"We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth as "wild". To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery."

Luther Standing Bear - Rosebud Sioux

Guardian of the Water Medicine

Guardian of the Water Medicine
Dale Auger

Dale Auger

Dale Auger: On Art, Blood and Kindred Spirits
by Terri Mason

Defining Dale Auger in one sentence is akin to releasing the colours of a diamond in one cut. It can’t be done. It’s the many facets that release a diamond’s true brilliance, as it is the many facets of Auger’s life, education, ancestry, experiences and beliefs that have shaped and polished his work into the internationally acclaimed and collected artist that he is today.

Born a Sakaw Cree from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, Auger’s education began as a young boy when his mother would take him to be with the elders. “I used to say to myself, ‘Why is she leaving me with these old people?’ – but today I see the reason; I was being taught in the old way.”

Auger’s respect for traditional teachings led him on a journey to study art, opening the door to a doctorate in education. He is a talented playwright, speaker and visual artist whose vividly coloured acrylics have captured the attention of collectors that reads like an international ‘Who’s Who’ spanning English to Hollywood royalty. The essence of his work is communication, and now Dr. Auger has come full circle, interpreting the life of his culture – from the everyday to the sacred - through the cross-cultural medium of art.

Read the rest here:

http://www.daleauger.com/printversionbio.cfm

Friday, June 13, 2008

Historical Indian Tribe linked with Texas history

By: Bob Bowman

Thousands of people drive through East Texas each year without the knowledge that an Indian reservation -- one that played a role in the independence of Texas -- exists within the pine forests.

The difficulties faced by the Alabama-Coushatta tribes to remain on their land and create economic opportunities for their people reach back to the 1830s. The tribes saw their lands taken by white settlers and encountered setbacks that have wiped out other Indian reservations in the U.S. Yet, the tribes remain steadfast and strong, continuing to maintain their humble root on lands between Livingston and Woodville.

The first historical reference to the tribe was in 1541 when Spanish explorer DeSoto noted a reference to the Alabama tribe in the area that would eventually become Alabama.

Early in 1836, as Sam Houston's army was retreating eastward across Texas, pursued by the Mexican army under Santa Anna, many Texas settlers fled toward the Sabine River in the "Runaway Scrape."

As the revolutionary army marched toward San Jacinto, Houston sent a delegation to ask the Alabamas and Coushattas for assistance.

The delegation dispatched by General Houston to negotiate for the services of about 250 Alabama and Coushatta warriors arrived at Long King's Village several days before the battle of San Jacinto.

While the discussions were proceeding, the battle of San Jacinto was fought, and the services of the Indians were no longer needed. Although the Alabamas and Coushattas did not participate militarily in the war, they were generous in their efforts to feed and care for settlers who passed through their villages in the Runaway Scrape.

"We helped them with food, shelter and crossing the Trinity River," said Arnold Battise, who was born on the reservation. "Sam Houston was a friend to the Indians, so when he learned about our assistance, he became instrumental in having a reservation awarded to our tribe."

Keep reading here: http://www.c-bstatesman.com/news/2008/0612/historical/012.html
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