Twas the night before...

T’was the night before Christmas and all thru the teepee

Not an eyelid was shut because nobody was sleepy.

The Wal-Mart bags were hung by the fire so neat,

Hoping Chief Nick would fill them up with smoked meat.

 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds

While visions of fry bread men danced in their heads.

With ya-yah in her kerchief and my hair braided tight

We turned up the scanner to entertain us tonight.

 

Then all of a sudden a crash we did hear,

The rez dogs started barking but that’s the norm around here.

The moon on the breast of the new falling snow

Gave the luster of midday to my rez car below.

 

When what do my ndn eyes should appear

But an ndn sleigh with eight tiny reindeer!

With a little rez driver so stoic but quick

I knew in a moment it must be Chief Nick.

 

More rapid then Rez Ballers the reindeer they came

And he pointed with his lips then called them by name.

On Fancy Dancer, on Smoked Meat, on Thomas and Victor,

On Back Strap, on Philbert, on Black Cloud and Trixster.

 

Ssshhh! Land beside the teepee, quiet for good reason

We have to be careful it’s deer hunting season.

The stickers on his sleigh read "I love baloney"

Another one said "My other ride is a pony."

 

The one in the middle said "NDN Power"

There was duct tape and bailing wire holding it together.

When the teepee flap opened I just hung my head,

For I just finished off his stew and fry bread.

 

He was dressed in full regalia from his head to his moccs,

His outfit fully beaded right down to his socks!

His huckleberry eyes twinkled, his braids were like WOW!

You have to see it for yourself, he was just … somehow!

 

The stump of his peace pipe held tight in his teeth

And the smoke signals encircled his head like a wreath.

His face was kind of greasy and he was ndn size,

He had a commod bod only a skin could recognize.

 

He spoke not a word just flashed his Tribal ID.

He left a block of cheese and new tape recorder under the tree.

He left hand drums and blankets and round dance CDs,

Huckleberry pies and the new N Cree!

 

Then he pointed with his lips, gave a big hearty AYYE!

And he danced out the door and jumped in his sleigh.

I heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight

Merry Christmas to all!  Let’s round dance tonight!

 

HO-ka! HO-ka! HO-ka!

Ramona Moore Big Eagle ~ Legend Keeper

Miss Ramona was telling stories at the Bland Virginia pow wow and we were fortunate to meet and spend some time with her.  I would like to post the Bio and contact information for anyone who might be interested in what she has to offer.  She is a very Energetic, Fun, and Educating person. 

Ramona Moore Big Eagle, M. Ed. (Tuscarora/Cherokee) is an Oral Historian and Legend Keeper of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina.  An Enrolled member of the Nation, She earned a Master of Education Degree from East Tennessee State University in Reading and Storytelling and a Bachelor of Art Degree in Psychology from Catawba College.  As the Director of Heritage School, Ramona taught students for over ten years.  Ramona travels throughout the United States and Canada as a Motivational Speaker, Cultural Educator, Consultant, Workshop Facilitator and Storyteller.  Her workshops and programs of American Indian culture and history delivered through the art of Storytelling, authentic artifacts, music, drumming, dance, and crafts have been educating and empowering audiences of all ages since 1976.

In addition, Ramona does many corporate workshops on Leadership through Storytelling, Finding your Corporate Story, Team Building and Motivation.  Ramona is the CEO and president of Dare to Soar Enterprises, founder and president of the Storytellers Guild of Charlotte, Inc., a member of the National Storytelling Network, and the NC and SC Storytelling Guilds.  A winner of numerous awards and recognition as a professional Speaker and Storyteller, Ramona has been a featured speaker at various Literacy and Association Conferences, school libraries, corporate meetings, museums, historical sites, Red Ribbon Week, festivals, churches, and camps.  Ramona also teaches at University of Phoenix and was honored as Teacher of the Year in Drama for 2001-2002 at Community School of the Arts.  

When presenting American Indian Culture, Ramona erases stereotypes and myths concerning the culture and provides programming that covers aspects of daily life in lodging, clothing, survival techniques, artifacts, foods, art, dance, stories, language, music, and beliefs from the past to the present.  All programs are custom-designed to be age appropriate and curriculum based.  Ramona enriches any curriculum subject with her interactive and entertaining storytelling.  Participants experience American Indian culture through hands on and engaging activities.  Listeners have the opportunity for a question and answer period during each presentation.  Ramona also offers programming addressing History, Social Studies, Character Education, Literacy through Storytelling, Drug/Tobacco Prevention, Conflict Resolution, Diversity and Multiculturalism, Motivation and Self-Esteem, and Leadership by Storytelling.  

