Walela, the Cherokee word for Hummingbird and the symbol of inspiration for this family of women singers. They are Rita Coolidge, her sister Priscilla Coolidge, and Priscilla’s daughter Laura Satterfield. Interviews and concert footage.
Blog
April 12th, 2011
Litefoot
Litefoot is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. He is a Native American rap artist, actor, role model and entrepreneur. Litefoot began realizing his entrepreneurial dreams nineteen years ago by starting his own recording label, Red Vinyl Records and releasing his own music. He has since recorded eleven award-winning albums that have been distributed throughout the world.
Litefoot’s lyrics are used today to teach both high school and college level students throughout the United States; and as far away as Germany, about historical and contemporary Native American issues and views. Litefoot has lectured at various colleges throughout the United States ranging from Virginia Polytechnic College and State University to Sitting Bull College. Litefoot spends a great deal of his time each year speaking and holding workshops for elementary and high school students throughout North America. (more…)
April 1st, 2011
Blue Star Equiculture
Blue Star Equiculture is a draft horse sanctuary and organic farm located at Burgundy Brook Farm in Palmer, Massachusetts. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered with the IRS and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Our mission is to provide retired working horses a sanctuary and homeless working horses the opportunity to be useful and positively improve their lives, while bringing education, equine awareness, skills and healing to the community and the environment. (more…)
March 19th, 2011
World Peace & Prayer Day 2010
Following the birth of a White Buffalo Calf in 1994, the Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe for the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nations, Arvol Looking Horse, was directed to honor the Four Directions with ceremony on June 21st. According to Lakota Star Knowledge, the birth of Miracle, a female white buffalo, signaled a time of earth changes and the coming of the mending of the Hoop of All Nations. The Summer Solstice is said to be a powerful time to pray for peace and harmony among all Living Beings. Grandmother Earth’s gifts, the air, water plant, animal and rock nations must be allowed to heal if we are to live in harmony with Her.
All Nations recognize Sacred Sites as Places to gather or perform private ceremony. For countless generations these Sites were honored, cherished and strengthened through ceremony and Our Mother remained healthy. To ensure the lives of future generations for all our relations, we must begin again to honor, cherish and renew Our Mother. (more…)
March 13th, 2011
Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon Speaks
I consider myself a native traditional Seneca Elder who stands within the circle of life, guided by the laws of the Creator and tied to the Earth like a child to the mother through the umbilical cord—never losing that connection.
.. People’mselves aren’t holy. But what they do can be holy. Living a holy life, that’s what life’s for. Helping others, fighting injustice, standing up for the People, saving our Mother the Earth—those are holy things to do.
But always be sure to remember, it ain’t you yourself who’s holy. People are just people. If God’d wanted folks to be holy, he’d have given’m wings and set’m up on a cloud somewhere playin’ a big gold harp.
Sounds pretty boring to me. Me, I’d rather just be a human being. I’m thankful that’s all I am or need to be.
Bein’ human, that’s a tough enough job for me. (more…)
March 13th, 2011
Chester Kahn
Chester Kahn was born in 1936 in Pine Springs, Arizona on the Navajo reservation into a long line of silversmiths and rug weavers. His upbringing was based upon the traditional Navajo lifestyle that included livestock and farming. It was during his early years that he drew on canyon walls and cardboard as while he herded sheep. Eventually he went to the BIA day school in Pine Springs, then to Shiprock Indian School, and graduated from Stewart Indian School in Nevada.
While at Stewart, Chester developed as a painter and exhibited at the Nevada State Library in Carson City, Washoe County Library, and Tower Theater in Reno; and won an award at the Nevada Artists Association Exhibit in Reno.
After school Chester returned to the Navajo reservation he became a professional sign painter, painting many billboards including the first large roadside billboard for Navajo Shopping Center in Gamerco, NM. He continued to develop as a silversmith and painter winning many awards, including the: Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, Arizona State Fair, Navajo Tribal Fair, and Philbrook Art Center in Tulsa. In the early 1960’s, Chester painted a large mural inside Gallup Indian Community Center which, regrettably, has since been demolished. (more…)
March 12th, 2011
ThunderBeat
ThunderBeat is a gifted shaman, a world Bridger, who blends tonal with tribal elements into multi-dimensional soundscape; Her harmonies soothe the spirit. While her rhythms awaken the soul.
