Tag Archives: First Peoples

Paul “Che oke ten” Wagner on Make No Bones About It-3-25-2012 5pm

Paul “Che oke ten” Wagner is an internationally-performing ambassador of the traditional songs & stories of his Coast Salish tribal ancestors. He enjoys sharing the warmth, humor & wisdom of these beautiful “teachings,” as they are know in the sacred tradition of his people, in an engaging & interactive way, interweaving his Spirit-gifted songs on Native American flute, along with traditional tribal drum songs. An award-winning Native American flutist, his instrumental songs have come to him with visions of healing & prayer for all relations (tree people, animal people, human people).

Che oke ten hails from the Wsaanich (Saanich) tribe of southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, whose spirit helpers are the Thunderbird & the Whale. His ancestral name, “Che oke ten” carries the meaning of a feeling of “watching over & caring for the people & things you love for a thousand seasons.”

Che oke ten’s performing art has evolved into a feast for the senses, incorporating live sampling sound equipment to interlace Native flute, drum, voice & other musical instruments into a mesmerizing backdrop to the traditional spoken-word stories… accompanied by visual high-resolution projection of his stunning & surreal nature photography & videography work, which encapsulates the incredible beauty of the natural world so important to his culture.

Che oke ten’s traditional training & immersion in his tribal language enable him to share the teachings & Sacred Breath tradition of many generations of previous storytellers. He has a deep connection with the stories & ancient ways, understanding the profound life-changing effects they can have on people of all ages & cultures. He feels it is important to keep the indigenous teachings alive in the hearts of the people of today’s world & to honor the original ancestors of the place in which any gathering of peoples occurs.

Che oke ten’s debut Native flute CD “Journey of the Spirit” has been honored by the “Best Native American Album of 2009” JPF Award, a CD-Baby-affiliated international award involving both people’s choice voting & industry critic panel selection & judging. It has currently sold more than 1,000 copies. His available recordings also include “Prophecy Teachings of the First Peoples of the Northwest Coast” (a collaboration with his cousin, Johnny Moses), & a limited-edition solo storytelling CD entitled, “Creation Stories.”

Che oke ten’s current projects include a DVD featuring his breathtaking high-resolution nature videography & photography work to be accompanied by his original Native flute music (plus other instruments); a new Native flute CD; and plans for a second tour of Japan.

Che oke ten has shared the stage & collaborated with many prominent artists such as Eyvind Kang, Gina Sala, Bill Frisell, Andre Feriante & Charlie Hill. His international performances have included the Mongolian Peoples Federation for World Peace Conference in Seoul, Korea, a recent successful six-city tour of Japan, & many venues in British Columbia. Currently in residence in the Seattle, WA area, he also performs extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

His recent performances include:

  • Mongolian People’s Federation for World Peace; Seoul, South Korea
  • CSL Sacred Music Festival; Seattle, WA
  • Pakistan Earthquake Relief Benefit; Redmond, WA
  • Olympic College; Bremerton, WA
  • Opening Ceremony for Fibers of Life Exhibit; Skagit County Historical Museum, La Conner, WA
  • Oregon Country Fair; Eugene, OR
  • Seattle Folklife Festival; Seattle, WA
  • Women of Wisdom Conference; Seattle, WA
  • World Rhythm Festival; Seattle, WA
  • World Sacred Music Festival; Olympia, WA
  • Faerieworlds Festival; Eugene, OR
  • King County Library System’s ‘Many Voices, One Land’ Children’s Program
  • Native Arts & Music Festival; Tacoma, WA
  • Redmond City Hall Opening Ceremony; Redmond, WA
  • Spokane Fall Folk Festival; Spokane

http://www.sacredbreath.cc/bio.htm

Raven will visit with Robert Upham about the movie “Crooked Arrows”. 3-18-2012 AT 4PM

Exclusive Movie Preview. Don’t miss it. It will be a fun filled night of Entertainment:D and the Featured Entertainer is: GARY FARMER of the movie “POW-WOW HIGHWAY” and his band the Troublemakers:)

Where the Salmon Run: The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank, Jr

Helping with the proof reading of this wonderful book before it becomes ready for sale. It is amazing. I am so grateful to have the blessing of helping with the proof reading of one of my hero’s. Uncle Billy!