Contact Information: Ramona Moore Big Eagle, M. Ed. ~ Dare to Soar Enterprises ~ 9904 Avensong Crossing Dr. - Charlotte, NC 28215

email:  bigeagle@bellsouth.net 

phone: 704-568-6940

Speaker, Storyteller, Educator, American Indian Culture, PreK - 12, College - Senior Citizen

Psalm 23 ~ Explained

I got this in an email some time ago.  Today the Great Spirit brought me to this Psalm, so I am posting it.  I was working on a loom piece and thought that I may run out of thread before the pattern was finished, but I looked up and said, "I have Faith that I will be able to finish"  and I did.  I am Not Preaching, I only Praise His name every chance I get. 

This will most likely be that Last public blog that I post.  Anyone who wants to follow Six Directions Traders & Our Travels, will have to sign up for multiply and I will have to accept you.  This means it will not post to Facebook either.  It's just been a day to day fight for survival and time only allows a certain amount of Freedom.

 

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd ~ That's Relationship!

I shall not want ~ That's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ~ That's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters ~ That's Refreshment!

 

He restored my soul ~ That's Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ~ That's Guidance!

For His name sake ~ That's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of t he shadow of death ~ That's Testing!

I will fear no evil ~ That's Protection!

For Thou art with me ~ That's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me ~ That's Discipline!

 

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies ~ That's Hope!

Thou anoint my head with oil ~ That's Consecration!

My cup runneth over  ~ That's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ~ That's Blessing !

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord ~ That's Security!

Forever ~ That's Eternity!

Protestors stand their ground in battle over Indian mound

This was sent to me today, just want to pass it on.

Lisa Crane, Reporting
Lynne Jones, Producer
Jamey Bryan, Photographer/Editor
Published: August 20, 2009

Oxford, Ala. - The battle over a Native American Indian mound in Oxford has garnered national - even international attention. 

The city is tearing down the historic site to help build a new retail development. The dirt work at the mound has created a huge backlash from Native American groups.

It’s the largest stone mound ever created by Native Americans.  A recent study found Indian artifacts at the site. Archaeologists estimate it was built 1,500 years ago. 

The property was transferred from the city to Oxford’s Commercial Development Authority about six months ago. 

As you drive along Interstate 20 through Oxford, you can see the Indian mound.  Missing most of its trees, the hill has been cleared down to the red clay since workers started carrying truck loads of soil off the mound to use as fill dirt on a retail construction site at nearby Oxford Exchange.

Behind the Outback ~ A Nomadic Journey Act V

Behind the Outback ~ A Nomadic Adventure

Act V

We booked into Davis Lakes Campground, a public campground, for a week.  Very Nice, 3 lakes and only 10 miles from the pow wow.

Scene I

12 August 2009 ~ Got a little twisted and missed a turn somewheres, so it took a little longer to get back up to Virginia than we though.  Passed this place called the Great Dismal Swamp, Hmmm sounds like that would be right up my alley, gotta check it out after the pow wow!  Anyways, Bear was NOT impressed with this travel day LOL.

Scene II

14 August 2009 ~ It has been raining since we got here, heading to the pow wow grounds to set up the shop this morning.  So far so good, cloudy but not raining.  Ahhh yeeeaaa, until we get to the Pow Wow grounds, then its pouring.  Anyways, its on and off rainy while we set up.  The pow wow is located at a beautiful state run park called Lone Star Lakes Lodge.  Notice the Lone Star Below  

We found, from talking to their Chief, that this is the area in which their ancestors lived so many years ago!  There were lots of shade trees and it was located on the Nansemond River.  Someone else also told me that several years ago it was a sand quarry and they would run barges up the river to there and load with sand for building roads and such.  Which explains these weird short boat dock looking things down on the rivers edge.

Scene III

15 August 2009 ~ Saturday was a little rainy still in the morning, but it stopped and cleared out just in time to POW WOW!  The drum Eastern Bull Drum & Singers were absolutely Awesome.  Check out their website www.easternbull.com and take a look at the videos I took of them. 

We had a few surprises on Saturday as well.  Nelson & Cyndy were visiting in Richmond, VA and they came down for the pow wow.  Their Grandson danced in the circle with Nelson. 

And our new friends Sandy & Bee were there and danced all weekend! 

