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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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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passages
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.

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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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