PERU, Neb. (KOLN) – As Peru State College students walk through campus, they may notice hand embroidered art from Africa.

The artwork is called Mapula, and they are a part of 200 pieces that were donated to the college by Dr. Natalie Hahn.

Dr. Hahn dedicated 38 years to working with the United Nations and helping African countries tackle a variety of issues. “Working for children’s rights, those were the periods of HIV, malaria. I also worked with women and finance, ensuring the women would get more loans and financial assistance,” she said.

But at the end of her career, she returned to her roots.

“I’m a Polk farm girl, and my international experience started with being 4H, international farm youth exchange to New Zealand, Rotary to India, and I was hooked,” Dr. Hahn said.

While in Africa, Dr. Hahn amassed an extensive collection of art from about 28 different countries and later asked Peru’s State President Dr. Michael Evans if the college would be interested in displaying all of the pieces.

“It was a moment of just excitement,” Dr. Evans said.

While planning out the African art displays, Dr. Hahn and Dr. Evans realized they shared a common love for an African artist named Twins 77.

“When she said that, I almost fell out of my chair because my mentor from graduate school, and one of my dearest friends for decades now, wrote the definitive book about that artist,” Dr. Evans said.

For the opening event, they invited Dr. Evans’ mentor, Dr. Henry Glassie, to give a lecture about the art.

“We’re really both students of the people of the world and as students of people of the world, what we want to know is how other people envision the world,” Dr. Glassie said.

To paint a better picture of the colorful continent, Peru State invited invited people to share its culture.

“We are here to shake the Peru State College. Africa is more than a home of lions, tigers, giraffes and all those wild animals. We are here to inform them Africa is about people- the people of Africa, and we will do all of this through traditional dancing and drumming,” Charles Ahovissi, with African Culture Connection said.

It’s the people that Dr. Hahn wants the students at Peru State College to get to know.

“I collected it because I was so overwhelmed and so impressed in people being very poor but very creative in their art. And even though they had nothing, there would be a nativity set out of mud, there would be cement statues. There would be wonderful little thorn carvings made out of local thorns. This was particularly the case in Nigeria. So it was people having nothing but having artistic skills and having elegance,” Dr. Hahn said.

People can view Dr. Hahn’s collection in the art gallery in the AV Larson Building or many of her works will be scattered throughout the seven buildings on the Peru State College campus.

Copyright 2023 KOLN. All rights reserved.

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Cincinnati Art Museum to host exhibition celebrating Native American artists

Updated: 3:44 PM EDT Sep 27, 2023

Matthew Dietz

The Cincinnati Art Museum is hosting a new exhibition to celebrate the achievements of over 30 contemporary Native American and Indigenous Pacific-Rim artists.The exhibition, “Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass,” will be on view from Dec. 15, 2023 to April 7, 2024.This exhibition features more than 100 works that demonstrate the power of melding Indigenous traditions and cultural knowledge with the aesthetics and properties unique to the medium of glass, according to the museum.Clearly Indigenous originated at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was curated by Letitia Chambers, Ed.D.According to the museum, “Dan Friday (Lummi), “Haila” Ho Wan Ut Old Peter (Skokomish/Chehalis), Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo), Carol Lujan (Diné), Priscilla Cowie (Māori) and Djambawa Marawili (Aboriginal Australian) are among the artists included in the exhibition.”Museum members are invited to view the exhibition before it opens to the public on Dec. 14. That showing will be free to members.

Hold onto your cowboy hats. This is no ordinary Western art show.

The simply titled “Cowboy” opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver on September 29 and it’s sure to garner major attention in the Western U.S. and beyond.

The show, organized by curators Nora Burnett Abrams and Miranda Lash, takes aim at the mythic figure, which they describe as “one of the most fraught and persistent figures in contemporary American culture.” The show raises questions such as how the myth of the cowboy exists today and how this archetype of masculinity shaped how we think about gender now. It further delves into cowboys’ relationship to the land through a series of broad perspectives and aims to debunk the homogenous concept of the cowboy as a white male.

