Latest happenings

My wife and I went back to Tahlequah again for the Cherokee Holiday art show, that was held at the armory again, and for the 3rd time in a row, I walked across the stage for my painting "The abstract fancy dancer". They always bring in new judges for this event, and thus far they have liked my entries. This time neither one of my paintings sold. My other entry was the "Ponca trail of tears". We had a great time there. Got to meet a few more people. American Meredith, Tom Farris and Troy Jackson. Tom owns a Native American art gallery in Norman, Okla. America owns one in Santa Fe, NM. America was one of the judges for the show. Troy is a great artist as well. I hope to get to meet more as time allows. Another good thing about attending these art shows and viewing all the wonderful artwork, you get energized to want to create. It has you thinking about something outside the box. We will see how things develop. Our home studio is now complete except for one more set of shelves for my wife's yarn and material. It actually looks like a studio. Were happy with it up to this point. Still not sure about a date yet for our gallery opening, but it will happen!

Niobrara and Neligh, Nebraska

It is not too often when you see a golden eagle fly over head to come look in on what you are doing. Sunday morning we saw one. Our ancestors were looking in on us. I was very happy that my Mom went with me to witness this event. No doubt her great grandfather White Eagle was there, and his father Waegah-saupie (The Whip). The day had a cool breeze, partly cloudy, with a warm sun shining down on us. The Creator blessed this day for us, and made everyone feel blessed.

18 month old baby girl named White Buffalo Girl's memorial was today, she died on May 23rd, 1877. For 134 years the town of Neligh, Ne. has decorated WBG's grave and cared for it just as one of their own. The towns people gave WBG a christian burial, at the request of her folks, Black Elk, and her mama. Black Elk asked them to do this because the Ponca people didn't like to leave their dead behind. The towns people agreed, and kept that promise! It is refreshing to see people of a different culture do this, from all the broken promises the Government made to not just to Ponca, but Indians across the US. It is a new found respect you have for people.

Our Northern Ponca relatives were in attendance from Niobrara and the surrounding communities in Nebraska. Brother Dwight Howe and the Omaha tribes "Big Crazy society" came to help and support us with providing and preparing the noon meal feast of corn soup, fry bread, fruit, and water. The Omahas brought their drum as well, to provide memorial songs for the memorial. WBG never had a tribal burial, and on May 22nd, 2011 we were able to complete it for her spirit. The Ponca tribe of Okla. provided a plaque to Neligh, presented by brother Dan Jones.

The noon meal was handled by Uncle Nate Merrick of the Omaha, he narrated to the people of what was to transpire. Elder brother and road man Mark Merrick performed a cedar ceremony for the Mayor, her chamber members, and members of the cemetery board. We took the food offering to the cemetery for WBG's spirit.

Upon returning to the indoor arbor where some 400 - 500 towns people were in attendance and were fed. Once the line died down, we began our give away. The Northern Poncas gave a blanket to the oldest male, who turned 104 yrs. old on Sunday, and a shawl to a woman who is in her nineties. Brother Dan Jones spoke for the Southern Poncas upon giving the plaque to Mayor Jeri Anderson. Once he finished I spoke on behalf of the painting I created for the memorial. Mayor Jeri excepted the painting and it will hang in the chamber of commerce for public viewing. Only one of a kind. When I finished my part brother Dwight Howe spoke, and presented them with a Ponca cradle board. The town maintains a Ponca Trail of Tears Memorial Park. We were able to take some pictures of the town's efforts on behalf of our ancestors.

The day before were headed to Niobrara, Ne. with brother Dwight to visit our old home lands. Very beautiful eco transition happening in that area. I can see why so many wanted this land for themselves. We attended a sweat lodge at the old Ponca Agency and met brother Larry Wright who lives right at the agency. He also cares for a herd of buffalos. We exchanged gifts of cedar with one another! He gave me flat cedar from Niobrara, and I presented him with cedar from Mr. Scott SW Okla. Amazingly we had the same thoughts for one another! Brother Larry poured for the sweat lodge, and during the ceremony a rain cloud appeared. When we had finished, the rain stopped for us. Another good blessing!