Scene IV

16 August 2009 ~ Sunday there was No rain at all and it was breezy and Beautiful.  I must say that the people came out for this pow wow, rain or not, they came both days and the people in town knew about it.  This pow wow has been going for about 21 years they said.  It went till about 6pm and we put all the product away and came to get the barn on Monday, juss cuz we could

Be sure to see my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Spiderwrulf  and the Flickr Photo albums:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/spiderwrulf/sets/ for all the details.  We will be travelling back to NC on wednesday.

Much Love and many prayers my fellow

's

Spiderwrulf & Cloudwalker

 

Goodbye Indian Mounds, Hello Sam’s Club

This story is from an area we went to pow wow last year, and the Longest Walk came through.  Some friends of ours there are deeply involved in this, so I wanted to help spread the word about what is going on.  The news article from July 10, 2009 can be found here: http://www.reznetnews.org/article/goodbye-indian-mounds-hello-sam-s-club-36320

The following is from their Facebook Group

A 1,500 year old Native American stone mound is being continually bulldozed near Oxford, Alabama, and the earth used as fill dirt for a Sam's Club, the BIG BOX discount franchise owned by Walmart.

Protesters there have managed to stop the shovels on the top of the mound, but excavation continues at the base and 320 acres of Sacred burial grounds, temples and sanctuaries are at risk. The Mayor of Oxford in his 7th consecutive term, plans to level the top of the mound and build a hotel, spa and resort. City council members completely disregard the research of reputable archaeologist that this site is not only of cultural and historical importance, but most likely contains the remains of deceased ancestors as well as cultural and spiritual artifacts.

If this sickens you and violates your sense of justice as it does ours, Join us both virtually via facebook and twitter for Globally coordinated VP (virtual protests) as well as on site "LIVE" for those of you who can be there in person. This is a fight that we can win if we look at the bigger picture to preserve this and other sites that are at risk. We may very well lose this battle but we need to raise international awareness of this brutal disregard of our collective native heritage and it's continued desecration. If we don't succeed in saving this site, we must set our sites on preventing further abuses and to make this an example of rampant greed and disregard of Native Cultural heritage.

INVERT "the stereotypes and archaic notions of indianness
517 years of Colonialism, genocide and abuse on Turtle Island must come to an end. These United States were built on & with the very backs and bones of our ancestors. Their skin will not be traded or made into boots, flesh and bones will not be put on display in a circus or the cathedrals of consumerism.


-"THIS IS WHAT DECOLONIZATION LOOKS LIKE"*:
- DON'T "Bury your heart at Walmart!" - get your fight on right now!
- BOYCOTT WALMART & SAM'S CLUB and let them know about it!
- Join us for VP's (virtual protests) and Live protests
- Contribute your time, words and ideas to this movement
- Rise up and say:
"Mitakuye Oyesin" -Oglala wisdom*
WE ARE ALL ONE,
We are all inter-related to the Earth our Mother, to every living thing, each other and all of creation.This is not just the battle for Signal Mountain, but the fight for Native heritage to be preserved and respected on a wider scale.


Respectfully,
Carolyn Chambliss

Going Mobiile...

Greetings,

We will be heading to Georgia this weekend for this pow wow:

      June 28 - 29, 2008 ~ 4th Annual Eastern Native American

"WE are all RELATED" Charity Pow Wow

Whippoorwill Hollow Organic Farm ~ Walnut Grove, GA

(Between Conyers and Monroe on Hwy 138)

Profits will go to support Native Americans with Diabetes and support OUR Elders - Demonstrators, Craft and Food Vendors, Educational Children's Games and activities, Story Tellers and Much More!  Admission $10 per Vehicle - Bring the whole Family!! Gates open 10am - 6pm Saturday Grand Entry at 12 noon - Sunday 10am - 5pm Grand Entry at 1pm - Primitive Camping available for tents and campers for dancers and vendors only - Flag retirement ceremony & Trade Blanket on Saturday night - Contact: Whippoorwill Hollow Farms whippoorwillholf@bellsouth.net 678-625-3272 Andy Byrd - 770-601-0109 Hilda Byrd - NO Politics, NO Weapons, NO Drugs, and NO Alcohol !  Vendors by invitation only - Directions: From Atlanta, take I-20 east to exit #82 (Conyers/Hwy 138). Take a left onto Hwy 138 and go 9 miles to Walnut Grove (Walton County). Continue through the traffic light - our farm is 1 mile on the left.

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We will be heading for North Carolina after the 4th, schedule can be followed on this calendar or the dot.com calendar. I will be able to update on the fly now ;)

Feel free to contact us on our journey, I will try to keep contact in return too.

