArthur Mijares never saw it coming when he filed the federal paperwork to change the name of Contra Costa County's most famous landmark from Mt. Diablo to Mt. Reagan.

It's not that he's such a big fan of the 40th president of the United States. It's just that he believes, as a devout Christian, that naming a peak of such beauty and importance after the devil--even in Spanish--is "derogatory, pejorative, offensive, obscene, blasphemous and profane."

"I just happen to be an ordinary man that worships God," Mijares said by way of explanation. "He gave me this task in my prayer time. I said, 'Lord, they're going to think I'm a loon.'"

Mijares didn't know the half of it.

In less than a month, more than 80,000 people have joined a Facebook group called "People AGAINST Re-naming Mt. Diablo to Mt. Reagan!!" The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, which will vote on the name change Tuesday, has been flooded with e-mail; the heated response runs nine to one against the idea, said Supervisor Susan Bonilla, whose district includes the beloved mountain.The Native connection:The twin-peaked Mt. Diablo, which dominates the East Bay landscape, is a sacred site to the Golden State's Native American tribes. The Miwok believed the mountain was originally an island, "from which Coyote and his assistant, Golden Eagle, made the world as we know it," according to American Indian Quarterly's fall 1989 edition.

Its name has long swirled with controversy. As legend has it, in 1805, Spanish soldiers were chasing a band of Bay Miwok who had escaped from a mission and apprehended them in a thicket at the base of a dramatic mountain. Darkness fell, and the Miwok disappeared.

When day broke, the mountain was shrouded in fog, and the soldiers realized that they'd been duped. So they dubbed the area Monte del Diablo, Thicket of the Devil.

"The name was transferred to the peak by non-Spanish explorers who associated 'monte' with a mountain and applied the Italian form Diavolo or Diabolo," according to the Save Mount Diablo website, which is dedicated to preserving open space on and near the mountain. Monte del Diablo first appeared on an 1824 map.More Native lore about Mount DiabloMount Diablo had profound significance for many Native California groups within its expansive view. The Julpun of the area now known as Brentwood and Byron recognized the mountain as the birthplace of the world. Hundreds of miles away in the Sierra Nevada, some Northern Miwok saw it as the place from which a supranatural being lit a previously dark landscape. Further south, the Central Miwok featured this mountain as part of their most sacred ceremonies. Wintun elder Frances McDaniel said that Wintun spiritual leaders prayed to the creator from the mountain's heights.

Chochenko speakers from the Mission San Jose area called the mountain Tuyshtak, meaning "at the day." The Nisenan of the Sacramento Valley called it Sukkú jaman, or as Nisenan elder Dalbert Castro once explained, "the place where dogs came from in trade."

Most of Mount Diablo, including its peak, was within the homeland of the early Volvon, a Bay Miwok-speaking group, and as early as 1811, the mountain was called Cerro Alto de los Bolbones (High Point of the Volvon).Comment:  I don't have a problem with the Mt. Diablo name. I would have a problem naming the mountain after the president who violated the Constitution and aided Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. If you're going to rename it, how about giving it a Native name?

For more on renaming locations, see Renaming British Columbia, Renaming Dead Indian Lake, and Renaming Savage Island.

Rob = moral police?!

As you may recall, I recently discussed someone named Dominique Vantell Lonehunt and his desire to create a We Are the World for Natives. Turns out Lonehunt really wanted to create a whole album of obscure hip hop music under his direction. Oops.

After listening to one of Lonehunt's tunes, I had the following discussion with the person who brought Lonehunt to my attention:

Wow, you seriously think Lonehunt's Killah Dubb is the kind of music that will get airplay and raise awareness of Native issues? Next time you want my help with a We Are the World type of project, please make sure it actually is one. You know, a plan to get top musicians to write a popular song to attract attention. I don't have time to help minor musicians boost their careers with unrealistic ideas that have no chance of working.No. I dont think his type of music will get airplayed all over the world. Look at all the hard work to make it in the music biz. But when the final project will be ready, I think it will be amazing. And time will show if it will be a sucsess or not. With help from various Native news sites, Radios (I have already talked with a friend of mine from Blogtalkradio) and so on...we will see. But without trying, he will not know. So I really think you should support his idea, instead of the opesite.