Karl Haendel, Rodeo 11 (2023). Image courtesy the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles, Mitchell- Innes & Nash, New York, and Wentrup Gallery, Berlin

“There is no mythic figure who is more grand and complicated than the cowboy,” said Burnett Abrams in a phone interview. Originally, she said, she was looking into the history of the Black cowboy, but over the course of years of conversations, the concept was broadened.

“We approached it from all angles,” said Lash, including very much from the side of satire and critique, but also from the perspective of “homage,” with artists incorporating the stories of their own family members. “The stories range from the deconstructive impulse to the very personal. Cowboys are just so much more diverse than what gets depicted in the mainstream media.”

While the show starts with some classic blue-chip names and works like a John Baldessari (The Space Between Hat Rock and Shadow), Richard Prince’s famous Marlboro Man photo, and Andy Warhol’s film of a horse, it quickly delves into the contemporary and ultra-contemporary realm with 27 artists spanning 70 works.

Stephanie Syjuco, Set Up (The Broncho Buster 2) (2022). Image courtesy the artist, Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco; RYAN LEE Gallery, New
York; and Silverlens, Manila.

Take for instance Stephanie Syjuco’s photographs of Frederic Remington’s famous bronze sculptures of bucking broncos in the Amon Carter collection that depict them being measured with tape and alluding to the popularity of—and poking fun at—the sculptures and replicas on CEO desks across the country as symbols of bravura. “She jokes about how it’s such a popular bronze on the desks of corporate executives because it connects so deeply with this idea of the rugged individual, the entrepreneur, the man who sets his own terms,” said Lash.

The two curators said the tagline for the show could be: “This is not your grandfather’s Remington.”

Another topic that the show tackles is the “very problematic binary of the cowboy versus Indian, which is just an invention,” said Burnett Abrams.

Grace Kennison, I Remember Being Alone (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

One of the artists included in the show is Oklahoma native Nathan Young, whose art delves into his family history with parents who are of the Pawnee and Delaware Tribe. The multi-disciplinary artist delves into Pawnee rodeo culture in this series of work in the show.

And four contemporary artists, including Rafa Esparza, Young, and Colorado-based artists R. Alan Brooks and Gregg Deal were commissioned to make work for the show.

“There are those who are Native American or are of Native American descent who actively participate in cowboy culture,” said Lash. “There is not that distinction or binary.”

Burnett Abrams said: “Our ambition is to expand the story and I think that for those who are ready to be a part of that, it’s going to be amazing.”

“Cowboy” is on view at MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany Street, Denver, through February 18, 2024.

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The Victoria Native Friendship Centre has unveiled an Art of Reconciliation mosaic inspired by the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

The mosaic was unveiled Tuesday (Sept. 26) at the Greenglade Community Centre and was designed by Coast Salish artist Dahlila Charlie from Beecher Bay First Nation. Charlie completed the design work in just over two weeks.

“I wanted to make it orange for Orange Shirt Day coming up,” Charlie said. “The design has a mama bear and a baby bear to represent the matriarchs in my family. They have been strong leaders. There’s also an eagle’s head that represents respect and a beaver symbolizing our ancestors building the foundation for future generations to keep doing the work that we’re doing.”

Orange Shirt Day, now known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is taking place Saturday (Sept. 30).

“I hope people who see this art are reminded to be gentle with yourself this time of year,” Charlie added. “It’s not always easy, but you’re not alone.”

Charlie’s artwork was transferred onto 64 mosaic tiles and then painted and decorated at several free workshops.

“This is the second iteration of this project, which has been happening with different artists, cultural leaders, and in different parts of southern Vancouver Island.” said Ron Rice, executive director of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre.“Of course, we encourage everyone to participate, to witness, and to contribute to reconciliation in many ways.”

ALSO READ: ‘These are our lands’: B.C. First Nation chief on Truth & Reconciliation Day

Coast Salish artist Dahlila Charlie talks with onlookers about the Art of Reconciliation mosaic she designed at the Greenglade Community Centre. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)

The Our Culture Matters drum group plays at the Art of Reconciliation community mosaic unveiling event Tuesday (Sept. 26) at the Greenglade Community Centre. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)

Coast Salish artist Dahlila Charlie chats with a friend about the Art of Reconciliation mosaic she designed. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)

Tsawout First Nation hereditary chief Eric Pelkey speaks at the Art of Reconciliation community mosaic unveiling event Tuesday (Sept. 26) at the Greenglade Community Centre. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)

The Victoria Native Friendship Centre has unveiled an Art of Reconciliation mosaic inspired by the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

The mosaic was unveiled Tuesday (Sept. 26) at the Greenglade Community Centre and was designed by Coast Salish artist Dahlila Charlie from Beecher Bay First Nation. Charlie completed the design work in just over two weeks.

