"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

Saturday, November 1, 2008

National American Indian Heritage

Editorial by: Pamela Waterbird Davison

The month of November is National American Indian Heritage Month. Though most everyone knows February is Black History Month and October is Hispanic Heritage Month, very few know that in 1990, President George Bush signed a declaration designating November as the time for recognizing and honoring the contribution and impact of Indian Culture on this land now known as the United States of America.

November is also the month in which many historical dates surround the Tribal Units of this country. From Custer's attack on the Cheyenne camp on Washita River in 1868 to the installment of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 to the tall tale of the first Thanksgiving, this month is viewed as both sorrowful and triumphant by the majority of Indian communities.

While this blog is continuously honoring the First People of Turtle Island (North America) and examining the issues found within the Indian community, the focus this month will be on these historical dates from the single perspective of myself. To my ancestors, my brothers and sisters of today, and to the next seven generations, you should know you have not been forgotten.
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Important Dates in November

November 2, 1972: Approximately 500 Native Americans occupy the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices in Washington, DC.

November 14, 1944: The National Congress of American Indians is founded.

November 16, 1990: The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is enacted.

November 17, 2000: U.S. gold coin is minted commemorating Sacajawea.

November 20, 1969: Native American occupy Alcatraz Island claiming right of possession under previous treaties.

November 27, 1868: Custer attacks Cheyenne camp on Washita River killing Black Kettle.

November 28, 1989: National Museum of the American Indian Act is signed.

November 29, 1864: Sand Creek Massacre, troops commanded by Colonel John Chivington attack Chief Black Kettle’s Cheyenne killing mostly women and children.
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