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Stampede! Buffalo Thunder Approaching
By Daniel Gibson
left: One of the many Native art pieces being created for the new
resort include this buffalo dancer by Governor George Rivera, seen here
in the Brett Chomer Studio in its clay stage. Photo: Phillip Karshis
The stakes have been raised. When the Buffalo Thunder Resort throws
open its doors prior to Santa Fe’s world-famous Indian Market in late
August, it promises to elevate Indian-owned tourism properties to a
whole new level.
The joint project of the Pueblo of Pojoaque and Hilton Hotels will
encompass some 700,000 square feet, becoming the largest resort in New
Mexico and employing some 600 people. It will feature a casino with
1,200 slot machines, card games, craps and roulette; a sports bar; five
restaurants, including the upscale Red Sage as well as a Starbucks;
several lounges, including the conical, five-story Tower Bar featuring
live music; a spa with an indoor pool; a 66,000-square-foot convention
center; a gift shop and gallery featuring Native works; and 390 guest
rooms, including perhaps the finest hotel accommodation in the state:
the two-story Governor’s Suite complete with hot tub, outdoor deck and
massive windows facing the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
“It’s like a dream come true for us,” says Pojoaque Pueblo Governor
George Rivera. “It’s a first for Hilton to team up with a tribal
government, and they have really bent over backward. We want the
facility to reflect Pueblo and Native aesthetics and principles, an
approach that is costing Hilton almost 15 percent more in construction
costs than normal. But, it works for us and it’s working for Hilton—a
true collaboration.”
Native decorative elements will extend from the exterior architectural
details to the guest rooms’ custom rugs, carved wooden dressers,
lighting fixtures and bathroom tiles. At least 23 different sets of
color schemes and finishing décor will be found throughout the complex,
each mixed and matched in model units. Original art by Native artists
will also abound, from the likes of Tony Abeyta, Roxanne Swentzell,
Mateo Romero, Joseph Cerno and Robert Montoya.
The lobby will include pottery from each of the state’s 21 pueblos, a
17-foot-long stained-glass work by Rose Simpson, two Belgian black
marble sculptures by Dale Tsosie, a sculpture of five buffalo by Nelson
Tsosie, and 100-year-old Navajo weavings. Even the casino ceiling is a
work of art, with its intricate, undulating and colorful swirl of
design motifs (expected to cost some $2.5 million to build) created by
Navajo artist Mike McCabe.
Landscaped grounds, a golf course, an outdoor swimming pool and other features will further enhance the resort’s overall appeal.
Water Flowing Uphill
right: Ballet dancer Jock Soto
is the subject of a new film by Gwendolyn Cates premeiring in April on
PBS. Photo: Gwendolen Cates /Courtesy PBS
It’s an amazing story. In 1965, a boy, Jock Soto, was born to a Navajo
mother and a Puerto Rican father. At age five, he saw a television
program about a ballet dancer and decided that was what he wanted to do
with his life—despite the fact the closest dance school was hundreds of
miles away in Phoenix. But his parents made sacrifices, and as a teen,
he made his way on his own to New York to study at the School of
American Ballet.
At age 16, he was personally chosen by George Balanchine for an
apprentice program with the New York City Ballet, and four years later
he became the company’s principal dancer—a position he held for more
than an 20 years. In the process, he was befriended by the likes of
Andy Warhol, traveled the world and was recognized as one of the stars
of ballet.
Soto’s life story is now explored in a moving film produced and shot by noted photographer Gwendolen Cates called
Water Flowing Together, which will have its broadcast premiere on April 8 (10 p.m. EST) on PBS’ program
Independent Lens.