“I wanted to make it orange for Orange Shirt Day coming up,” Charlie said. “The design has a mama bear and a baby bear to represent the matriarchs in my family. They have been strong leaders. There’s also an eagle’s head that represents respect and a beaver symbolizing our ancestors building the foundation for future generations to keep doing the work that we’re doing.”

Orange Shirt Day, now known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is taking place Saturday (Sept. 30).

“I hope people who see this art are reminded to be gentle with yourself this time of year,” Charlie added. “It’s not always easy, but you’re not alone.”

Charlie’s artwork was transferred onto 64 mosaic tiles and then painted and decorated at several free workshops.

“This is the second iteration of this project, which has been happening with different artists, cultural leaders, and in different parts of southern Vancouver Island.” said Ron Rice, executive director of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre.“Of course, we encourage everyone to participate, to witness, and to contribute to reconciliation in many ways.”

ALSO READ: ‘These are our lands’: B.C. First Nation chief on Truth & Reconciliation Day

Greater VictoriaIndigenousTruth and Reconciliation

Travelling from King George Station? You may have noticed Indigenous art adorning the columns at the station entrance!

We partnered with artists from q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie First Nation), q̓wɑ:n̓ƛ̓ ən‘ (Kwantlen First Nation), and se’mya’me (Semiahmoo First Nation) to display a series of permanent murals at the entrance to King George Station.

These murals celebrate the rich culture and history of the Indigenous Nations, while encouraging passersby to reflect on the meaning of the land that we travel on today.

We commissioned four artists for this project: Rain Pierre from  q̓ic̓əy̓, Natache Gabriel from q̓wɑ:n̓ƛ̓ ən‘, and Roxanne Charles and Easton Arnouse from se’mya’me.

These murals are the first cultural recognition pieces from q̓ic̓əy̓, q̓wɑ:n̓ƛ̓ ən‘, and se’mya’me on our transit network. 

Learn more about the artists

Rain Pierre, q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie First Nation)

Rain has been brightening up communities as an artist since 2016. His vision is to captivate emotions and make a statement that we need to work together to make a better tomorrow through his art. Rain’s first column uses a red design that serves as a tribute to the matriarchal women of Katzie, with the trees to remind us of where we come from. It is also his tribute to the missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) of Canada.  

The second column features an orange design for Orange Shirt Day. The four hummingbirds represent the four seasons. The orange is a tribute to the children that have passed in residential schools, but the hummingbirds represent their spirits being beautiful. 

Natache Gabriel, q́ʷa:n̓ƛʼən ̓ (Kwantlen First Nation)

Natache Gabriel is an emerging artist and mother of four from q́ʷa:n̓ƛʼən ̓ (Kwantlen First Nation)̓. She currently lives with her fiancée Taylor and their children on Kwantlen, in Fort Langley. 

Her pair of columns portray a sun and moon design about balance, and connection to the everyday commute in that people will travel in the morning through to the evening on the SkyTrain.  

The wolf design is an ode to the nation she’s from. Kwantlen or q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ meaning “tireless runner” or “tireless hunter.” Natache thinks that as Indigenous people they need to be present and seen — and in this case, through artwork. 

Roxanne Charles & Easton Arnouse, se’mya’me (Semiahmoo First Nation)

Roxanne Charles of Semiahmoo First Nation is a cultural historian employing means of visual representation, oral history, and ceremony. Methods which have been utilized by Semiahma People for thousands of years. Her work explores and documents a variety of issues that reflect her daily life such as spirituality, identity, urbanization, trauma, and various forms of systemic violence. 