The Nebraska historical society along with Joe Starita (University of Nebraska, Lincoln) were present. The NPR was filming and recording the event in Neligh, so I expect a press release to come out about the event. All in all everyone I shook hands with had a smile on their faces with a friendly greeting. Our Ponca people are loved there, you can feel the good spirit around the community. I would one day hope to travel back to Niobrara and maybe attend another sweat, and take in the powwow there. Blessings, Sid

Native New Years coming.

Learned something about my ancestors recently from one of my brothers living up in Nebraska. I got to visit with him over the phone the other day and learned he has been researching some history of my Ponca ancestors. Like so many tribes that were forced to move to Oklahoma there was a trail of tears that followed them on their journey to Indian territory. Deaths of almost 1/3 the tribe was lost from disease, and pneumonia. The spring of 1877 was one of the worst in history. Rained much more then normal, and made crossing rivers very challenging. Can you imagine old people trying to walk through flood waters because a gov. agent has to meet a deadline. There was no compassion for cold, wet, sick, hungry Poncas.
About 4 days into the trail of tears there was a little girl name White Buffalo Girl, that got sick with pneumonia and died. Her parents were Black Elk and Moon Hawk. Heart broken, and desperate, they pleaded with the local folks at a small town of Neligh, Ne. Black Elk asked they bury his daughter and treat her with the respect just like they did their very own. They complied and agreed to take care of the little girl. They buried her in their cemetery. Every year for 134 years those people in that small community decorated her grave. Kept it clean just like one of their own. In the beginning there was a wooden cross, that later rotted away, then later on there was a monument they erected besides a new head stone with Black Elks wish for his daughter placed on it.
My brother has a good heart and wants to give back to that small community, and I agree with his wishes. My brother is going to cook and feed that small community some fry bread and corn soup, with coffee and tea. I even started a new painting about White Buffalo girl, and her parents Black Elk and Moon Hawk. It's a good thing when art can be used to help heal those old wounds. Mark your calender down for May 22nd, at Neligh, Ne. for this historical event.

Good time in Tahlequah

The "Abstract Warrior" painting got honorable mention this time at the Cherokee National Holiday Art show. There was around 30 or so entries in the digital, graphics category, so I was happy with my showing, since I didn't know who the judges were.

Got to meet some nice people, some customers that appreciate my art. Saw some pretty amazing art as well. The reception afterwards was good.

Downtown Tahlequah was jumping, softball tournament, powwow, and 3 other art galleries going on all at the same time. Wife and I took some pictures at one of the parks there, went to a coffee shop and had coffee and cake while we waited for the show to begin.

Then today (Saturday), I was lucky enough to win a print by Sharon Irla "Necessity of a Mother" print #1. Her work is pretty amazing.

There is so much to do there, that we are planning on going back when we can do more stuff there.

High time to post something..

It's been a few months again since my last post. Hope everyone is having a good summer thus far. It has been hot here in Okla. but fall is on the way. It is always good to get a cool front every now and then to cool things down some.

Powwows are happening everywhere right now. My baby sister is in Rocky Boy, Mt. right now at their doings. Her and one of our relatives ventured up that way. I hope she does well in the ladies buckskin division. Both are exceptional dancers. My sister won 1st at the Otoe encampment this year, and is now hoping to make a good showing up in Montana.

I finished another painting the other day. I painted a Ponca wearing a blanket in downtown Ponca City. The time frame is back in the late 40's early 50's. I Remember going downtown with my grandmother and seeing people still walking around with blankets on. Something you don't see now days. My plan is to do a series of these paintings, using different parts of downtown Ponca City. I have high hopes for this project.
Everyone have a good summer and fall, I will try to post as I go along. Thanks for reading.

Much to write about.

Time flies when your having fun. Things have been going along pretty good thus far for me in 2010. My Taxes are done, and don't need to worry about Uncle Sam breathing down my neck for at least another year.