A Legacy Project biography of Northwest Indian activist, Billy Frank, Jr.

Please complete the form below to be notified when Where the Salmon Run: The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank, Jr. goes on sale.

Read more at https://www.sos.wa.gov/heritage/BillyFrankSignup.aspx

Marlon refuses the grammy

New Year Day 1-1-2012 -“Prophecies and Possibilities of 2012 and Beyond” with Uncle Phil Lane Jr.

” Prophecies and Possibilities of 2012 and Beyond”, An Indigenous Perspective with Uncle Phil Lane Jr.

Chief Phil Lane Jr. is an enrolled member of the Yankton Dakota and Chickasaw First Nations and is an internationally recognized leader in human and community development. He was born at the Haskell Indian Residential School in Lawrence, Kansas in 1944, where his mother and father met and attended school. He is a citizen of both Canada and the USA.

During the past 43 years, he has worked with Indigenous peoples in North,Central and South America, Micronesia, South East Asia, India, Hawaii and Africa. He served 16 years as Associate Professor and Founder and Coordinator of the Four Worlds International Institute at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Four Worlds became an independent Institute in 1995. As well, Phil is Chairman of Four Directions International, an Aboriginal company, which was incorporated in 1996 as Four Worlds’ Economic Development Arm.

With Phil’s guidance and applied experience, Four Worlds has become an internationally recognized leader in human, community and organizational development because of the Institute’s unique focus on the importance of culture and spirituality in all elements of development. Four Directions International, Four World’s economic development arm, is lead by its President Deloria ManyGrey Horses, and is dedicated to the development of sustainable economic enterprises that support wholistic, political, social, cultural, environmental, spiritual and educational development.

In 1977, Phil was named a Modern Indian Sports Great by the National Indian Magazine, Wassaja, for his record-breaking accomplishments in Track and Wrestling. He has extensive experiencei n his own cultural traditions, is an award winning author and film producer and holds Master’s Degrees in Education and Public Administration. His film credits include the National Public Television series “Images of Indians” with the late Will Sampson, “Walking With Grandfather”, “The Honor of All: The Story of Alkali Lake” and “Healing the Hurts”.

In August, 1992, Phil was the first Indigenous person to win the prestigious Windstar Award, presented annually by the late John Denver and the Windstar Foundation to a global citizen whose personal and professional life exemplifies commitment to a global perspective, operates with awareness of the spiritual dimension of human existence and demonstrates concrete actions of the benefit for humans and all living systems of the Earth. At this International event, in recognition of his lineage and long time service to Indigenous peoples and the human family, Indigenous Elders from across North America recognized Phil as a Hereditary Chief through a Sacred Headdress Ceremony. Other Windstar winners include:Oceanologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau, David Brower, Founder of the Earth Island Institute, Yevgeni Velikhov, Vice President of the Soviet Academy of Sciences,Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and founder of Kenya’s Greenbelt Movement; Akio Matsumura, Executive Director of The Global Forum, and Lester Brown, President of the World Watch Institute.

On November 11, 2000, Phil received the Year 2000 award from the Foundation for Freedom and Human Rightsin Berne, Switzerland. Phil is the first North or South American person to receive the award, and he joins a select international group: the Dalai Lama ofTibet, Dr. Boutro Boutros Ghali, former Secretary General of the United Nations, and British Lord Yehudi Menuhin, musician and philosopher, have, also, received the award. The foundation says the award is in recognition of Phil’s “unique contributions to improve the lives and future hopes of Indigenous populations. It is primarily based on his most special merits of promoting freedom and justice for Indigenous Peoples by building human and spiritual capacity rather than opposing oppression directly and also on his international visionary initiatives among Indigenous populations, by healing the root causes of hopelessness and despair.”