Easton Arnouse is a 19-year-old creative artist and photo documenter. Based in the home of his ancestors Native to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Son to Roxanne Charles from Semiahmoo, and Joseph Arnouse of the interior Secwépemc people. His interest in art creation stems from the importance of cultural identity, self, furthermore one’s interconnection with nature and tradition. Easton is on a path to represent the need in preserving Indigenous methods, belief systems, and ways of living. 

These designs were inspired by Xwim al e qen ::, the flow of the river, and by Salish sheep horn jewellery which are often embedded with water symbols. The pillars honour the lifeline of Indigenous people which are these water ways and the resources they provide, and for which they hold deep gratitude. This can be seen in everything, including their technologies – which are often modelled after their life givers; ensuring a portion of your catch is released so there will be an abundance of fish for future generations. The Se’mya’me thrived prior to contact by managing the largest reef net fisheries in North America.   

These conversations are important to understand the horrendous disposition of wealth that has transpired and continues to unsettle Turtle Island. So much can be learned from our environment. It is time for people, residents, and visitors to work hard to ensure we prioritize the health of waterways, like the Indigenous Peoples of these lands who have coexisted with nature for thousands of years, and who have made it their responsibility to care for its waterways. 

As a result of discrimination, indigenous populations in British Columbia are facing inequitable access to stable housing. Barriers to housing have led to displacement and a lack of housing opportunities for these groups.  

To find solutions, ULI British Columbia collaborated with Indigenous businesses, including contractors and developers, to create more housing for Indigenous people. Additionally, ULI British Columbia developed a Health Equity Resource Hub to share tools and best practices and encourage thought leadership and innovation for Indigenous partnerships in housing. 

The efforts of ULI British Columbia have led to: 

• A better understanding of what Indigenous populations need when it comes to housing and development by the real estate development community 
• A Health Equity Resource Hub and toolkit to share best practices, case studies, and more with developers about Indigenous populations 

• Continued support for Indigenous partnerships in future housing development in the British Columbia region 

____________________________________________________________________________________ 

A Complex Tapestry of Cultures 

There are 204 unique tribal nations across Canada, each with its own language and customs. Despite this rich cultural diversity, for over 200 years the nations have been systemically forced to integrate with non-native Canadians and treated in a monolithic fashion.  

As a result, historic inequities are acutely felt by Indigenous populations to this day. According to a 2022 report from Carleton University, Indigenous people in Canada face an inadequate supply of affordable housing both on- and off-reserve at the right unit size (Indigenous households are often larger), lower than average incomes, discrimination by landlords, and a lack of social program support for mental health services. 

Madelyn McPhee, a student and ULI British Columbia’s program ambassador, says creating opportunities for Indigenous people to overcome these barriers are invaluable.   

“There just needs to be more capacity building and support within the community,” says McPhee, who is mixed Mi’kmaw. 

A Challenging History 

While the United States has a harmful history of separation and exclusion from Indigenous people, the Canadian historical approach attempted to force assimilation of Indigenous communities with non-native Canadians, according to the Wilson Center. 

One example of these destructive assimilation policies occurred between 1883 and 1997 when the Canadian government forcibly placed Indigenous children into a network of federally run “residential schools” to re-educate them. The goal was to cause the children to lose their native culture and languages and assimilate into Western and Canadian customs. 

Indigenous people were also subject to the Adopt Indian program, which began in the 1960s, where Indigenous children were taken from their families to be adopted by white parents. Further, until the early 1970s, Indigenous people were not allowed to hold a title to their own land.  

To rectify the centuries of injustice and discrimination, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was established in 2008. As a result, 94 calls to action were created to help establish reconciliation measures between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. The ULI British Columbia team sought to aid in that effort.   

Duncan Wlodarczak, chair of the PHE process in British Columbia, explains, “The real estate industry could try to combat erasure by looking for opportunities to work with different host nations. This will require active listening and learning throughout the project.” 

A Partnership for Health Equity 

As part of the ULI Partnership for Health and Racial Equity program, ULI British Columbia assembled local real estate leaders and Indigenous businesses to address the housing crisis in the region. A significant part of their work over the first 18 months was learning how to build trust and relationships with the Indigenous community.  

“How do you move beyond an uninformed understanding of what reconciliation means?” Wlodarczak says. “It means more than giving a welcome at the start of an event and just thinking land needs to be returned to its rightful owner. We’re moving beyond that.” 