Sometimes I see you as a moral police, instead of a person that should support Native causes and the Native culture in general. Of course we need people like you, but it looks like you will ALWAYS get in fights becouse of your opinions. Remember that Native people trough the years have experience alot from the so called white population in the world.If Dominique wants to make more "killah dubbs," great. I have no problem with that. I rarely if ever comment on Native music projects.

But he and you positioned his idea as a We Are the World type of project. And you solicited my help on that basis. Asking people to contribute to Dominique's next dubb album is a far cry from asking them to help struggling Native nations with a pop song. It's almost false advertising, and you're 100% right that I'm going to "police" such misleading claims.

I help Native causes and cultures by supporting the good efforts and criticizing the bad ones. My criticism is almost always constructive. For instance, I told Dominique he'd have to cede control if he wanted to attract top musicians. He may not want to hear that, but I consider it a valid statement that I can support with evidence.

If he followed this advice, he might stand a chance of producing a We Are the World-style hit. Which would mean my advice helped a Native cause, as intended. As it stands, that doesn't seem to be Dominique's goal, so never mind.

If you ask my opinion, as you did, expect to get an honest answer. Constructive criticism helps anyone who's willing to listen to it. If you don't want my advice, you don't have to ask, right?

You can find a thousand NativeCelebs fans to cheer every idea and say it's wonderful. No one needs me to be the 1,001st cheerleader. I provide a unique perspective that serves a special purpose: how to make things better. If people don't like that, they can ignore it and leave me alone.

To sum it up: As a cultural critic, I do "police" false or misleading claims, but I don't police people's lives or morality. So the "moral police" claim is as false or misleading as Lonehunt's alleged plans. End of story.

For more on the subject, see Why Does Rob Keep Criticizing?

Twilight's Indians at RES 2010

A video filmed at the RES 2010 business conference at Las Vegas today.



Starting just past the 1:00 mark, Jackie Jacobs, publicist, talks about her work with the Quileute Nation. Then rapper Litefoot introduces Margo Gray-Proctor, Chairwoman, NCAIED Board of Directors. And they introduce Chaske Spencer, Kiowa Gordon, and Gil Birmingham from Twilight and New Moon.

They talk about the entertainment business and the power of pop culture to change perceptions about Indians worldwide. This panel continues for about half an hour.

Also, some photos from the conference:

Michelle R. Shining Elk's Photos--RES 2010
Shaunya Manus's Photos--RES 2010
NCAIED--RES 2010

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight and The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Kiowa Gordon, Chaske Spencer, Stacey Thunder, and Gil Birmingham.

Hair makes the Indian?

The Politics of Native Hair Part 1

By Gyasi RossI wonder about the perception(s) of hair within our Native societies. I remember in college, when a Native had long hair, there was a presumption that the long-haired Native was “traditional;” I think that there’s usually a perception that a Native with long hair IS, in fact, somehow more Native (or Nativer) than a short-haired Native. In that school context, sometimes the long-haired Natives in school would play into that perception that they were, in fact, “traditional” so that they could spew off some pseudo-religious babble and make the giggling little hippie girls think that were “deep.”

Interestingly, the vast majority of the older “traditional” people that I know tend to have very neatly cut hair. Of course, some have braids, and some have mullets—business up front, party in the back. Many women have the hair hanging down and parted in the middle, straight out of a Cher video, some of the serious “rez” bangs and some have more contemporary hairstyles. Point is, there is no one style—fortunately—that defines Natives. Still, in some people’s eyes, the hair makes the Native.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Defining Who's an Indian.

Below:  John Redcorn of King of the Hill.