On June 21, 2008, Phil was awarded the 14th Annual Ally Award by the Center for Healing Racism in Houston, Texas. Phil received the Ally Award for his national and international work in promoting freedom and justice for Indigenous Peoples by building human and spiritual capacity that focuses on healing the root causes of racism and oppression rather than focusing on conflict. The Ally Award is an annual award presented by the Houston-based Center for the Healing of Racism to honor the achievements of those who have worked hard to achieve harmony of all ethnic and cultural groups.

Special emphasis on this award is for Lane’s dedicated work as one of the primary leaders in the resolution of Canada’s Residential School issue, which involved the sexual, physical,cultural, psychological, and emotional abuse of thousands of Aboriginal Children in Canada. This effort resulted in a $3.5 Billion settlement for survivors, a full public apology by the Prime Minister of Canada and all Political Party Leaders on the floor of the Canadian Parliament, the establishment of a $500 million Aboriginal Healing Foundation and a formal, five year, Truth and Reconciliation Commission that is currently holding public hearings across Canada on the impact of the Residential Schools on the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.

In 2008, Phil completed his three-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) in Seattle, Washington. The Foundation’s achievements include the launching of the first-ever Native American Film Festival, the development of a host of innovative education programs ranging from elementary and high school curriculum design and development, to adult education, early childhood education, and the recent launching of a $3.5 million holistic poverty-alleviation program model for urban Indigenous Peoples in Seattle.

Phil has now stepped into global leadership as Chairman of the Four Worlds International Institute (FWII) and Four Directions International. The Institute’s central program initiative is the promotion of The Fourth Way. The primary focus of The Fourth Way is to unify the human family by taking aculturally based, principal-centered path that transcends assimilation,resignation, and conflict. FWII has been working to develop a comprehensive,community-based development strategy that offers educational opportunity, IC3 Global Digital Literacy Certification, Deep Social Networks (DSN), and Social Media Training through a global networking initiative called “Indig.e.Net.”This digitally-based, globally unifying Indigenous communications and educational initiative, to be established at the Ciudad Del Saber in Panama City, Panama in 2011 will serve as one of the key components for implementing The Fourth Way across the Americas.

As well, over the past five years, Phil and the FWII DSN Team, led by Deloria Many Grey Horses, have been building DSN’s and implementing the Fourth Way across ASEAN ( SE Asia ) with a focus on Ethnic Minorities and Human Rights.

Thisinitiative is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.

HERIDITARYCHIEF PHIL LANE JR.

Phil Lane Jr. is an enrolled member of the Yankton Dakota and Chickasaw First Nations and is an internationally recognized leader in human and community development. He was born at the Haskell Indian Residential School in Lawrence, Kansas in 1944, where his mother and father met and ttended school. He is a citizen of both Canada and the USA.

During the past 43 years, he has worked with Indigenous peoples in North,Central and South America, Micronesia, South East Asia, India, Hawaii and Africa. He served 16 years as Associate Professor and Founder and Coordinator of the Four Worlds International Institute at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Four Worlds became an independent Institute in 1995. As well, Phil is Chairman of Four Directions International, an Aboriginal company, which was incorporated in 1996 as Four Worlds’ Economic Development Arm.

With Phil’s guidance and applied experience, Four Worlds has become an internationally recognized leader in human, community and organizational
development because of the Institute’s unique focus on the importance ofculture and spirituality in all elements of development. Four Directions International, the Institute economic development arm, is lead by its President Deloria ManyGrey Horses, and is dedicated to the development of sustainable economic enterprises that support holistic, political, social, cultural, environmental,spiritual and educational development.

In 1977, Phil was named a Modern Indian Sports Great by the National Indian Magazine, Wassaja, for his record-breaking accomplishments in Track and Wrestling. He has extensive experience in his own cultural traditions, is an award winning author and film producer and holds Master’s Degrees in Education and Public Administration. His film credits include the National Public Television series “Images of Indians” with the late Will Sampson, “Walking With Grandfather”, “The Honor of All: The Story of Alkali Lake” and “Healing the Hurts”.

