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For the first time ever, the FIL (Federation of International Lacrosse) will hold the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships at the home of the game: The Onondaga Nation. This is a significant milestone – the Haudenosaunee, will step onto the world stage and proudly host the game of their ancestors.

The FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship is an international tournament that is held every four years. The defending World Champions are Canada, with the Iroquois Nation finishing second and the United States finishing third. These Nations will compete again in 2015 alongside Australia, the Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey.

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Interview with Jamison chas Banks i came across when doing research for my Wikipedia page. Interesting guy to say the least!

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WATCH: Native American Artist Jamison Chas Banks Plans A Baseball Game For Napoleon Bonaparte

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This is a photo form an article my mother wrote about family friend and artist Paul Rasporich. The piece he stand in front of is his own, unfortunately I do not no the title. 

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Heiltsuk youth standing strong. powerful message!! Taken from Facebook. UVIC Student standing up against the DFO for a commercial fishery in Heiltsuk waters. Repossessing a paddle that was originally gifted to the DFO

great to see UVic students standing up for their nations 

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NFL team must eliminate racist mascot too

Simon Moya-Smith urges the Washington NFL team to join public schools and get rid of its racist mascot:  Also for the Washington football team to change its name.

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I first heard this song at a very young age, so I suppose it was my introduction to the concept of the vanishing race. According to wikipedia, cash was surprised to learn that he didn't have any blood relation to any group indigenous to the Americas. He apparently came to that conclusion after the album was released, which in retrospect makes the cover photo a little unfortunate; that being said I think his heart was definitely in the right place, as the intent of the album was to bring to light the history of, and the continued problems facing native Americans. Lyrics below. 

Oh, wagon trains rollin' along They fade from my visions and in time will be gone I, I see an eagle in space My people will follow oh oh, a vanishing race

An Indian brave rolled along one day On a lonely mountain trail And he gazed below with a heart of woe Where the prairie schooners sail

A vision formed like a mortal storm In the dust of the wagon train A vanishing race appeared in space And he sang his sad refrain

Oh, wagon trains rollin' along They fade from my visions and in time will be gone I, I see an eagle in space And my people will follow a vanishing race

Oh, now great spirits on high Please spare them the sorrow you show to my eye Now my blankets are roll And I ride to the valley of the brave Navajo And I ride to the valley of the brave Navajo A vanishing Navajo

Johnny Cash - The Vanishing Race Lyrics | MetroLyrics

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“In issue 10 of Museum Identity magazine we invited museum leaders and innovators from around the world to explore the future of museums. We received a tremendous response. Below are some of the highlights which illustrate the clarity of vision and purpose within the museums sector.”

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sparked a culture war in the federal election campaign with a claim that “ordinary people” don’t care about arts funding. While this article is a bit dated (2008), I think it speaks to the narrow definition of art in the political sphere. Harper seems to think of art solely as high art-with-a-capital-A, rather than creative, subversive, and often revolutionary work done by artists in Canada that is likely not part of the big galas he speaks of. What are the consequences of cutting arts funding for indigenous artists in particular? When art is such an important cultural expression, as well as essential to resurgence movements, how does cutting arts funding effectively silence voices that the mainstream might not otherwise hear? 

Statements like that really undermine the devotion, talent, and outlet of expression used by many upstanding people. Sad and unfortunately narrow minded. 

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Clever

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An interesting explanation of Galanin’s ‘Inert’ (or inert wolf?).

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Photo documentation from NDN Wars are Alive And… Well? (2010)

Performance by Aiyyana Maracle, 64 year old Haudenosaunee trans dyke performance artist. Site-specific performance in Sarnia, Ontario.

Artist statement:

The ndn wars: Canada’s Indigenous people remain resistant to the perpetuation of an unjust colonial relationship with ‘the Crown,’ and within Canadian society. The Crown, by its own actions and inactions more so than its words, continues to show its resistance to entering into a new era of an equitable, respectful, peaceful relationship between our cultures and peoples. Canada the meek; Canada, the world’s peacekeeper. Can there be peace in this world while this country remains so willing to, yet again, engage in violent repression of the Indigenous people of this land?

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Nicholas Galanin’s ‘Things Are Looking Native, Native's Looking Whiter’; a clever juxtaposition  of star wars princess Leia, with what looks to be an old portrait of a traditionally dressed, indigenous women. 

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1491’s The Indian Store. I love it…especially the search for books part.

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‘if the Indian Mascot could speak’- an interesting expression of the call to change offensive, degrading mascots. Video was filmed at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire

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The Absence of Native American Power

April 9, 2013

In an extended clip from this weekend’s Moyers & Company, writer Sherman Alexie, who was born on a Native American reservation, talks to Bill about feeling “lost and insignificant inside the larger culture,” and how his culture’s “lack of power” is illustrated in stereotypical sports mascots.

“At least half the country thinks the mascot issue is insignificant. But I think it’s indicative of the ways in which Indians have no cultural power. We’re still placed in the past. So we’re either in the past or we’re only viewed through casinos,” Alexie tells Bill. “I know a lot more about being white than you know about being Indian.”

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In 2013, Vancouver's WHL team the ‘Giants’ took to the ice wearing jerseys bearing a logo designed to commemorate aboriginal players, in a time where controversy over insensitive mascots was making headlines.