OIT Rocks Native Style at Red Earth Pow Wow After Party

OIT at the Red Earth Pow Wow After Party at Bora Bora on June 1 & 2 - Oklahoma City, OK

Old Indian Trick [OIT] is one of the few all Native rock bands around the country with its present members from the Kiowa, Creek, Choctaw, Southern Cheyenne and Arapahoe Nations. OIT members are all thirty-seven years and older, all have families and careers going on outside their music commitments to the band. They rarely have time to practice but have been together so long, that knowing one another’s strengths has been the key in making the band last.

Jamming across Oklahoma since 2001, OIT influences span from heavy metal, 80’s rock, country, R & B to a blend of their own Native contemporary rock style, which includes several of their own tracks written by OIT bass player, Terrell Tanequodle.

“Drums of War,” a Native honor rock song was written by Tanequodle while he watched the Iraq war on TV. “It reminded me of the Indians long ago, how they got sick and tired of fighting, just to live and breathe. What they went through just to sit to be with their family. They had to fight to do things we could not imagine having to do. The frustrations that came from defending themselves and their families all the time. My family means everything to me and it shows in my lyrics,” he explained as he spoke quietly.

Drummer, Mike Lamebull, who is self taught on the drums, never had a music lesson in his life, says that the band is something that he always wanted to do and OIT is a big dream come true for him and Terrell. And in the future they are looking forward to hitting the studio and releasing their first full length CD of original tunes.

OIT knows that keeping a band together is a joint effort and is like five people being married to each other. But they make things work by meeting at a common ground for their love of music and for the thrill and pride of being in an all Native rock band. “We want to show that Indians are still here and we do anything just like anyone one else,”Tanequodle said proudly.

Calendar - www.oldindiantrick.com

Do you know...

Lt. Col. Ernest Childers
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient

A Native American Creek from Oklahoma, and a first Lieutenant with the 45th Infantry Division. Childers received the Medal of Honor for heroic action in 1943 when, up against machine gun fire, he and eight men charged the enemy. Although suffering a broken foot in the assault, Childers ordered covering fire and advanced up the hill, single-handedly killing two snipers, silencing two machine gun nests, and capturing an enemy mortar observer. Childers, who retired in 1965 at Fort Still, Okla., first arrived at Fort Drum - then called Pine Camp - on Nov. 8, 1942, to train before going overseas.

Although 2d Lt. Childers previously had just suffered a fractured instep he, with 8 enlisted men, advanced up a hill toward enemy machinegun nests. The group advanced to a rock wall overlooking a cornfield and 2d Lt. Childers ordered a base of fire laid across the field so that he could advance. When he was fired upon by 2 enemy snipers from a nearby house he killed both of them. He moved behind the machinegun nests and killed all occupants of the nearer one. He continued toward the second one and threw rocks into it. When the 2 occupants of the nest raised up, he shot 1. The other was killed by 1 of the 8 enlisted men.

2d Lt. Childers continued his advance toward a house farther up the hill, and single-handed, captured an enemy mortar observer. The exceptional leadership, initiative, calmness under fire, and conspicuous gallantry displayed by 2d Lt. Childers were an inspiration to his men.

Thunder in the Desert to rumble into Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. - The event is billed as ''10,000 years of culture - 150 tribal nations - 10 days - all in one location''; and despite a full and busy agenda, organizer Fred Synder advises: ''Take your watch off and put it in your pocket,'' because nothing starts until the medicine men and the Gourd dancers finish blessing the grounds.

The year 2008 will mark the third encounter of First People's New Millennium World Fair and the Thunder in the Desert premier event at Rillito Raceway Park in Tucson.

''Native Americans feel it important to commemorate the 21st century as a special time in history,'' Synder said. ''Symbolically, a mark will be placed on a calendar stick and a design inscribed on buffalo hide to celebrate the continued existence of the people throughout the past millennium - and a recommitment made to continue the strength, beauty and endurance of tradition and culture.''

That's a tall order, but an attainable goal with the energy to be brought to the festivities.

''All our events will acknowledge the contributions Native people have made to humanity and the fabric of life which we have generously shared on Mother Earth,'' Synder said.

Want to read the full article? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415114

Group searching for more American Indian foster homes...

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A Bismarck-area group is looking for American Indian foster homes.

Mike Mabin (MAY'-bin) owns a marketing firm that's helping with the effort. He says Burleigh and Morton counties have about 70 American Indian youngsters each year who need foster care but only one licensed Indian foster home.

Two public forums are planned next month to try to find more.

Mabin is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. He says being placed with an American Indian family can give Indian children more of a sense of security.

Mabin also says American Indian leaders need to come together to get the word out that foster homes are needed.

Public forums are planned June 13th at United Tribes Technical College and June 20th at the Bismarck Public Library, to tell people more about the process of becoming a foster parent.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 05-29-07 0849CDT