Do you know...

Lillian Pitt is an accomplished artist who has been exhibiting her contemporary sculpture, carvings, masks, glass, wearable art, and works on paper for over twenty years. One of the indigenous people of the Columbia River Gorge, she is called by her Indian name, Wak'amu (Strongly Rooted), by elders of the Warm Springs/Wasco and Yakama tribes. The term might also describe her art, for although her approach to form and materials is eclectic and contemporary, her intriguing metaphors are always rooted in her Native American tradition.

She says this about her work: “I use the ancient stories of my ancestors as a basis for the imagery I create. By doing this I maintain the memory of an ancient culture and keep the beliefs of my people alive. We have forgotten how to live in harmony with nature. Accessing this vast reservoir of traditional information and translating it into contemporary terms jogs our memories and provides points of reference to achieving balance within ourselves, our community and the world. My ancestors have a 10,000-year history in the Columbia River Gorge. Much of my work has to do with the preservation and care of the environment along this ancient waterway.”

Lillian Pitt was the recipient of the Governor's Award of the Oregon Arts Commission in 1990, which declared that she had made, "significant contributions to the growth and development of the cultural life of Oregon. She is known nationally and internationally for her Raku and Anagama fired ceramic and bronze masks and "Shadow Spirit" totem images based on traditional symbols and spirits of her Columbia River ancestors. Her repertoire has expanded to include monumental bronze sculpture, sometimes reflecting the theme of Salmon migration. One recurring image, "She Who Watches," is based on a Columbia River petroglyph which represents the last of the Woman Chiefs. The bronze mask above is one of her tributes to She Who Watches.

Lillian's art has been exhibited and reviewed in the U.S., Europe, New Zealand, and Japan. Her work has been commissioned by numerous museums and organizations and is in several collections, including the University of Washington's Burke Museum, the Sapporo City Hall, Sapporo, Japan and the prestigious Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ. A traveling retrospective of her work,"Spirits Keep Whistling Me Home," was launched in 1999 at the Museum at Warm Springs on her native reservation in Oregon and has been exhibited at other museums nationwide. In May, 2007, her work recieved the Best in Show Award at the Second Annual "In the Spirit" Contemporary Northwest Native Arts Exhibit. The July-August 2007 issue of Native Peoples Magazine features Lillian and one of her cast glass masks on the cover.

To learn more and see some of her amazing work click here: http://www.lillianpitt.com/bio.html

In The Spirit

Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival

The Washington State History Museum and The Evergreen State College Longhouse Education and Cultural Center have partnered to bring the In the Spirit Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival to downtown Tacoma at the Washington State History Museum on July 21st and 22nd, 2007.

This year on the Museum's Plaza there will be some of the best Native American Artists in the region selling exquisite artworks. Throughout the weekend Native American singers, musicians, and dance groups will provide entertainment.

Added to the festival this year will be a special collectors seminar. The seminar is designed to help patrons select and collect quality Native American artworks.

Check out their website: http://www.wshs.org/arts-festival/

Indians complain graves dug up for border fence

By Tim Gaynor

ALI JEGK, Arizona (Reuters) - Members of a traditional Indian nation spanning the Arizona-Mexico border are complaining that work to put up a new barrier to secure the border has desecrated an ancient burial ground.

The U.S. Border Patrol is building a 75-mile (120-km) vehicle barrier across the Tohono O'odham nation lands next to Mexico's Sonora state, in a bid to stop drug and human traffickers driving across from Mexico in trucks and cars.

The barrier is made of closely set steel posts sunk in concrete, and is being built in close consultation with tribal authorities. It replaces a rusted, barbed wire fence that stretched across the vast, cactus-strewn tract of desert where the tribe has lived for generations.

The tribal government said on Friday that "human burials" dating from the 12th century were found at two sites during preparatory work on the footings for the fence, and say the discovery was handled correctly according to protocols developed with the U.S. government.

Want to know more? Click here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=15757.html

Today in history...

1528: Today, Narvaez, and his Spanish expedition will cross the Suwannee River. They will discover, and occupy, a village they call Apalachen, in Florida. There are approximately 40 houses in the village, and a quantity of corn. They will remain here for almost a month. During that time they will fight with the local inhabitants on several occasions. The local APALACHEE Indians call the village Ibitachoco or Ivitachuco.

1876: Col.George Custer will be commanding Troops C,E,F,I, and L; Major Marcus Reno will have troops A,G, and M. Captain Frederick Benteen will lead Troops H,D, and K. Captain Thomas McDougall will guard the supply wagons with Troop B.