The German obsession with Winnetou

Fetishizing Native Americans

In Germany, Wild for Winnetou

By Michael KimmelmanFor decades, Germans have been obsessed with a Native American named Winnetou. Only strange thing is: he's a fictional character from books written by a German who only went to America in the last years of his life. What does this obsession say about German identity?What the Germans do:At powwows—there are dozens every year—thousands of Germans with an American Indian fetish drink firewater, wear turquoise jewelry and run around Baden-Württemberg or Schleswig-Holstein dressed as Comanches and Apaches. There are clubs, magazines, trading cards, school curriculums, stupendously popular German-made Wild West films and outdoor theaters, including one high in the sandstone cliffs above the tiny medieval fortress town of Rathen, in Saxony, where cowboys fight Indians on horseback. A fake Wild West village, Eldorado, recently shot up on the outskirts of Templin, the city where Angela Merkel, the chancellor, grew up.Right. So being an Indian in Germany is all about emulating the fierce warriors of the Plains. (Including the Southern Plains where the Apache occasionally roamed.) And nothing about learning the rich diversity and complexity of the hemisphere's thousands of Indian cultures.“May framed a popular image of North America, with Indians as a dying race, tragically killed off by fate and by the spread of a new empire,” he said. The doctor ushered me toward a painting that shows Indians ambushing an oncoming train, trains having signified Manifest Destiny. In May’s books Winnetou’s loyal sidekick, Old Shatterhand, was a German émigré, a schoolteacher who went West, became a crack shot, had a deadly right jab and, not coincidentally, got work as a surveyor for a railroad company.Is that what the doctor told you, Kimmelman? Actually, Winnetou is the sidekick to Old Shatterhand, not the other way around. In the first Winnetou book, at least.

An explanation for the Germans' fascination with Winnetou and other (Plains) Indians:Dr. Zeilinger wouldn’t go so far as to say that May demonized the United States, which clearly he didn’t, although Hans Ottomeyer, the director of the museum, who wandered by to listen in on the conversation at that point, said: “May taught Germans that America was a wild place. There were natives and intruders, and he taught us to be suspicious of intruders, half of whom are good, half are very bad.” Like all German men, Mr. Ottomeyer, who’s 61, lapsed unbidden into recollections of reading May’s books as a boy. Children read him less today, he added. “The West used to be on the border of the imagination,” he said. “Now it’s a place they see every day, full of conflict and catastrophe.”

You might say that May has become a Rorschach of German identity. German “natural sympathy” for American Indians is rooted in ancient times, Dr. Zeilinger explained. The Roman historian Tacitus described German tribes as uncorrupted, primitive, fierce and at one with nature, a people on the edge of a corrupt and voracious empire. May tapped into that primordial Germanness and also into what became, by the mid-19th century, a growing interest in America and the wider world.Comment:  I read Winnetou, the first book in the series. It glorifies Old Shatterhand, the German hero and protagonist, more than Winnetou. Its message is that progress is inevitable, Indians have degenerated into wretches, and only a few "noble savages" are left.

Some readers may misinterpret this as a positive message, but really it's negative. Winnetou the good Indian is the exception, not the rule. By partnering with Old Shatterhand and eventually adopting Christianity, Winnetou proves that the white man's ways are best.

In Winnetou, the main villains are a tribe of "bad" Indians. So the story is about how a good white man triumphs over bad Indians with a good Indian's help. In other words, an early version of the Lone Ranger legend.

The Hitler connection

Like other Germans, Hitler loved the Winnetou books too. It sort of make sense that he'd associate Aryan Germans with "uncorrupted, primitive, fierce" Indians like Winnetou. And the rest of the Western world with "a corrupt and voracious empire" intruding on his pure German state. In his mind, Jews were undoubtedly the worst example of how civilization made people decadent and degenerate.

You have to twist things a bit to see how Hitler interpreted the books. Old Shatterhand and Winnetou both represent good Christian Aryans. The bad cowboys and Indians both represent decadent Jews and other Europeans. Old Shatterhand and Winnetou inevitably dealt defeat and death to the bad guys.

