Locally produced film explores hidden history of Haskell
By: Jon Niccum
The camera slowly dollies in on the stern face of actor Kevin Geer. About 30 cast and crew members crammed into the third floor of the Watkins Community Museum of History look on.
“This is not a prison. There are no walls. No fences. But there is a clock,” Geer scolds. “You will learn to respect time.”
“Respect” and “time” are key words on the set of “The Only Good Indian,” a film that takes place in the early 1900s when respectful treatment of American Indians was at an all-time low.
Today, the filmmakers are shooting a scene in which the Haskell superintendent (Geer) is addressing the Indian children who have just been pulled off the reservation. The story focuses on one such Kickapoo youth (played by newcomer Winter Fox Frank), who is taken from his family and forcibly sent to Haskell under government orders to integrate into white society.
After being assigned a new name and religion, Frank’s character escapes and attempts to return home, only to be pursued by an American Indian bounty hunter (Wes Studi).
“What we know of the Indian boarding schools all across the country is that they were almost like concentration camps,” says Steve Cadue, the Kickapoo tribal chairman who is on the set at the invitation of the filmmakers.
Check out the website for more information: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/aug/31/indian_summer/
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Pow wow dancer offers children a future through art and culture
By: Renee Fajardo
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Carrie Howell, prevention services specialist at the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, is dedicated to ensuring that the youth of Denver have a chance to grasp a piece of the American dream. She believes that dream can happen with a little help from the spirit of community and the power of art.
Howell has been dancing up a storm as a pow wow dancer since she was a young adult. She has been the troupe leader for the past 21 years of the exhibition group Seven Falls Indian Dancers, which performs in Colorado Springs during the summer and in Denver year-round.
''I think that involvement in one's culture is the key to success here,'' Howell said. ''If the kids are involved in activities that teach the traditional values like honesty, respect, wisdom, generosity, etc., it is easier for them to connect to their education. There are a lot of children who are not graduating. I want to be able to offer them some hope. In the two decades that I have been dancing with children from the metro area, I have seen the power of art and culture. It gives the children and teens a sense of belonging and purpose.''
Want to read more? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415633
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Carrie Howell, prevention services specialist at the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, is dedicated to ensuring that the youth of Denver have a chance to grasp a piece of the American dream. She believes that dream can happen with a little help from the spirit of community and the power of art.
Howell has been dancing up a storm as a pow wow dancer since she was a young adult. She has been the troupe leader for the past 21 years of the exhibition group Seven Falls Indian Dancers, which performs in Colorado Springs during the summer and in Denver year-round.
''I think that involvement in one's culture is the key to success here,'' Howell said. ''If the kids are involved in activities that teach the traditional values like honesty, respect, wisdom, generosity, etc., it is easier for them to connect to their education. There are a lot of children who are not graduating. I want to be able to offer them some hope. In the two decades that I have been dancing with children from the metro area, I have seen the power of art and culture. It gives the children and teens a sense of belonging and purpose.''
Want to read more? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415633
Florida Indian Youth Program celebrates 27th year
By: Petra Solimon
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Indian Youth Program celebrated its 27th year July 7 - 21. Native students from Florida and Georgia came to Tallahassee for the annual event, which features a two-week-long educational experience.
Classes during the program consist of math, writing, financial literacy, computers and tribal government. The students stayed in Florida State University dorms, while the classes were held at the Leon County Civic Center in downtown Tallahassee. Sponsored by the Florida governor's Council on Indian Affairs, the youth program is a nonprofit organization.
As part of the tribal government class, Travis Trueblood, Choctaw, of Trueblood Law Group, gave students a unique opportunity to explore the issues of tribal sovereignty as they relate to tribal government. After studying various tribes' constitutions, the students created their own tribal constitution and bylaws. FGCIA Executive Director Joe A. Quetone, Kiowa, assisted students with their tribal elections and this year was the first in which an all-female council was voted in.
Read more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415686
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Indian Youth Program celebrated its 27th year July 7 - 21. Native students from Florida and Georgia came to Tallahassee for the annual event, which features a two-week-long educational experience.