ThunderBeat is a Native American of Choctaw and Shawnee heritage. The name “ThunderBeat”, was given to her by Native American elders, because of her abilities to heal and awaken through the power of sound.
She has studied at the prestigious Eastman School of Music and has researched sound frequency therapy since 1993.
She is an international recording artist and live performer. For more than two decades ThunderBeat has recorded and toured with national and international artists on major labels. These include CBS, Atlantic, and A&M Records. As of 2000 she became a solo artist and now she is an accomplished Author, Teacher, Composer, Shamanic Practitioner, Certified Reiki Master, and a Pioneer in Sound Healing.
The music video above is her original song, Ancient Sun from the cd, Mayan Landing 2012 and was shot against the backdrop of Sedona’s sacred red rocks. I first met ThunderBeat in 2002 while I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico to direct the Native American Music Awards. We remain friends to this day. Enjoy : ) PF
March 2nd, 2011
The Longest Walk III
On February 14th, 2011, The Longest Walk III will begin a 5,400 mile walk/run relay across America. The purpose of which is to draw attention to the alarming epidemic of diabetics in Indian Country.
Led by A.I.M. co-founder Dennis Banks, the walk will begin at La Jolla Shores, California (San Diego), and ending in Washington, D.C. on July 8th. The route will be southern based which will include the states of: Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Banks, himself a diabetic, said that “Diabetes has reached an epidemic state in Indian Country and the percentage of diabetes amongst Native Americans may be as high as 75%” (Indian Health Service’s estimate is at 35%). “Surgery involving amputation is very common”, Banks said, “making Native people Partial Indians”.
Key organizers in each state are developing evening lectures by Banks who will also conduct seminars in juicing your vegetables. “Vegetables”, he said “are becoming extinct”, and wants to aid in a massive “Reversing Diabetes” program across Native America.
California, which will host the opening ceremonies, is being directed by Orlando Vigil of Taos New Mexico. He will guide and walk with members of many Southern California tribes to and through the southern tribal nations of the Diegueno Kumeyaay, Lusenio, Serrano, Cahuilla, Chemeuuai, and Quechan territories. (more…)
February 27th, 2011
Robert Big Elk
It was the summer of 2000 in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota that I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Big Elk. There was a spiritual gathering happening over a four day period hosted by The Spiritual Unity of Tribes. Hundreds of people from around the world came to listen, laugh, learn, love and share stories, food and beauty from their respective lands. Robert Big Elk of the Omaha Nation was one of the many wisdom keepers who shared under the arbor as well as on camera. Robert who crossed over several years ago was a renown artisan as well as a passionate advocate for Native American equal rights. Below is something Robert gave me, which I’d like to share.
The turtle is an ancient symbol created to honor the Earth. There are many Native American legends that tell of the Earth being created on the back of a turtle. It is said that the reason the turtle walks so slow is because it carries the weight of the world on its back. The turtle is a healer and a teacher that reminds us to slow down and pay more attention to all of creation around us and try to interact with the natural world. (more…)
February 17th, 2011
Joanne Shenandoah
Joanne Shenandoah
A GRAMMY Award and 12 Time Native American Music award winning artist; and Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy, Joanne Shenandoah has fulfilled the promise of her Native American name, Tekaliwah-kwa, (She Sings). ” She’s become one of the most acclaimed Native American recording artists of her time.” Associated Press.
Since emerging as an artist in 1990, she has performed at such high-profile gigs at Carnegie Hall, the White House, Kennedy Center, Earth Day on the Mall, Woodstock ’94, and the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in South Africa and the famous Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona Spain, Instanbull, Hwa Eom Temple, S. Korea and thousands of venues in the US.
“She weaves you into a trance with her beautiful Iroquois chants and wraps her voice around you like a warm blanket on a cool winter’s night,” said Robbie Robertson, formerly of the Band, who used her voice on his solo album Contact From the Underworld of Redboy. Shenandoah has also collaborated and or performed with Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young, Brian Kirkpatrick, Willie Nelson, Rita Coolidge and scores of others.
Over time Shenandoah’s been able to channel her love of pop, folk and classical into her ancestrally inspired music and her music has been used in many soundtracks to include HBO, PBS, Northern Exposure, Bose Systems, The Discovery Channel, and TRANSAMERICA to name a few.
Shenandoah, as an actress plays a major role in The Last Winter, a thriller film on global warming starring Ron Perlman.
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