If Americans defeated the real Indians and Old Shatterhand defeated the fictional Indians, that gave Hitler a template. As a good Christian Aryan, he'd defeat the "bad Indians" (Jews and other Europeans) threatening his sanctified Germany. Hence Karl Mays' books helped Hitler envision conquest and genocide.

For more on the subject, see The Winnetou Films and Germans Think They Own Native Culture.

Scholar: Huck and Twain were racist

Commercialism sold Huck Finn character down the river, Twain scholar says

The retired chairman of UCLA's English Department has a collection of tchotchkes, gadgets and artwork that show how the 1884 classic has been romanticized by fans, the public and even the author.

By Bob PoolA close reading of the book shows that the supposedly warm relationship between Huck and Jim has been manipulated over the last century, he said.

"Jim was an encumbrance for Huck. There's been a great deal of romanticizing about the bond that the two of them form on the voyage down the river. But Huck never realizes slavery is wrong."

Was Huckleberry Finn a racist?

"Yes," Wortham said. And so was Mark Twain.

Twain used the "N-word" 206 times, according to Wortham. "Each time that word is used is calculated" by Twain for its shock value for an audience that at the time was unaccustomed to literature written in the vernacular, he said.Comment:  Actually, it doesn't take that close of a reading. I read Huck Finn in high school. Twenty years later, I remembered it well enough to successfully argue it's racist.

The use of the n-word is just the tip of the iceberg. The best arguments for Huck Finn's being racist are Jim's ignorance and superstitiousness. Being unschooled isn't the same as being dumb, but Jim is as foolish as a child. And Jim's over-the-top Negro dialect. He talks like every minstrel clown in history, not a real person.

By the way, rafting downriver to the South, where slavery is more pervasive, is a pretty damn stupid mistake. For Jim the character and for Twain the writer. I wonder why Twain wrote it that way, and why critics haven't pounced on this blatant mistake. What next...a Jew fleeing Nazis who hides in Auschwitz?

For more on the subject, see Is Huck Finn Racist? and Mark Twain, Indian Hater.

Below:  Childlike blacks and savage Indians were Twain's youthful view of minorities.

"Help me, massa! I sho nuff is so ignorant I can't speak no good!"

Russian skaters do offensive dance

Aboriginal leaders:  Russian ice dancers' routine still offensive

By Maggie HendricksDomnina and Shabalin toned down their costumes and removed their face paint, but made no changes to their Aboriginal dance.

The dance they did was more likely their interpretation of Aboriginal dance, though they claimed to have done research. Watching the dance Sunday night, one can understand why Aboriginal leaders were offended.

At times, Shabalin led Domnina around by her ponytail. They mugged, stuck out their tongues and mimicked the hand over mouth gesture that was once associated with American Indians. After the dance ended, the crowd gave the Russians what could generously be called a lukewarm reception.Nothing cultural about this act

By Nikki AshbyTHERE is nothing that represents this as an indigenous Australian dance.

The costumes could be suggestive of traditional cultural dance by the colour red and the white paint possibly trying to reflect ochre on dark skin.

But, it is definitely not cultural dance. It looks to me as though they had googled a few images on the internet and mixed it up with the old school "caveman" image.

The dance is certainly unlike anything I've seen and other than a few complex lifts, the performance didn't really entertain me. It looked wrong on so many levels.Loin cloths and rubbed noses . . . why would anyone be offended?

By Nicole Jeffery"I am offended by the performance and so are our other councillors," Bev Manton, the chairwoman of the NSW Land Council said.

"Aboriginal people for very good reason are sensitive about their cultural objects and icons being co-opted by non-Aboriginal people--whether they are from Australia or Russia.

"It's important for people to tread carefully and respectfully when they are depicting somebody else's culture and I don't think this performance does."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Russian Skaters Defend Stereotypes and Russian Skaters Change Costumes.