Wlodarczak points out that reconciliation boils down to practical, everyday tactics. For example, supporting a local, Indigenous business in helping to create economic opportunity. 

That is one of the reasons the team developed a Health Equity Resource Hub and toolkit, specifically tailored to British Columbia’s Indigenous populations. Culled from ongoing conversations as well as input from the local community, the Resource Hub includes contact information for Indigenous developers, contractors, and architects, among other professionals, and features Indigenous artists and designers, Indigenous food and drink vendors as well as Indigenous counselors, elders, and “knowledge keepers.”  

The plan is for the digital library to be ever evolving. It will include readings, podcasts, case studies, and a plethora of links to Indigenous-based businesses, development companies, and First Nation communities.   

“Whatever profession of a person or industry, if you want to find businesses or partners there are ways you can support Indigenous businesses,” says Wlodarczak. “That’s what the toolkit is.”     

Beyond the Health Equity Resource Hub, the ULI British Columbia team worked to amplify and partner with housing stakeholders in the region. There is a growing network of Indigenous housing providers, on and off reserve, that are building housing. Several projects are in development.  

In the spring of 2022, the Squamish Nation, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, announced the planned development of the Sen̓áḵw, which means “the place inside the head of False Creek,” lands in Vancouver. The development is planned for more than 6,000 units, including 1,200 affordable rental units, and will be developed in partnership with the national government. The remainder of the units are planned at market rate. Out of the 1,200 affordable housing units, 250 units will be set aside for Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw members and operated by the nonprofit housing provider, Hiyam Housing.   

Another housing development project that supports the Indigenous community is a project by the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society, BC Housing, and the city of Vancouver that includes: 80 shelter beds, 25 transitional homes, 85 non-market, affordable homes, 53 market-rate rental homes, and space for social enterprises on the ground floor. The development received zoning approvals in 2021 with the assistance of Indigenous consultants M’akola Development Services. 

The Kwayatsut development specifically sets aside beds for Indigenous and LGBTQ youth.

The Kwayatsut (K-why-ah-sote), which means “spirit quest” or “seeking one’s power” in the Coast Salish language, is yet another development created through a collaboration with nonprofits and real estate and construction companies. The project features 101 units with 30 beds set aside for Indigenous youth as well as LGBTQ youth and those who have recently left the foster care system in Vancouver and will be owned and operated by Vancouver Native Housing Society.    

The project will also provide educational offerings as well as skills training, and cultural opportunities and is being supported by the Province of BC, the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Native Housing Society, Broadway Youth Resource Centre, Street to Home Foundation and the Pacific Community Resources Society.    

The ULI British Columbia team hopes that these projects will serve as leading examples of more inclusive development practices to the real estate industry. Going forward, this will serve as a model for real estate developers to integrate Indigenous groups and businesses through their entire lifecycle of development.  

Making a concerted effort to hire Indigenous people and entrepreneurs and help increase their business prospects not only will help build more capacity but will also help Indigenous populations be able to hire more people in their own businesses and, therefore, benefit their communities.   

“What really makes a difference is getting shared economic prosperity through generational wealth, which is done by, we all know, growing businesses,” says Wlodarczak. “How do you move from the informal to where we, as an industry, make a concerted effort to use our purchasing power to create these wealth-generating opportunities that transcend beyond one individual and into the wider Indigenous economy.”  

Editor’s Note: ULI British Columbia is one of five district councils participating in ULI’s District Council Partnerships for Health and Racial Equity Project led by ULI’s Building Healthy Places program with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Working over 18 months, each council, in partnership with local stakeholders and real estate leaders, crafted strategies to address legacy impacts of systemic discrimination in land use and real estate. Learn more about the collective story of impact at uli.org/partnerships. 

Indigenous-led radio stations and “rez radio” are vital community hubs and connectors — nation to nation, territory to territory, coast to coast. The network of stations is vast and diverse, as is the programming, music, and the people who make it.

Rez radio stations are often established by people within communities or local governments, and act as vehicles for information for the communities they serve. Sometimes they’re licensed, polished and recognizable as a radio station; sometimes they’re guerilla-style setups run from someone’s backyard or basement. 

