"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, May 9, 2008

Duwamish tribe sues to reverse 'extinct' status

By: Paul Shukovsky

The Duwamish -- the tribe of Chief Seattle -- is suing the federal government to reverse its determination that they are extinct as a people.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, asks the court to declare that the Duwamish are a federally recognized tribe.

Such a designation is critical: It brings money for housing, health care, education and cultural programs. It also allows tribes to put land into protected status for a reservation and to open casinos.

Without recognition, the chances are greatly increased that the Duwamish could eventually disappear, its members assimilating into the general population. Today, the tribe has 500 to 600 members.

Among the suit's numerous allegations against the government is that the Interior Department ignored evidence in favor of the Duwamish because of "its politically driven desire" to declare that the tribe no longer exists.

The Duwamish received federal acknowledgement in the waning hours of the Clinton administration, only to have the decision quickly reversed in 2001 by the incoming Bush administration, which cited procedural errors by its predecessor.

Keep reading here: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362170_duwamish08.html
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)