Socialized medicine okay for Tripp

More Palin Hypocrisy:  Tripp Has Government Provided Health Insurance

By Shannyn MooreThe dangers of "death panels" were explained to Americans on Sarah Palin's Facebook page. Oh, sweet Lord, she must not sleep at night...her grandson could be the next victim of "socialized medicine."

Recently released documents from the custody battle show clearly Tripp Palin Johnston has socialized health care through Indian Health Services and the Alaska Native Medical Center.

Palin's family has federally funded health care afforded to them...but if you had it Barack Obama might kill you. Put this on the list of Palin's Greatest Hypocritical Hits...volume 97.Comment:  A court document (see link) says that Tripp Palin Johnston is "an enrolled tribal member of Curyung Tribal Council within the Bristol Bay Native Association consortium."

During the 2008 presidential campaign, I posted some items on whether Sarah Palin's husband Todd was an Alaska Native or not. The gist seemed to be that Todd was a shareholder of the Bristol Bay Native Association, and thus perhaps technically an Alaska Native. But he wasn't an Alaska Native in any real sense--i.e., as a participant or believer in a tribal culture.

The same presumably applies to his children and to his grandchild Tripp.

In any case, it's clear Sarah Palin is one of the biggest hypocrites and liars in contemporary politics. Remember how she was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it? What does it say about Republicans that she's a leading contender for their next presidential nomination?

For more on the subject, see More on Todd Palin's Background and Todd Palin Not Native After All?

The Rainbow Boy trailer

The Rainbow Boy Movie"An independent cinematic vision of ancient and modern history, language, and prophecy"

Norman Patrick Brown's first audience is his elders and Navajo people. The foundation of Norman's writing and directing is his ancient Navajo storytelling process, inherent in chants, ceremony, philosophy, and language. The Rainbow Boy story combines the ancient Navajo story telling process with the modern film industry formula, producing a unique and original film that is both Navajo specific and universal to all people.

Comment:  Apparently a pre-contact Navajo is magically transported to the present. As when cavemen came to the future in It's About Time and Iceman, a clash of cultures ensues. It sounds like a commercially viable idea.

Alas, I can't tell if the movie is any good from the trailer. But the Indian--presumably named Rainbow Boy--looks generic. And the Navajo didn't arrive in the Southwest until a couple centuries after AD 1300.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

The origin of Haida manga

Pacific Notion

The convergence of B.C.'s Haida with Japan's manga

By Mark MedleyJapan, says the 55-year-old artist and activist from his home on Bowen Island in the Salish Sea, was a "place of safety and comfort and welcome for Haidas."

The connection with Japan deepened when Yahgulanaas guided visiting Japanese students on tours of the forests of Haida Gwaii, the Haida homeland. They introduced him to the term "manga," of which he says he knew nothing. After a 20-plus-year career as an activist--among other things, he was involved in logging protests on Haida Gwaii in the '80s and '90s--he turned his attention to pushing the boundaries of traditional Haida art, which he calls "fairly complex to the point of appearing to be abstract." These artistic experiments led him to develop a unique form he's dubbed "Haida manga," which blends the precision and rigour of Haida art with the whimsical nature of manga. This cultural mash-up is on display in his latest book, Red.

"Red becomes a real test of whether there is an interest, I think, in Canada, to explore the mythology of what is the Indian, in a populist form," he says.

Adapted from a Haida legend Yahgulanaas heard growing up, Red tells the story of a young man obsessed with revenge against the raiders who kidnapped his younger sister. More memorable than the story, however, is the art. Yahgulanaas blends these two distinct styles together into something wholly original.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Comic Books Featuring Indians.

Antiques Roadshow highlights stolen artifacts

Antiques Roadshow highlights stolen artifacts

By Brian BullWisconsin historians, police, and the popular PBS show, “Antiques Roadshow” are teaming up to help find more than 300 Native American artifacts--more than a decade after they were stolen.