But rez radio stations are also outlets for creativity, and platforms for Indigenous artists at home and beyond. They’re made by Indigenous folks for Indigenous folks — but everyone is welcome to listen. In the spirit of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, CBC Indigenous and CBC Music spoke to a variety of DJs and artists about their experiences with rez radio, why rez radio matters and what it means to them.

These interviews have been edited and condensed.

Leela Gilday, singer, songwriter, producer (Denendeh)

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Rez radio or Indigenous radio has played a big part in my life. We only have two reservations in the Northwest Territories and Denendeh, our communities, are not considered reservations. But Indian Brotherhood [of the Northwest Territories] and the Native Communication Society formed a radio station many years ago, and it was through that station that I started to get introduced to Indigenous music. It was actually my very first summer job.

I was given a show on CKLB and I met all of the really famous broadcasters, Peter Hope and Lee Jones and, like, legends in Native radio in Denendeh. So I was working right alongside them cutting, learning how to cut tape, like splice tape, because that’s how old I am, and made my own radio show for our Indigenous radio stations. I was just a student, so it was a real surreal situation. But I really started to understand how important that radio station was for us and for us in the communities, how people got messages through on the airwaves to one another, to family members. This developed a healthy respect for the part that radio has played in connecting our people across the North, and our musicians across the world.

Knowing that people were listening, and knowing that no matter what my music would be heard across our territories, had a really buoying effect on me as I launched into a music career. I’ve been performing since I was eight and writing my own music since I was like, 11. And I always had my community behind me … I sometimes felt like I was a lone voice in the broader music industry. No disrespect to all of the trailblazers and all of our Indigenous music community, [but] in the greater music industry, which was quite dominated by — it used to be quite patriarchal and very centred on white male voices. It was difficult for me to feel like I was celebrated or making any headway, but CKLB was always in my corner. NCI was always spinning all the greatest Indigenous music out there. It’s actually had a profound effect on my career.

The one song that makes me think of rez radio: Johnny Landry‘s “Hina Na Ho Hine.” That’s a big, big classic. That’s like our Dene anthem kind of thing. And Susan Aglukark actually did cover it and made it quite famous, but it’s by a Decho musician named Johnny Landry. That song always makes them think of rez radio.

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Growing up, it’s funny, we didn’t really have rez radio. The only radio station we had was CBC, so I grew up listening to CBC and to me, I thought that was rez radio…. But there was a radio station out of Fort St. John [Canada’s First Nation Radio/ CFNR] that wanted to do an interview [with me] and I started listening to them. A real beautiful radio host, name’s Kelly Kenny, was the one that interviewed me. We had a really nice conversation.

George Thorogood was interviewed a couple of weeks after I was interviewed, and then I got the opportunity to ask him a question. So I asked him if I could open up for him and I don’t think he really liked that question [laughs]. Because it put him on the spot, and I thought about it after and thought maybe I should have asked him something else. You know, you never know unless you ask.

There’s another radio station that plays my stuff up in Bella Coola, Nuxalk Radio, and I’ve done an interview with a gentleman named Roland Mack, goes by Rollah Mack, and he’s a cool guy. We talked a lot about different types of music, from Howlin’ Wolf to Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones. We kind of kept in touch afterwards and just kept talking about music and things like that, because he’s an artist himself. 

The one song that makes me think of rez radio: “NDN Kars,” I used to hear that a bit and it wasn’t played on very many other radio stations, so that comes to mind…. It’s like an old standard. [Sings] “Ridin’ in my NDN car,” it’s really good, you have to listen to it. I wouldn’t do it justice to sing it.

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Snotty Nose Rez Kids, hip-hop duo (Haisla Nation)

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Yung Trybez: [Growing up, rez radio was] classic rock and what our parents grew up listening to.

Young D: And “your nation, your station!” Shout out to CFNR!

CBC Music: Why is rez radio important?

Yung Trybez: For us growing up, it’s because there was no access to music, and even though they play the same kind of stuff our parents were listening to, it was just nice to have something on that wasn’t just in your own catalogue.

The one song that makes us think of rez radio:

Yung Trybez: Any AC/DC.

Young D: Any AC/DC is a classic.

