Am I an Indian Artist?

Seems the subject of “Who is a REAL Indian?’ and “Who’s a REAL Indian Artist?”

is out in the wind again , especially after news about the proposed amendment to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/editorials/article_c9fcd7bf-d4a8-5c73-be36-796cf22bf1af.html.

Where ever $$ is to be made, here comes the fakes, frauds and schemers, and innocent people feeling cheated.

Money has a nasty reputation of making enemies, dividing people , and cultivates all kinds of scams.

I didn’t read about the proposal till after our Longhouse ceremonies, too busy carrying on duties of our sacred ceremonies

too busy working on critical Wyandot language revitalization work, creating Wyandot language lessons, planning for our Green Corn

rolling coils, painting pots and fletching arrows to sit at the computer and ponder  “hmmm… Am I an “Indian Artist?”

Since there is no word in Wyandot for “Indian” and also no word for “Artist”, we’re talking “foreign ideas” here.

My Wyandot ancestors probably wouldn’t have pondered such English concepts. They just made things, traded for things and got along ok

without anyone checking to see if they had an official federal government sanctioned  CDIB card in their wallet.

I’m just a die-hard traditionalist enrolled Wyandot who makes stuff. But am I a bona fide “Indian Artist?”

Honestly I’m not sure US Federal Government legal qualifications would put me in that particular file cabinet.

So “Indian ART” buyers – RED ALERT!!!   This Wyandot,  Richard Zane Smith , might NOT  officially qualify as an “Indian Artist”.

I am who I am and I hate deception as much as anyone else.  so you decide!

Richard Zane Smith

named Sohahiyoh, in the Wendat Longhouse in Wendake Quebec , a direct descendant of Tarhe, the Crane,

enrolled with the Wyandot Nation of Kansas , seems “state recognized” depending on the Kansas Governor elected.

maker of stuff (Art?) known as a cultural activist, revitalizationist, Wyandot language teacher,  traditional singer and unofficial speaker at ceremonies.

 

 

 

a refrigerator is hilarious

a refrigerator is hilarious, this computer is a trip, electricity is a riot, our car is a fun toy,

this soft living makes me a butterfly in a warm glass house, no scorching sun, no wind or storm, no raindrops.

So I find the vent and escape…for a bit.

When my hands are rolling clay, scraping down a bow, fletching an arrow, harvesting dogbane stalks, mouth softening a string of sinew,

when  splashing naked unashamed, in the creek with every other naked living thing crawling, flying, swimming around me

its at these moments, ancient memory rips me to the bone, and i see through the lies of the big glass house.

i remember me! a true human walking with feet touching the earth, reaching for berries, alert to every sound and sensation.

ahh…so this is who I am,  son of true human-beings walking here, loving here, killing here, dying here for 1000s of years.

Walking twisting an elm bark string, sitting flaking a piece of creek chert, twirling a spindle into fire…. now they are all around me.

I return to the glass house through the vent…walk past the silly refrigerator, to this funny computer…    and miss them…already

thoughts on school proseletizing

Schools should be about helping our children to think on their own.

Some parents are irate that Christians are infiltrating schools to win converts.

Others are irate that atheism is given as the base standard assumption

Paradigms that assume a GOD and paradigms assuming NO GOD are BOTH ideologies.
What children need to learn is how to recognize ideologies in given assumptions.
REAL education happens when a child is taught to recognize a position.

“ah…this teacher(or student) has a Bible-based worldview.”

“ah.. this person has an atheistic worldview.”

I think we can be in trouble when we label ANY ideology as somehow “evil.”
An ideal situation would allow debate between Deists, Atheists, and Theists
and students listening are instructed to try and discern each positions base paradigm.

In school I was routinely proselytized by both atheists and theists.

Fortunately i was raised to recognize ideologies are “slants” on reality.

Once we recognize a persons “slant”,  we can begin to try to understand them.

An ideology we assume without willful choice can become a fast sled into danger.

2012 grampy and grandsons

grampy and grandboys

killing for power – Colorado

politicians pause from their billion dollar fist fight, to send condolences,
the military pauses from its legal violence training, to fly a flag half mast
Automatic weapons dealers pause from their sales desk, to wipe a tear
video game designers pause from bloody graphics, to shake their head
we all stop one minute, shed a tear, sniff a sad thought,
and then..”ok where was I? oh yeah!  ‘bullets flying everywhere…’”

in the meanwhile some troubled powerless youth is watching …noting
perhaps sub-consciously …how easy it is, to become a headliner

on every TV in America…..overnight….  “wow…what power”

floral platter closer

floral platter

21″ dia. floral platter ,  at Blue Rain Gallery Santa Fe NM

multi-floral

May 2012  “Multi-floral Wyandot vessel”

currently at Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe NM

seekers and the seer

…and so two sought the seer

trudging rough trails and frightening passes

till at last they saw him in the distance

seated high on a grassy hill

 

approaching quietly

the seer continued gazing out

in silence, an unrippled pond

quietly seating themselves they gazed out

 

within eternity one seeker cried out

“I see! I see!  It is beautiful!”

describing divine presence and light

his face wet with tears

 

another eternity and the other seeker

whispered “I see nothing…nothing at all”

miserable downcast and glum

his face wet with tears

 

the seer moved for the first time

eyes pausing sifting the sand

“Now, together, go tell the world”

his own face wet with tears…

Happy Womens Day

Women of the Earth,

Moon cycles because of you, you are our source, our love, our hidden strength,
you are the essence in all that will bring about healing our broken earth.
When you cry rivers flood , when you laugh , all birds sing,
like the ocean the strength of women can never be weighed or fathomed
when you move the earth trembles in admiration, you are our reason to be.

When you’re recognized and honored , restored in  balance
ONLY THEN will our circle(s) be restored.

We men drum and sing a Wyandot womens dance.

we watch lovely chins held high as you circle us on the bench ,

feet tapping gently our mothers breast, in step, in rhythm…

 

Sohahiyoh   march 8 2012