The film catches Soto at a critical juncture: on the eve of his
farewell performance and his struggle to define his post-performance
life. It also delves into his attempts to reconnect with his
long-severed tribal roots and Puerto Rican family, on top of the
lifelong struggle his gay orientation has posed. The poignant,
revealing and emotive film poses many challenging questions about
culture, race and family ties, yet ultimately is very inspiring. One
can achieve one’s dreams, no matter how humble one’s beginnings or how
difficult a path one follows. Details:
pbs.org/independentlens/waterflowingtogether
A Polynesian Production
For a glimpse into real Native Hawaiian life, plan on being at The
Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua on Maui March 21–23 for the annual Celebration of
the Arts. “This is a way of sharing our culture with others,” says
Clifford Naeole, the hotel’s cultural advisor. Naeole and his staff
spend countless hours attending to minute details and assuring the
authenticity of this event, now in its 16th year. This year’s theme is
“Ka Mana Leo…The Power of the Voice.”
Sing along to island favorites with the Lim Family, join Aunty Mapu in
a sassy sexy hula, hear Native practitioners chant, observe traditional
ceremonies and rituals, and “talk story” after savoring local
delicacies at the Celebration Luau and Show. The real fun starts at the
after-hours party in the lobby, with impromptu singing and hula.
This is also a hands-on event, where visitors are encouraged to sit
with Native Hawaiian artists and learn how to feather weave, carve a
nose flute, stitch a patchwork quilt or carve scrimshaw. There will be
drum and stone carvers on hand, along with some of the finest
traditional weaponry inlaid with shark teeth. Rare Niihau shell leis
sell for thousands of dollars and are strung right before your very
eyes. If politics is your thing, attend one of the many lectures and
panel discussions dealing with Native Hawaiian issues.
The magnificent Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua has just completed a $160 million
transformation. It also proudly maintains the Honokahua Preservation
Site, a wahi pana (sacred site) adjacent to the hotel that was
unearthed during construction, which serves as a place for Native
Hawaiians to gather to conduct ceremonies and rituals.
All events are free, except for the luau. Details: 808/669-6200 or celebrationofthearts.org
—Michelle Newman
On the Silver Screen
While not as famous as Sundance or boasting quite the international
draw of the First Peoples’ Festival of Montréal, the annual Santa Fe
Film Festival has become a fine venue for catching new and noteworthy
Native-produced and -inspired films, as well as mainstream releases.
Held in early December, the festival includes a great mix of premieres
(including Juno at the most recent event), parties, panel discussions,
and always an interesting batch of long and short films by and about
the Native experience.
Each year the festival honors a few filmmakers with its Luminaria
Tribute for Lifetime Achievement; the 2007 honorees included Canadian
Native artist Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki). Obomsawin has spent nearly
four decades creating films chronicling the lives of Canada’s First
Nations. She was present for the screening of her 34th film,
Waban-Aki: People From Where the Sun Rises,
a somewhat rambling but illuminating look at the life of her own home
reservation near Montréal. Her appearance was co-hosted by the Consul
General of Canada, Alain Dudoit, and National Geographic’s
All Roads Film Project, directed by Francene Blythe (Dakota).
All Roads also coordinated the screenings of a handful of short films
by young Navajo artists, curated by the energetic Charmaine
Jackson-John (Diné). This included the outstanding documentary
Miss Navajo, by Billy Luther; the quirky (a horse singing in Navajo) and very charming
Horse You See by Melissa A. Henry; the scary
The Back Road, involving a shape shifter, by Ramona Emerson; the mysterious black-and-white
Intrepid Shadows, by Alfred Clah; the surrealistic comedy
Osama Likes Frybread by Sydney Freeland; the very professional, non-Native-themed short
A Deadly Affair, by Mike Goodman; the engaging story
Grace, by Darwyn Roanhorse; the oddly unsettling
Contest by Sunrise Tippeconnie; and the informative environmental doc
Making a Stand at Desert Rock, by Klee Benally.
Another highlight of the festival was the screening of a bizarre but
compelling work-in-progress called The End, featuring dancer and
choreographer Rulan Tangen (Métis) and Apache/Ute actor and dancer Raul
Trujillo (Apocalypto), who also served as a host for the awards
ceremony.
shards
Four of the five young ballerinas pose at The Philbrook Museum of Art
in Tulsa, Okla., for the ballet “The Four Moons.” left to right:
Moscelyne Larkin, Marjorie Tallchief, Rosella Hightower and Yvonne
Chouteau. Maria Tallchief had retired by that time.