Classes during the program consist of math, writing, financial literacy, computers and tribal government. The students stayed in Florida State University dorms, while the classes were held at the Leon County Civic Center in downtown Tallahassee. Sponsored by the Florida governor's Council on Indian Affairs, the youth program is a nonprofit organization.
As part of the tribal government class, Travis Trueblood, Choctaw, of Trueblood Law Group, gave students a unique opportunity to explore the issues of tribal sovereignty as they relate to tribal government. After studying various tribes' constitutions, the students created their own tribal constitution and bylaws. FGCIA Executive Director Joe A. Quetone, Kiowa, assisted students with their tribal elections and this year was the first in which an all-female council was voted in.
Read more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415686
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Today in history...
1742: According to some reports, a meeting is held between representatives of the British in Massachusetts and the Maliseet, Norridgewock, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Pigwacket and St. Francis Indians regarding trade problems.
1813: 500 warriors of the White Stick faction of the Creeks gather in Coweta, across the river in Alabama from modern Columbus Georgia. With 200 Cherokee warriors, they make plans to attack a band of Red Stick Creeks, followers of Tecumseh, over 2,500 strong. The White Sticks are led by Tustunnuggee Thlucco and Tustunnuggee Hopoie.
1813: 500 warriors of the White Stick faction of the Creeks gather in Coweta, across the river in Alabama from modern Columbus Georgia. With 200 Cherokee warriors, they make plans to attack a band of Red Stick Creeks, followers of Tecumseh, over 2,500 strong. The White Sticks are led by Tustunnuggee Thlucco and Tustunnuggee Hopoie.
National Powwow honors warriors, hosts hundreds of talented dancers
By: Gale Courey Toensing
WASHINGTON - Tens of thousands of people will gather in Washington for a three-day celebration of American Indian dance and culture at the largest pow wow on the East Coast.
The National Powwow, hosted by the Smithsonian Museum's National Museum of the American Indian, will take place Aug. 10 - 12 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington.
Dancers in spectacular regalia from hundreds of tribal nations throughout the continent will compete for more than $125,000 in prize money. Around 100 selected Native artists and artisans will display and sell fine art, jewelry, sculpture and pottery. Speakers, side events and displays will add to the experience and expression of Native culture. Three host drum groups will showcase different styles of singing, and Native warriors will be honored.
This is the third National Powwow to be held in Washington.
''We had our first National Powwow on the Mall in September 2002, which I think was an incredible event just for the fact of its location. A lot of elders said they never thought in their lifetime that they'd be able to dance in front of the U.S. Capitol building. I still get goose bumps when I think about it,'' said Leonda Levchuk, Navajo, a National Powwow organizer.
This year, the National Powwow will honor warriors, past and present.
Want to read more? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415523
WASHINGTON - Tens of thousands of people will gather in Washington for a three-day celebration of American Indian dance and culture at the largest pow wow on the East Coast.
The National Powwow, hosted by the Smithsonian Museum's National Museum of the American Indian, will take place Aug. 10 - 12 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington.
Dancers in spectacular regalia from hundreds of tribal nations throughout the continent will compete for more than $125,000 in prize money. Around 100 selected Native artists and artisans will display and sell fine art, jewelry, sculpture and pottery. Speakers, side events and displays will add to the experience and expression of Native culture. Three host drum groups will showcase different styles of singing, and Native warriors will be honored.
This is the third National Powwow to be held in Washington.
''We had our first National Powwow on the Mall in September 2002, which I think was an incredible event just for the fact of its location. A lot of elders said they never thought in their lifetime that they'd be able to dance in front of the U.S. Capitol building. I still get goose bumps when I think about it,'' said Leonda Levchuk, Navajo, a National Powwow organizer.
This year, the National Powwow will honor warriors, past and present.
Want to read more? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415523
Oregon buys land near Chief Joseph gravesite
The state completed its purchase of roughly 62 acres of land between Joseph and Wallowa Lake, and plans to turn the area into a park.