The newest “Antiques Roadshow” episode highlights native relics taken from the Wisconsin Historical Museum between 1995 and 1999. They include items ranging from a Blackfoot bandolier bag to a Potawatomi bear claw necklace that a former employee stole--then sold--to private dealers and museums.

Anne Koski, the Wisconsin Historical Museum’s former director, says the lifted artifacts could literally be anywhere in the world. After ex-curator David Wooley was convicted in 2001, he helped investigators recover 33 artifacts, but most remain missing.Comment:  For more on the subject, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.

2010's Best of the West

True West magazine's 2010 Best of the West includes a few Indians:

Best of the West Winners 2010

Our eighth annual awards honoring those who are doing their best to keep this grand old region's traditions alive.BEST LIVING WESTERN SCULPTOR
Bruce LaFountain

The fact that Bruce LaFountain placed second in the Cast Metal category at the prestigious Santa Fe Indian Market in 2009 didn’t surprise anyone. Yet this Chippewa Indian—he grew up on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota but now creates out of Salt Lake City—doesn’t create art for awards, though he has many. His abstract sculptures seem to be always moving, which might come from his childhood memories of dancing in powwows. LaFountain is brash and forthright: “The motivation for my work does not stem from wanting to win a show or from money,” LaFountain says. “It evolves from the spirit of my ancestors and my own deep spiritual feelings.” Well said, sir.

BEST LIVING INDIAN RIGHTS CRUSADER
Charmaine White Face

She is a voice for the Black Hills—and it’s a task Charmaine White Face has gladly undertaken for more than two decades, as a columnist for several newspapers and an activist. She formed Defenders of the Black Hills in 2002, working to end logging, mining and exploitative tourism of this area, which is sacred to her Ogala Sioux tribe. Her work has received international recognition, and she hopes that will help return the Black Hills to its rightful owners—the American Indians.

READERS’ CHOICE: Russell MeansPlus a few winners with Native connections:BEST PRESERVATION EFFORT IN THE WEST
Mission San Miguel

Northern California’s Mission San Miguel, found along the historic El Camino Real Trail, had stood for more than 200 years when an earthquake hit the area in 2003. The adobe building suffered structural damage and cracks, and was closed. Over five years, the local Roman Catholic Diocese steadfastly raised about $10 million and drew up repair plans to restore the historic mission. In September 2009, the mission reopened! More needs to be done, and up to another $5 million must be acquired, but for historians, tourists and churchgoers, the progress to this point is a prayer answered.

BEST HISTORIC (100+ YEARS) BUSINESS IN THE WEST
Pendleton Woolen Mills

Back in 1909, the Bishop brothers bought an old mill in Pendleton, Oregon, and decided to try their hand at a traditional craft—creating wool Indian blankets. In opening their mill, the Bishops built on the sheep textile mill foundation weaved together by Thomas Kay, who came from England to Oregon in 1863. The high-quality products made at Pendleton Woolen Mills were marked by intricate patterns and vivid colors, and local tribes immediately took a liking to them. Then everyone else picked up on the Pendleton blankets too. Soon after, the mills expanded into the apparel market. The Bishop family still runs the operation, making sure the tradition continues strong today.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
National Parks: America’s Best Idea by Ken Burns for PBS

Ken Burns, America’s foremost documentary filmmaker, is either getting better or his decision to honor our spectacular National Parks came from someplace deeper, because this is his best and most heartfelt work. While the geography and beauty of the National Parks are central to the 12-part series, the heart of the documentary are those individuals, from the high born to the hardscrabble poor, who played important roles in isolating and preserving the American wilderness. It’s a great story, and if you missed the broadcast on PBS in September 2009, the entire show can now be purchased in a box set.