In August, 1992, Phil was the first Indigenous person to win the prestigious Windstar Award, presented annually by the late John Denver and the Windstar Foundation to a global citizen whose personal and professional life exemplifies commitment to a global perspective, operates with awareness of the spiritual dimension of human existence and demonstrates concrete actions of the benefit for humans and all living systems of the Earth. At this International event, in recognition of his lineage and long time service to Indigenous peoples and the human family, Indigenous Elders from across North America recognized Phil as a Hereditary Chief through a Sacred Headdress Ceremony. Other Windstar winners include:Oceanologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau, David Brower, Founder of the Earth Island Institute, Yevgeni Velikhov, Vice President of the Soviet Academy of Sciences,Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and founder of Kenya’s Greenbelt Movement; Akio Matsumura, Executive Director of The Global Forum, and Lester Brown, President of the World Watch Institute.

On November 11, 2000, Phil received the Year 2000 award from the Foundation for Freedom and Human Rights in Berne, Switzerland. Phil is the first North or South American person to receive the award, and he joins a select international group: the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Dr. Boutro Boutros Ghali, former Secretary General of the United Nations, and British Lord Yehudi Menuhin, musician and philosopher, have, also,received the award. The foundation says the award is in recognition of Phil’s”unique contributions to improve the lives and future hopes of native populations. It is primarily based on his most special merits of promoting freedom and justice for indigenous people by building human and spiritual capacity rather than opposing oppression directly and also on his international visionary initiatives among Native populations by healing the root causes of hopelessness and despair.”

On June 21,2008, Phil was awarded the 14th Annual Ally Award by the Center for Healing Racism in Houston, Texas. Phil received the Ally Award for his national and international work in promoting freedom and justice for Indigenous Peoples by building human and spiritual capacity that focuses on healing the root causes of racism and oppression rather than focusing on conflict. The Ally Award is an annual award presented by the Houston-based Center for the Healing of Racism to honor the achievements of those who have worked hard to achieve harmony of all ethnic and cultural groups. Special emphasis on this award is for Lane’s dedicated work as one of the primary leaders in the resolution of Canada’s Residential School issue, which involved the sexual, physical,cultural, psychological, and emotional abuse of thousands of Aboriginal People sin Canada. This effort resulted in a $3.5 Billion settlement for survivors, a full public apology by the Prime Minister of Canada and all Political Party Leaders on the floor of the Canadian Parliament, the establishment of a $500 million Aboriginal Healing Foundation and a formal, five year, Truth and Reconciliation Commission that is currently holding public hearings across Canada on the-impact of the Residential Schools on the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.

In 2008,Phil completed his three-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) in Seattle, Washington. The-foundation’s achievements include the launching of the first-ever Native American Film Festival, the development of a host of innovative education programs ranging from elementary and high school curriculum design and development, to adult education, early childhood education, and the recent launching of a $3.5 million holistic poverty-alleviation program model for urban Indigenous Peoples in Seattle.

Phil has now stepped into global leadership as Chairman of the Four Worlds International Institute (FWII) and Four Directions International. The Institute’s central program initiative is the promotion of The Fourth Way. The primary focus of The Fourth Way is to unify the human family by taking a culturally based, principal-centered path that transcends assimilation,resignation, and conflict. FWII has been working to develop a comprehensive,community-based development strategy that offers educational opportunity, IC3Global Digital Literacy Certification, Deep Social Networks (DSN), and Social Media Training through a global networking initiative called “Indig.e.Net.”This digitally-based, globally unifying Indigenous communications ande ducational initiative, to be established at the Ciudad Del Saber in Panama City, Panama in 2010, will serve as one of the key components for implementing The Fourth Way across the Americas.

As well, over the past five years, Phil and his DSN SEARCH Team, led by Deloria Many Grey Horses, have been building DSN’s and implementing the Fourth Way across ASEAN ( SE Asia ) with a focus on Ethnic Minorities and Human Rights.

This initiative is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.