New contemporary art by a cadre of leading American Indian artists is
now being displayed at American embassies around the world through a
project of the Tamarind Institute of Albuquerque, New Mexico and the
Art In Embassies program of the United States Department of State. The
lithographs were produced at the Tamarind’s world-famous printing
facilities by Norman Akers (Osage), Mario Martinez (Yaqui), Larry
McNeil (Tlingit), Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Flathead) and Marie Watt
(Seneca). Assisting in the project was the National Museum of the
American Indian.
A unique collection of informative and interesting curriculum focused
on the Tlingit culture of the Pacific Northwest has been produced by
the nonprofit Sealaska Heritage Institute. The 18-unit series, posted
online, was developed over a three-year period and includes audio
interviews and language games, with lessons on canoes, hemlock,
herring, totem poles, sea mammals and other topics. Details:
sealaskaheritage.org/programs/language_and_culture_curriculum.htm
Senior members of the Sto:lo Tribe of Chilliwack, British Columbia are
enjoying their new living quarters in the new Sto:lo Elders Lodge,
which opened late last summer. The 15-unit assisted-living complex was
designed by Nisga’a architect Patrick R. Stewart (see Sept./Oct. 2006
issue).
It’s tough to be an Indian, and even tougher to be a gay Indian, but
Charlie Ballard (Sac & Fox/Ottawa-Chippewa) is laughing out loud
about it. A successful stand-up comedian, Ballard has been making his
lifestyle the center of his routine for the past four years, performing
from San Francisco to New York. He notes, “People are going to say what
they want, and I have no control over that. What I do have is the
ability to make people laugh. So we’ll see who has the last word.”
Details: See him on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=fTIAKVJequQ
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming has acquired a
collection of Plains Indian artifacts ranging from the late 1700s to
the pre-1890s valued at more than $23 million. Consisting of some 2,000
items ranging from children’s toys to ghost dance dresses and
buffalo-hide tipis, the Paul Dyck Collection was assembled by the late
artist and ethnographer Paul Dyck of Rimrock, Arizona.
In November, the Tulsa Historical Society unveiled five
larger-than-life-size bronze sculptures of Oklahoma’s internationally
famed Native ballerinas, Rosella Hightower, Moscelyne Larkin, Maria
Tallchief, Marjorie Tallchief and Yvonne Chouteau. The sculptures were
created primarily by Gary Henson (Shawnee) and were installed in the
society’s Vintage Garden.
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Internationally acclaimed painter Norval Morrisseau (Anishinaabe) of
Canada, whose colorful, shamanic and totally unique painting style
launched an entire art movement now known as the Woodlands School,
passed away on Dec. 4 at age 75. A self-made artist who encountered
many hard knocks early in his career, he fused his Indigenous heritage
and spiritual insights with modern art sensibilities, earning a place
in the ranks of the world’s best contemporary artists.
Extraordinary jeweler Gibson Nez (Jicarilla Apache/Navajo) passed away
on Nov. 28. His jewelry was noted for its incredibly detailed fine-line
chisel work and skillful inlay of gemstones, which secured the Best of
Show award at the Santa Fe Indian Market and garnered many other major
honors over his 32-year career. It is proudly worn by such figures as
Robert Redford, Willie Nelson and Elizabeth Taylor.