BEST WESTERN COMIC/GRAPHIC NOVEL SERIES
Jonah Hex

Jonah Hex has been around for decades, and he’s suffered indignities that few comic characters could survive, including a stint as a monster fighter in the future and as a stuffed exhibit in a theme restaurant. But surviving is what the horribly scarred bounty hunter does best. For the last several years, at the hands of writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, and an amazing number of creative artists at DC Comics, Hex has kept in front of a number of recent Western comics, all of which are pretty good. Look for the Jonah Hex movie in 2010.Below:  Big Water by Bruce LaFountain.

Wisconsin kids oppose Indian mascots

An interesting 10-minute video on white students testifying against Indian mascots in the Wisconsin state legislature:

STATE--Taking a StandAwareness. Comprehension. Engagement. All of these are evident as students from Prescott, Wisconsin, make their opinions known and voices heard before the Wisconsin State Assembly Education Committee. After studying the issue of using American Indian imagery as mascots, students in Mr. Ryan’s class take the time to testify in support of Assembly Bill 35, a proposal to limit the use of race-based names and images from public school sports teams.

2:34 – 3:52 Researching and discussing the issue
3:53 – 4:34 Organizing a demonstration; taking part
4:35 – 5:01 T-shirt sales
5:02 – 5:46 Preparing to testify; gathering evidence
5:46 – End Attending a public hearing; testifyingComment:  What's interesting is not the Assembly Bill 35. I'm not sure the top-down approach of forcing schools to change their mascots is the best way. Persuading them to change seems better.

Of course, the NCAA ruling against Indian mascots was a kind of force, or at least pressure. Schools had a choice of forgoing their mascots or not appearing in post-season tournaments. This "forced" them to decide what was really important--winning games, not being Indians--and they chose accordingly.

Also not particularly interesting is the substance of the students' position. They didn't come up with anything new or revelatory. It's not an honor to be stereotyped with whoops, warpaint, and tomahawk chops...obviously.

Unbiased means opposing mascots

No, what's interesting are the thought processes hinted at in the video. The non-Indian kids apparently didn't know anything about the mascot controversy. They researched the issues. With open minds and no preconceived beliefs, they inevitably came to the right conclusion: that mascots are stupid and stereotypical.

No other position is possible if you look at the issue rationally. That is, if you're not consumed by idol worship of the mascot as a golden calf. Anyone who isn't biased can see that a 19th-century chief or warrior is a blatant stereotype.

One student touches upon the idea of mascot fetishism. She says mascot worshipers basically become "Indians" in their own minds. They don't want to give up their "Indian identity" any more than a real Indian would. Like Crazy Horse or Geronimo being forced onto a reservation, they refuse to give in.

Mascot love = mental illness

This sounds like a form of mental illness to me. It's an insult to real Indians who actually had to endure forced assimilation. It's certainly not consistent with an educational mission of teaching genuine Indian history and culture. Even if the mascots weren't stereotypical, this would seem like a good reason to abandon them.

Really, the psychiatric community should look into this sickness. Call it Mascot Misidentification Syndrome: the psychotic delusion that wearing feathers and facepaint makes you an Indian. Let's get doctors and drug companies to treat it while entertainers raise awareness of it. With luck, we can help these sick people recover and lead full, productive lives as the non-Indians they really are.

For more on the subject of mascot worship, see Extreme Racism = Mental Illness, Indians Hold Steady at 0.3%, and "Next Dance" Is Educational?! For more on mascots in general, see Team Names and Mascots.

Below:  As Chief Illiniwek is sent to the happy hunting grounds, his "braves" suffer a second Trail of Tears. Oh, the humanity!

First Aboriginal women in Winter Olympics

Feisty First Nations twins pioneered aboriginal place in Olympic sports

By Terri TheodoreWhen they first wore Canada's colours in the 1972 Sapporo Games, twins Sharon and Shirley Firth broke racial barriers to become the first aboriginal women to compete at the Winter Games.

But nearly four decades later, the women say little has changed.

In Vancouver Friday to promote their book and encourage more young people to get into sport, the sisters pointed out that just one of the Canadian athletes competing at the 2010 Games is aboriginal. Caroline Calve, a member of the First Nations Snowboard Team, was a part of the Canadian snowboarding team.