I entered the "Trail of Tears" art show/sale in Tahlequah, Okla. last weekend. Plans were changed from the scheduled awards ceremony on Saturday April 10th to Friday April 9th at 7pm to accommodate the memorial service held for Wilma Mankiller. To our arrival at the Cherokee museum, we were treated to a buyer of the "Abstract Warrior" painting. Made the trip worth while. Thus far things have gone very well for me in Tahlequah. I will more than likely go back again next year.

Raven with Native Digest did another interview on me and was the featured artist at that time. I was honored by his request. He said the Abstract warrior is his new favorite painting.

The season offically changed and the Buffalo clan now leads in our tribe. I was asked to be the Head gourd dancer for this coming weekends dance at the Otoe Missouria culture center for the Otoe Encampment committee. This is to help raise money for the upcoming encampment which is held the 3rd weekend in July annually.
I am hoping both my brothers will be there with me. My Mothers and baby sister are preparing to come join dance with me. Family and extended family will be in attendance, along with all my friends. I am looking forward to a good day. I prepared a framed and matted print of the abstract warrior for the encampment committee, to help them raise money with a raffle. I just hope they have some grape dumplings..

My wife and I planted our first veggie garden together this year, and made it organic. I even planted some gourds. If one plant comes up I will be happy.

Everyone have a good spring and Happy Native New year. Everything is new and green, enjoy this time the creator has given to us.

Sid

2010 is here!

Happy New Year everybody! I sincerely hope you have a very prosperous 2010. The shape of the economy is still trying to recover, and hopefully we will all have affordable health insurance, as well as jobs. It pretty much hits home, when the job market affects your immediate family.

As far as resolutions for 2010, I want to expand on my art, and enter into a few more shows/contests. I do want to continue to persevere for our Native youth, with the Standing Bear Art contest. Starting Monday Jan. 4th, I will get back at it. I have contacted several tribes here locally and need to make contact with one more. Then I can set a date for a 1st meeting.


I still need to do one more painting for the Ponca City Art Centers contest they hold every year in February. Have some good ideas I am throwing around, and want to see where it will lead.

My partner finished with another gallery wrap for an order, and hope to finalize that sale next week as well.

If you get a chance to go to the movies, and have a chance to see Sherlock Holmes, go see it! This is the very 1st movie my wife and I attended together. There just hasn't been anything out there that we have ever wanted to go see, until this one. So it is a must see!

December 09'

Can you believe it is already December? Time flies it seems the older we get. I guess I must be starting to get older, cause where did 09' go too? I thought Obama was just inaugurated the other day! Wow.. that was fast! Next thing you know you will be doing your taxes.

Janine our daughter from Germany is flying home for Christmas in a couple of weeks. Think Angelika and I may put up a few decorations before it is over with. We will wait for the kids to come over first before we put up a tree. We usually let them decorate the tree.

Angelika has been busy making her hand made hats for Christmas, she ships daily all over the world. This is her busy time, so I know she appreciates all the help I can do for her at this time of year. I assist with making some of her tags she uses when she packs the hats customers have ordered. She really does a great unique job in her style of packing. Lot's of TLC goes into each one of her packages.

I completed 3 more paintings, but will only be posting 2 of the 3. I also framed and matted another 7 clans painting. I am wanting to make a presentation to the Otoe Missouria tribe with it. I want to share with the tribe where all members can view it.

I guess I need to think about what to get for Christmas gifts for everyone. Think we may send out a few Christmas cards this year as well.

The money I made from the painting sales from the speaking engagement with the Daughters of the American Revolution. My plan was to pay it forward, but we had a death in our extended family. I helped my family with the cost of the feast for the traditional meal. I know there is a blessing from that.

I cleaned out my closet, and removed clothes I no longer use. I packed them up and took them to the Salvation Army. I know they will be put to good use. Someone may stay warm this winter.

I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and if I don't get to make another post before 2010, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year as well.

Sid

Another good time dancing with our friends.

This past weekend we got to go to Enid, Ok. for a gourd dance my Indian friend Hank and Marie Childs hosted. Our gourd dance group was the host gourd club, so we were in full force. My sister and mother were able to come join us as well. I was very happy for this. My mothers Indian friend was there as well, and they got to dance together again.