Actor, musician and activist Floyd Red Crow Westerman (Dakota) passed
away on Dec. 13 in Los Angeles after a long and courageous battle
against leukemia and other ailments. He was 71. Initially renowned as a
country singer for his first LP, Custer Died for Your Sins, he went on
to appear in more than 50 films and television programs, tour the world
with the musician Sting to preserve tropical rainforests and their
Indigenous peoples, and to receive numerous national and international
awards. At the end of his life, he resumed his recording career with a
terrific set of Johnny Cash cover tunes and launched a career as a
bronze sculptor. For further details on the life of this warm, funny
and amazing man, see the cover story of our July/August 2005 issue,
which is also found on our Web site at
nativepeoples.com/article/articles/1/1/Floyd-Red-Crow-Westerman/Page1.html.
honoring
above, left to right: Tracy Bone and Shane Yellowbird were honored as Best Female and Best Male artists at the CAMAs.
Fiddler Arvel Bird (Paiute/Métis) was selected as Artist of the Year at
the 2007 Native American Music Awards, while Robert Mirabal (Taos
Pueblo) was honored as Best Male Artist. Bird and Mirabal also took
home awards at the prestigious Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards; Bird
for Best Instrumental Album (Animal Totems) and Mirabal for Best
International Album (In the Blood). Others honored at the CAMAs
included Tracy Bone (Ojibwe), Best Female Artist, for the country album
No Lies; Shane Yellowbird (Samson Cree), Best Male Artist, for his
country album Life Is Calling My Name; M’Girl, Best Group or Duo; Derek
Miller (Mohawk), Best Rock Album, for The Dirty Looks; Little Hawk,
Best Folk Album, for Home and Native Land; David A. Maracle (Akwesasne
Mohawk), Best Traditional Flute Album, for Sacred Healing; and Northern
Cree, Best Powwow Album, for Stay Red.
Oregon basket weaver Pat Courtney Gold (Wasco) has received one of the
nation’s highest art awards, the National Heritage Fellowship from the
National Endowment for the Arts. She was one of a dozen people so
honored last fall.
Flautist and brass musician Vince Redhouse (Diné) and classical and
flamenco guitarist Gabriel Ayala (Pascua Yaqui) performed at the
Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 8. Their performances can be
seen and heard online at kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium. In the
Online Broadcast Archives search box, type in either name and watch the
entire show.
The First Peoples Fund of Rapid City, South Dakota, has selected the
honorees of its annual Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards: Frank
Dominquez (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash), for his mixed-media and
installation works; Margaret Hill (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), for her
birchbark and sweetgrass baskets; Marietta King (Blackfeet), for her
oil and pastel paintings; and Jeanette “Molly” Parker (Passamaquoddy),
for her ash and sweetgrass baskets. These cultural bearers will each
receive a $5,000 cash prize.
The British Museum recently acquired its first work by painter and
illustrator Star Wallowing Bull (Chippewa/Northern Arapaho), following
his initial exhibition in London.
The Longhouse Education and Cultural Center at Evergreen State College,
Washington, has selected the following people for its Master Artist
award, which includes a teaching stint: Melanie Yazzie (Diné), who will
teach printmaking; Peg Dean (Suquamish), cedar bark regalia weaving;
Nora Naranjo-Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo), filmmaking; Preston Singletary
(Tlingit), glass blowing; Teri Rofkar (Tlingit), spruce root harvesting
and weaving; and Linley Logan (Seneca), linoleum relief printing.
Details:
evergreen.edu/longhouse
Tracy Rector (Seminole), executive director and co-founder of the
outstanding Seattle-based Longhouse Media/Native Lens program (which
teaches Native youth about filmmaking and storytelling), will receive a
prestigious Horace Mann Award in March. The awards are presented
annually by Antioch University Seattle.
Writer, poet, journalist and editor MariJo Moore (Cherokee) was named
Minority Business Firm of the Year in western North Carolina in
recognition of her publishing firm, rENEGADE pLANETS pUBLISHING. She
recently released an audio version, with background music by Doll
Imago, of her popular book of poetry Confessions of a Madwoman.
Details: marijomoore.com
The National Indian Education Association presented its 2007 Lifetime
Achievement Award to Eva Stokley (Navajo) and Dr. Grayson Noley
(Choctaw), and its Cultural Freedom Award to Aha Punana Leo (Native
Hawaiian).
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