Grandmother Mona Polacca speaks on responding to the call for Humanity. 12/18/2011 at 5PM

Mona Polacca
Hopi/Havasupai/Tewa Arizona

Grandmother Mona Polacca believes that her origins are as important as her name, Polacca, which means ‘the butterfly’ in the Hopi language. In Hopi Iore, the butterfly symbolizes man’s spiritual transformation. On her father’s side, she is a Hopi-Tewa form the Sun and Tabacco Clans. On her mother’s side, Grandmother Mona is Havasupai, the people of the Blue Green Water, form the Grand Canyon area in Arizona…

Mona’s maternal grandfather and great-grandfather were the last chiefs of the Havasupai Nation. She believes their prayers helped make a way for her in this world.

Grandmother Mona lives her life according to her mother’s teaching and takes great care with her speech and actions. “You are not here just for yourself, Grandmother Mona’s mother taught her. Wherever you go, you are a representative of our family Âlour tribe, our people.”

For almost 30 years, Grandmother Mona Polacca has worked in the field of alcoholism and substance abuse. In the 1970s she was given the job to develop substance-abuse programs for tribal youth. She organized inside her culture with youth programs led by elders who shared traditions and life stories. Kids learned traditional songs and games that give them a greater sense of identity, purpose, and direction.

Soon the young people became involved in running the conferences. The youth learn these ways are accessible. Not meant to be just seen under glass in a museum where you can only stand and look, Grandmother Mona says. “Their hands can hold the traditional ways. It’s not just our history, but an essential part of our life today.”

Grandmother Mona has helped several important studies about addictive behavior. One study reveals that the most important way for Native women to overcome substance abuse is the threat of taking away their children. Another study proves that Native youth respond positively to programs with cultural components like sweat lodges, singing, and drumming. Even those living far from their reservations can maintain sobriety through a close connection with the ceremonies.

Today Grandmother Mona lives in Arizona and has a son, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. She is now working on her Ph.D. at the Interdisciplinary Justice Studies Department of Arizona State University. When Grandmother Mona first addressed the Grandmothers Council, she embraced them as beautiful relatives of the world. She then explained that the Hopi way of greeting those from other nations is to reach out an open hand to show one has come in peace.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF THIRTEEN INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS

For the Next 7 Generations

Grandmother Mona

Melina LaboucanMassimo Cree First Nation : Speaks on the Tar Sands

Melina Laboucan-Massimo is Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta and is helping lead a delegation of indigenous leaders from Canada and the United States to take part in the Tar Sands Action. She has been working as an advocate for Indigenous rights for the past 10 years. She has written articles and produced a short documentary for Redwire Media Society covering topics ranging from the tar sands to inherent treaty rights and cultural appropriation. She has studied and worked in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada, with a focus on Indigenous rights and culture, resource extraction and international diplomacy. Before joining Greenpeace as a tar sands campaigner in Alberta in April 2009, she was pursuing her Masters in Environmental Studies at York University.

Melina has campaigned to raise awareness about the recent oil spill in the Peace River watershed in Alberta. She is featured in Greenpeace’s photo essay about the spill and its impact on local communities.

Bio from:
http://www.tarsandsaction.org/press/spokespeople/

 

Maria Trevizo to speak on Historical Trauma among the First Peoples- June 6, 2010 5 pm

Raven and his guest Maria Trevizo speak on Historical Trauma among the First Peoples.

Maria A. Trevizo (Tigua/Mexican) is a descendent of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas and theTarascos of Mexico.

Maria is an international speaker and has worked in the human services field over thirty-five years. She is a Certified Psychiatric Technician and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor II. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Evergreen State Collage. Maria is a traditional singer and facilitator in the wellness field. She helps youth and adults to rediscover their own inner joy and beauty. As a facilitator, Maria coaches’ individuals, communities and tribes in recognizing the resilience and strength gained from working as a healthy team.

Maria works collaboratively with many North American tribes of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Maria has served as a consultant to agencies and institutions such as The Department of Health and Human Services, The Center for Disease Control, and numerous colleges and universities. Maria’s favorite work is the work she does with youth, women and the Two-Spirit Community. Maria believes that by reclaiming our traditions and ceremonies, healing is restored.