"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

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Gila resolution calls freeway path 'sacred land'

By: Colleen Sparks

A resolution adopted a year ago by the Gila River Indian Community Council has thrown a wrench into the proposed South Mountain Freeway plan.

The council in April 2007 designated the South Mountain Range as "a sacred place/traditional cultural property" that must not be violated.

The council said any alteration of the range "for any purpose would be a violation of the cultural and religious beliefs of the Gila River Indian Community."

Phoenix Councilman Greg Stanton, who represents Ahwatukee Foothills, said he read the resolution for the first time Tuesday and that it is "critically important that we respect tribal sovereignty issues, that we respect the tribe's interpretation of sacred places and religiously important sites."

The freeway, if approved, would run along the Pecos Road alignment in Ahwatukee and cut through South Mountain Park. The cuts would range from 120 to 220 feet into the mountain, the Arizona Department of Transportation estimates.

"We as the community better think long and hard before we are willing to destroy a sacred place," Stanton said.

There's more here: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/29/20080429ar-gilariver0429.html
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