The Enid intertribal club had a wonderful dinner served for us. The fellowship with all my brothers, and relatives was priceless. Look forward to helping my friends for the upcoming Otoe encampment next July. My friend Hank is the chairman for the powwow. I told him I would support him with this great endeavor.

Chairman John Shotton of the Otoe tribe is a member of our group as well. He just got back from his trip to D.C. He was in attendance at the White House with President Obama, when he greeted all the recognized tribes in the U.S.

On Nov. 20th I will be speaking for the Daughters of the American Revolutions monthly meeting at the Marland Grand home here in Ponca City, on Native American Art. They said they will have a write up about it coming out in the local newspaper this coming Sunday. I will begin to prepare for it. I look forward to it.

On Nov. 21st the Otoe encampment with have their first benefit dance at the Otoe culture center. I will see about attending that dance.

I will be starting a new painting for the contest here that the Ponca City art center holds in February. Still thinking about what to paint.

Thanks for reading.

Over due for a posting

There is so much to write about, not sure where to begin. I know I need to post more often and not let things get so far behind. All I can say is things have been good of late. Busy beyond what I care to be, but it keeps things moving along.

Labor day weekend, we went to the Cherokee Holiday celebration and Art contest in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. I hadn't been in Tahlequah in years. I had forgotten how pretty the country is there. We had a very enjoyable time there. We went down on Friday for the contest, we arrived a few minutes late. I guess you could say we were running on Indian time. We grabbed a flier from the attendant and went into the auditorium. We found a place to stand in the back, and no sooner got there, and they announced the honorable mention for the graphics division. "When the shadows are long". It was my elk painting! I was at a loss since I didn't know the format of how things were being conducted. I asked one of the security guards where we were standing, and he said to go on up on stage. I received my ribbon, and prize. I signed the book where the art work was listed. A rather nice surprise!

We went back to Tahlequah again on Sunday afternoon, since they were going to be closed on Monday for a holiday. I was noticing where my art work was hanging, and the "Dream Image" painting was gone! The attendant said the painting had sold! To my surprise again. This made the whole weekend trip and contest all worth while. The money I made on the painting, I decided to pay it forward for someone less fortunate. I will see about gathering some things to send for children at Christmas.

Later in Sept. the wife and I had a very pleasant trip to Germany to visit her family. Daughter from Bremen, (Northern Germany) came down to Bavaria where my Mother in law resides. Janine (daughter)brought her boy friend with her so he could meet everyone. Aunnun is his name, not so sure about the spelling but it sounds the way I spelled it.
He is a successful independent insurance agent, and does pretty good for his self. Janine, just finished her masters in sociology, and landed herself a good position with a Federal agency there in Bremen. So she is all set now. The thing is we don't look for her this coming Christmas, since she is still on probation with her new position.

Janine joins her brothers now with a good job. This makes us happy. We don't have to worry so much now with everyone working.

We spent 2 weeks in Germany and got to meet some of her relatives I hadn't met yet. Went to Nuerenburg, Bayreuth, Weiden, and Parkstein. Parkstein, was interesting, since this small village was built on top of an ancient volcano. We were able to take some good pictures from the hike we did going to the top of the mountain. There was a nice little cafe where we enjoyed some cake and coffee.

As always the best part about going to Germany was the Essen (Food).. Love the breads, coffees, and Greek food there. Everywhere we went relatives had set the table, and offered us cake and coffee. The coffee to me is the best in the world. We always look forward to the coffee and cake there.

To put things in a nut shell. I am presently back to work again on 2 more paintings. One will be for a good friend of mine I had the privilege of meeting in Tahlequah during the reception for the art contest, Richard Stepp. Richard is nominated this year for a grammy for his latest CD "Legends and Dreams". We finally got to meet, and had a good visit there. We agreed on a new CD album cover for his next CD. I am nearing completion on that work.

The other painting is of a dream I have had most of my life, which involves the creator of heaven and earth. I won't say any more on this I want to keep it quiet until I decide what I will do with it. My Mother said that this is my best one yet!

I wasn't going to argue with her. I will just see how things come along with it.