Much Love and many prayers,

Spiderwrulf

Six Directions Traders 

Back to the Sandbar... for now

Greetings,

We got back to the sandbar Safe.  It was an amazing journey to these 2 pow wows and back.  We will be here for 2 weeks and then will head to Georgia to do a few more pow wows.  Please let me know if there is a pow wow that I can advertise on my calendar.  I will be updating this calendar and the dot com calendar as well. 

Much Love and Many prayers to all the LongWalkers as well as my friends and family ~wrulf

 

Closing the eBay shop ~ www.SixDirectionsTraders.com

Greetings everyone,

I have been out at the preserve camping, cleaning the trailer up and making more stock. We have 4 pow wows within 5 weeks coming up. Above pictured is a Hawk that allowed me to photo him out in the pine barrens on the preserve.

I am closing the eBay shop to save on the fees and to concentrate on the dot com. It is Bitter Sweet, I am sad to see it go - I have had the shop opened since 2004, but my seller account is from 2002 and I will still keep that and run auctions occasionally when we are not on the road. However, the fees are really getting high, and I don't have the time to work on it to make it prosper at the moment.

So, Please visit my web site, you can sign up for mailers and specials, there are links to my videos, pictures, blogs etc.. AND the soon to be, blowing pow wows.com calendar out of the waters, CALENDAR page (which has 5 times as many hits as my home page www.SixDirectionsTraders.com

Also some other pages of interest to visit would be:

Dear Friend of Native America:

Please keep our name and contact information on file for all of your American Indian needs.

From dancers, singers, actors, wranglers and animal handlers, to stunts, etc.

Rolling Thunder Enterprises has helped bring authenticity to the stage and screen for two decades and continues to consult for film, musical recordings, and where ever a Native perspective is required.

From warriors on horseback to huge live buffalo, I am there to support the arts and the cultures that we represent. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Chipa Wolfe

Chipa Wolfe
Rolling Thunder Enterprises
34 Rolling Thunder Drive
Jasper, Georgia 30143

www.rthunder.com

770-735-6275

chipa1@earthlink.net

AIA Orlando Pow Wow

21

st Annual

AIA ORLANDO

POWWOW

The American Indian Association of Florida, Inc.

ORLANDO, FL – CENTRAL FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS

November 2 - 4, 2007

Head Staff

Emcee:

Ron Colombe

Arena Director:

G.T. Martinez

Head Lady Dancer:

Raven

Head Male Dancer:

Herb Shepherd

Host Drum:

The Plainsmen

Admission

Adults:

$6.00 ~Children (12 & under): $3.00

Students (w/ID):

$4.00 ~ Seniors: $3.00

Military (w/ID):

$5.00 ~ Military in Uniform: FREE

3-day Passes:

$15

Schedule

Friday

10:00am – 10:00pm

Saturday

–10:00am – 10:00pm

Sunday

– 10:00am – 5:00pm

Entertainment

Utah Ferris ~

(Native American Flutist)

Crystal Woman ~

(Singer and Storyteller)

Kalani Poepoe ~

(Native Hawaiian Music & Dance)

Kashka ~

(Tlingit Legendkeeper)

Grandmother Coyote ~

(Storyteller)

David White Wolfe ~

(Living History)

Grand Entry

Friday

7:00pm

Saturday

1:00pm & 7:00pm

Sunday

1:00pm

Please, no pets, no drugs and no

alcohol!

For More Information Contact:

Peggy Wolfe (407) 327-8207

website:

www.aiaofflorida.org

email:

aiaofflorida@hotmail.com

Cox-Osceola Pow Wow Florida

Sovereign Nation of the Oklevueha Band of

Seminole (Yamassee) Indians

Cox-Osceola Indian Reservation - Orange Springs, FL 32182

Public Welcome ~ Head Drum ~ Family Drum
Falcon Family Drum & Yamassee Youth Drum
Head Lady ~ White Dove Buford
Head Man ~ Guiding Bear Spirit with two Hearts (Leonard Brown)
MC ~ Dave 'WhiteWolf' Trezak
Donation Entry ~ $2 Adults, $1 Children 12yrs,
Under 6 yrs FREE
Gates Open:
Friday & Saturday 9am to 10pm
Sunday 9am to 6 pm
FREE Primitive Camping - Hot Showers
Cox-Osceola Indian Reservation - PO BOX 521 ~ Orange Springs, FL 32182 ~ More Information ~ White Fawn (352)546-5525

My little brother is Head Man Dancer!!!! We will most likely visit on Sunday. Then we are off to do 3 pow wows in a row. See y'all there.