The state Parks and Recreation Department paid $4.1 million to K&B Family Limited Partnership for the land adjacent to the Old Chief Joseph gravesite, said Chris Havel, a department spokesman.
The parcel has been the center of disputes for years. Most recently, developers wanted to build houses on the land — known as the Marr Ranch property — but leaders from the Nez Perce Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation believe the area contains the bones of their ancestors.
The property, which is under a grazing lease through Oct. 15, will be closed to the public through completion of a planning process tentatively scheduled for spring.
The complete article is here: http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8QPECVO0.html
The state Parks and Recreation Department paid $4.1 million to K&B Family Limited Partnership for the land adjacent to the Old Chief Joseph gravesite, said Chris Havel, a department spokesman.
The parcel has been the center of disputes for years. Most recently, developers wanted to build houses on the land — known as the Marr Ranch property — but leaders from the Nez Perce Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation believe the area contains the bones of their ancestors.
The property, which is under a grazing lease through Oct. 15, will be closed to the public through completion of a planning process tentatively scheduled for spring.
The complete article is here: http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8QPECVO0.html
The Legend of Apache Leap and the Apache Tears
According to legend, there is a reminder of the early presence of the battles fought between U. S. Cavalry troops and three recognized tribes: the Coyotes, Tontos and Pinals, all a part of the Apache tribe. This story unfolds in the heart of the Superior region.
History records indicated that in July 1870, General George Stoneman deemed it necessary to establish an outpost of the Arizona Military District at Picket Post, in an area just west of present day Superior. The three tribes held strongholds in the mountains to the north and east and were known to have carried out extensive raids.
In the winter of 1870, a significant raid attracted Company B of the Arizona Volunteers, who soon sighted the Indian lookouts. Though it was well known that a tribe of Apaches lived on top of Big Picacho, the trail to the top had never been located. The searches, trailing the cattle, discovered the secret trail, climbed atop the towering cliffs and waited to attack at daybreak.
The Apaches, confident in the safety of their location, were caught off guard and completely outnumbered in the dawn attack. Nearly 75 Apaches were killed. Legend says those that escaped their attackers retreated to the cliff’s edge and chose death by leaping over the edge rather than being killed by the opposition.
Those who ventured up the treacherous face of Big Picacho (now called Apache Leap) claimed to have found skeletons. Relatives of those who died gathered a short distance from the base of the cliff and mourned their loved ones. Legend says their sadness was so great that their tears were imbedded into black obsidian stones. When held to the light, they are said to reveal the translucent tear of the Apache. Found in great abundance near Superior, just a short distance from historic Apache Leap, the Apache Tears are said to bring good luck to anyone who has them in their possession.
History records indicated that in July 1870, General George Stoneman deemed it necessary to establish an outpost of the Arizona Military District at Picket Post, in an area just west of present day Superior. The three tribes held strongholds in the mountains to the north and east and were known to have carried out extensive raids.
In the winter of 1870, a significant raid attracted Company B of the Arizona Volunteers, who soon sighted the Indian lookouts. Though it was well known that a tribe of Apaches lived on top of Big Picacho, the trail to the top had never been located. The searches, trailing the cattle, discovered the secret trail, climbed atop the towering cliffs and waited to attack at daybreak.
The Apaches, confident in the safety of their location, were caught off guard and completely outnumbered in the dawn attack. Nearly 75 Apaches were killed. Legend says those that escaped their attackers retreated to the cliff’s edge and chose death by leaping over the edge rather than being killed by the opposition.
Those who ventured up the treacherous face of Big Picacho (now called Apache Leap) claimed to have found skeletons. Relatives of those who died gathered a short distance from the base of the cliff and mourned their loved ones. Legend says their sadness was so great that their tears were imbedded into black obsidian stones. When held to the light, they are said to reveal the translucent tear of the Apache. Found in great abundance near Superior, just a short distance from historic Apache Leap, the Apache Tears are said to bring good luck to anyone who has them in their possession.
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