Yung Trybez: “Thunderstruck” for sure!

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There’s a community radio station in Garden Hill that serves not only as a community radio station, but also doubles as a TV station because they are broadcasting on 87.7 and that also doubled up as Channel 6 on analog TV. Garden Hill is surrounded by other nearby reserves like Saint Theresa Point, Wasagamack, [and] they had their own radio station, their own community radio stations, respectively. Growing up, I was really, really interested in radio. So I grew up listening to [radio] on the reserve … and hearing CBC Radio over the air, and grew up hearing Native Communications Commission over the air, and just a very faint signal of those respective other community radio stations plus our own, too… I believe it really just allowed myself to be open to what’s on the radio.

Anytime I travel anywhere, [an AM/FM radio] literally follows me wherever I go. So I’ve always been interested in not only just radio on the reserve, [but] the whole entire concept in general. So I’m very, very familiar with the Canadian broadcasting landscape and just a lot of stuff that not a lot of people my age would even think to care about.

The one song that makes me think of rez radio: I remember growing up, the community radio stations obviously played a lot of old rock music, plus a mixture of gospel songs or CBC Radio shows, like CBC Radio’s news and what’s going on around the world and our country. Then we got NCI that played country music but it was also programming that was geared to Indigenous people, especially because this particular radio station was broadcasting all over Manitoba. 

And one of the artists that really, really reminds me of that time is the late Shane Yellowbird. He was an artist who is based out of Alberta, and he’s a Cree country artist. And I just remember hearing his music growing up on the radio, so on the reserve. And yeah, I mean, I don’t do I don’t I don’t do country music. I don’t make country music. But that’s a memory I have for sure…. If I can remember correctly, it was released in 2006, and it was track one and track number three, if I can recall — oh it’s “They’re All About You” by Shane Yellowbird. 

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William Patrick ‘the Best in the West’ Richard, radio DJ for Sandy Bay Radio 106.3 FM (Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation, Treaty 1) 

I call this my radio shack. I start from 6 a.m., I’m always here at 5:45 or 5:50. So from 6 to 1 p.m. I’m online. I make my list and then do my announcements for the weather and whatever comes up. I get calls at 6, I take lots of requests … we got like, maybe, 300,000 songs. It all started on a powwow weekend … I heard that the radio station was gonna open up at noon and I was at a mud bog with the kiddos. I went to my truck, waited for the station to open and sure enough it came on, started up, my truck came straight to the radio station because I love music and so I wanted to know how they set the system. At that time it was Chris Spence running it … he asked me, “What brings you here?” “I just come to be nosey,” I told him. Then he said, “You wanna try it?” And that’s how it all started. I loved it. I still love it. That’s why I’m still here. I don’t think I’d like to quit this job.

The one song that makes me think of rez radio: Georgie Jones, “Walk Through This World With Me.” And Don Williams, “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good.” And also a little bit of Elton John.

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‘Uncle Mike’ Maple, radio DJ and program manager for 90.9 BON FM (Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Treaty 1)

I’m program manager, radio announcer, editor, audio engineer, live-on-location dude and everything in between. We started the radio here last year in April, and they were just trying to figure out who they could get this going and I’ve been writing them proposals for over 10 years, trying to get a radio station out here, so I got interviewed and got the job.

My idea when we got here was to change the way we listen to radio, to get our knowledge in there, to get our stories passed down and then just have a great time with some good music playing. One minute you’ll be head-banging, next minute you’re dancing with some good auntie music, next music you’re right down and out listening to some Ernest. Rez radio is so much different than the radio you would get inside the city because you could actually be fully engaged with the people in your community. We need our people in the media because it not only builds jobs, it builds truth and we can get our stories and stuff out there.

The one song that makes me think of rez radio: That Mattmac song, that rez song. I love that song. When I first heard it, I was like, we need songs like this.

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This year on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, you can watch and listen to Reclaimed Presents: ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl Come Toward the Fire, a celebration of Indigenous talent, creativity and brilliance, with music performances from Black Belt Eagle Scout, Zoon, Tia Wood and more. 