Anyhow we have pictures posted on Flickr.com of Germany and more recent pictures of the Standing Bear powwow. I will try to make more postings as things transpire.
Thanks for reading.

Post about Gods Gift to our family.

My life's partner and I just got home from a brief visit with my new Granddaughter, Paelin Grace. She is now 7 months old, born Jan. 8th of this year. My son and his companion are coming home for a brief visit from Idaho where they make their home, in October. At that time my Mother will finally get to see her new Great Grand daughter.

Last year at the annual Ponca powwow, we camped, and Mom asked one of my Ponca brothers if he would perform a naming ceremony for my siblings Grand children. He accepted and named all the great grand children that didn't have their Native names yet. We had tribal elders come as well as extended family members. After the naming ceremony we had a large feast and fed everyone that attended.

My eldest sons birthday is in Oct. along with my baby sister, and my Mother. We will celebrate their birthdays, and have a small naming ceremony for Paelin. My family is descendants of the half breed clan of the Ponca nation, and my mother is going to think about a name for Paelin.

Wakondah gave us a beautiful grand daughter. Just the few days we were there, she knew who I was, and would reach out for me when she saw me. So many prayers go up for our grand children everyday, even for the ones that are unborn. Our people pray for 7 generations yet to come. So when my children come home we will all gather and have this naming ceremony for Paelin.

It is amazing how God blesses us each day of our lives. We prayed for travel mercies, and to watch over our home while we were away. When we got home everything was good. I sacrificed a little tobacco and said Aho! Thank you, Weeblaho for all you do for us.
Our dog Oscar was very happy to see us get home too. Our neighbor watch our home, and fed and watered him daily while we were away. Another blessing to have such a neighbor.

I will be making more posts now that things are settling down some.

Looking forward to the Cherokee Heritage days Art contest, where I was juried for 3 paintings to enter. All will be for sale as well.

Aho, and Weeblaho..

...also, I got to visit briefly with my friend James Pyles on the phone while we were in Boise. James is a great writer..

Otoe encampment was good!

The 3rd week in July is typically very hot! Traditionally you get to a point to where you kinda hate to go because you know it's going to be like an oven during the gourd dance. The gourd dancing usually begins around 2pm in the afternoon, just about extreme heat time.
On Sunday before the start of the encampment, our family will traditionally put our camp up first! Since we are Buffalo clan. This year the encampment committee asked my Aunt to bless the powwow grounds. She is our Buffalo clan elder. I was there to witness it. At the same time we had a death in our tribe, and I was busy helping my youngest brother take care of the funeral. It was very hot those days.
My Aunt prayed to the creator at all 4 directions. Blessing the grounds with cedar smoke.
Tuesday we had the funeral for our Otoe relative that passed. By the time Thursday came around there was a cool front that came through. We was treated with some cooling rain, and North breeze. Made things much better. Friday was very nice. We enjoyed a wonderful gourd dance Friday evening. Saturday was just as good. Sunday it warmed up a little bit, but was still in the mid 80's.
On Thursday I donated print #1 of 100 of the "1st Otoe Meeting" to the encampment committee. They had tickets printed with a smaller version of the painting on the ticket. Sold chances at a dollar each. No need to be present to win. The committee, thanked me for this. It helped them raise over $400.00. The winning ticket belonged to a lady that lives in Enid, Okla. I am very happy someone won that appreciates my work.
Saturday night, my baby sister dressed in her buckskin dress, and competed in the ladies buckskin. She won 2nd place, and that made everyone happy. She is a good dancer. I was very thankful for the way the whole week went. The funeral went as well as we hoped. The feast was as good a meal as I ever had. The weather at the encampment came from the creator in answer to so many prayers. Everyday was very tolerable.
Best part of everything both brothers, sister, and my Mother all got to come home, with all the nephews, and neices. We sat down Saturday evening, and all shared a meal together. I am very thankful for that. No body can tell me there is no God. God blessed us with a wonderful week. Everyone made it home after everything was over with. It made for some life long lasting memories, and that is priceless!
Just wish I could have taken some pictures.