"I think it's really important that the aboriginal people themselves start stepping up to the plate and be proud of who they are. They have nothing to lose," Sharon said.

The twins--who say they're 112 years old, collectively--spent 17 years on Canada's cross-country ski team, competing in four Olympic Games: Sapporo in 1972, the 1976 in Innsbruck, Lake Placid in 1980 and Sarajevo's Games in 1984.

Between them, the sisters won 48 Canadian championships.

Sharon said it was a big deal for an aboriginal person to make it to the Olympics back then, and it still is now.

"It's really amazing that we did it and we're really proud to say that we represent 370 million people earth-wide," she said, referring to the world's indigenous population.

Members of the Gwich'in First Nation and part Metis, as teenagers they lived in Inuvik, NWT, where they joined the Territorial Experiment Ski Training program.

"We trained our butts off to make sure we made that team," Shirley said, as visitors streamed past her at the popular Northern House pavilion.Comment:  For a similar subject, see Alaska Native Snowboarder in Olympics.

Native buzz at 2010 Olympics

Olympic tourists descend on native sites

Amazing response to arts, crafts

By Suzanne FournierSales are brisk at these Olympic Games for all things First Nations: cedar carvings, Salish weaving, Kwakwaka'wakw silver and masks, drums and high-end Haida clothing.

With the Four Host First Nations as the first-ever indigenous Olympics co-hosts, intense promotion by Aboriginal Tourism B.C. and strong native themes at almost all Games events, "there is a real buzz in the air," said Sophie Pierre, chair of Aboriginal Tourism B.C.

"Without a doubt, there has been so much interest generated at these Games in aboriginal culture and tourism, we expect very significant economic spinoffs," said Pierre.

"We have members in every corner of the province, so this will benefit all First Nations over the long term," said Pierre.Comment:  For perhaps the millionth time, we see the popular culture's power to inform people about Indians. Pop culture can do it the right way, as with the Olympics. Or the wrong way, as with Indian mascots, Indian monuments, and Indiana Jones-style movies.

For more on the subject, see Pix of 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremony and Host First Nations Welcome Guests.

Below:  "Christine Hunt holds a candle holder made by her sister Corrine Hunt at an Aboriginal art show at Vancouver Community College, Corrine Hunt designed the Olympic gold medals for the 2010 Winter Games." (Jon Murray, Canwest News Service)

TRIBAL FORCE #1 teaser

Jon Santaanta Proudstar's Photos--TRIBAL FORCE #1 TEASER

Comment:  The interior art looks better than the cover art. The story appears to pick up sometime after the end of the previous TRIBAL FORCE. Unless there's some sort of introduction, that's potentially confusing.

For more on the subject, see Comic Books Featuring Indians.

Begay: Tiger's apology was real

Tiger Woods' Apology:  Fellow Golfer Insists Emotions Were Real

Close Friend Notah Begay Admits Woods Return to the Course Will Be Met With 'Boos'

By Sarah Netter, John Berman and Russell GoldmanAfter he was finished speaking, Woods made a point of tearfully hugging a group of people seated in the front row, including his mother and Begay.

"I know that the emotion and the sincerity and the humility that he demonstrated in his statement and throughout the whole thing was coming from the heart," he said. "And that's the very first place you have to start when you are in a rehabilitative process."

Begay said he choked up watching his friend struggle because it was one of the few times he couldn't keep his emotions in check.

"Tiger doesn't get emotional at these types of statements and functions. In the past, even at Earl's funeral," Begay said of Woods' father. "He kept himself together and didn't get as emotional as he did on Friday."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Notah at Tiger's Apology.

Olympics broadcast in Native languages

"The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is providing play-by-play commentary of live sports in Cree, Mohawk, Ojibway, Dene, Inuktitut, Michif and Oji-Cree," reports the Toronto Star. Read about it in Olympics Broadcast in Native Languages in my Pictographs blog.