Tune in at 5 p.m. (6 AT, 6:30 NT) on CBC Music and CBC Listen and 9 p.m. (10 AT, 10:30 NT) on CBC Radio  7 p.m. (8 AT, 8:30 NT) on CBC-TV. It will be available on CBC Gem as of 9 a.m. ET.

SALAMANCA — The Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center on Saturday hosted the opening of its new exhibit, “Here, Now and Always: Haudenosaunee Beadwork,” housed in the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum.

The free event celebrating beadwork from the museum’s vast collections gave the public an opportunity to view the pieces, both old and new, and see the inspiration for contemporary artists. People also watched Haudenosaunee artists working on their craft.

Director Hayden Haynes said the staff wants to highlight the museum’s collections and is putting more emphasis on the beadwork because it’s so vast. He said they invited people to come to the opening and view the old as well as the more contemporary pieces on display, learn about their origins and what they mean to the Haudenosaunee culture.

“We wanted to exhibit these pieces, not just to show the collections but to also open conversations about Haudenosaunee history that includes the beadwork,” he said. “Beadwork is not just a form of self-expression; it’s also tied to our identity, our beliefs and our culture. The motifs, designs and even the forms themselves all tie to other things in our culture. We want to show how our ancestors’ pieces inspired us and continue to inspire contemporary bead artists, along with other artists.”

Haynes said beads, in general, have been employed by the Haudenosaunee people for many different uses since time immemorial. He said beads themselves are important to his people and they’ve been used for tens of thousands of years, having been made out of stone, bone, wood and marine shells.

Randee Spruce, educator and curator, said she prepares most of the exhibits at the museum, including putting the current beadwork exhibit together. She was educated at the Institute of American Indian Arts where she majored in museum studies. Spruce, who is also a beadworker, said she first learned the art from a friend and her friend’s grandmother.

Two well-known bead artists presented at the opening. Through their presentations, Grant Jonathan gave a detailed history of Tuscarora Raised Beadwork while Ken Williams Jr. took visitors on his personal beadwork journey. Both presenters gave an inside look at their lives growing up and how Haudenosaunee beadwork influenced their own beadwork.

Jonathan, who grew up on the Tuscarora Reservation near Niagara Falls, is a renowned beadwork artist and an attorney who has spent over a decade bringing home the beadwork crafted by his Tuscarora ancestors and sold to tourists from across the world at Niagara Falls. He said they were called “whimsies” and are beaded souvenirs that first appeared in the mid-19th century and were sold to tourists throughout the Northeast. Based in New York City, he started collecting whimsies in 2008 and currently has more than 2,100 of the historical beadwork pieces.

Williams, an award-winning bead artist, is Northern Arapaho and Seneca. Originally from the Cattaraugus Territory, he now lives in Santa Fe, NM. He talked about the traditional art of the Haudenosaunee and how modern design is integrated into his works today. Drawing upon Indigenous history, popular culture and high fashion, his work merges earlier Seneca and Arapaho styles and techniques with his own contemporary twist on pictorial imagery. He manages the Case Trading Post at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, N.M.

Bead artists from across Turtle Island were invited to the event to sell their finely crafted pieces. Beadwork vendors included Lexi Sickles (Oneida), Iakorihwato:ken Hemlock (Mohawk), Courtney Regis (Seneca), Grace Crowe (Seneca) Robin Seneca (Seneca), Katwite:ne and Kwaharani Jacobs (Mohawk), Alayna Jimerson (Seneca), Kahionwinehshon Phillips (Mohawk), Kehala Smith (Tuscarora), Barbara Jonathan (Seneca) and Melissa Smith (Seneca). Visitors had the opportunity to watch Regis, Sickles and Hemlock demonstrate the intricate beadwork in their own styles.

Haynes said the beadwork exhibit will be on display until next fall. Staff are currently planning the museum’s November Winter Art Market, which is always well-attended. The market will feature traditional and non-native vendors showcasing their amazing works of art, jewelry and home decor. He said they are also working on their Annual Spring Art Show for 2024, which is one of their most popular events. Carson Waterman’s painting exhibit will be on display through February.

The Seneca-Iroquois National Museum is located within the Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center at 82 West Hetzel St. For up-to-date information, call (716) 945-1760. The museum’s website, senecamuseum.org, is currently under construction.