Plains Indian Museum Seminar

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SEMINAR 2005 Overview

Native Land and the People of the Plains
September 30 - October 2, 2005

Creator was very pleased with these Native peoples. They used his creations with care and honor. Human nature being what it was, the different tribes sometimes fought over territories, but there was great peace across the land as a whole. Although they spoke many different languages and dialects, they could also all communicate with each other. The Creator looked down upon this and He saw that it was very good. He smiled upon all His Grand Creations.

That was many thousands of years ago. Our people no longer have possession of the land or control over the animals and forest. But some of us still remember the Creator’s purpose which He gave to our Ancestors, and we still try to do these things.

- Curly Bear Wagner, from his keynote talk, Writing on Stone, 29th Annual Plains Indian Museum Seminar

The 29th Annual Plains Indian Museum Seminar, Native Land and the People of the Great Plains (September 30- October 2, 2005), found American Indian participants relating stories and personal opinions about why the people are still on their homelands, and how they intent to stay and grow stronger. “What is going to fix the problem is to get back with the land,” stated one of the seminar participants from Oglala Lakota College.

Presenters gave unique and varied perspectives on the topic, providing the basis for interesting discussion. Old and new friends had the opportunity to converse and discuss the proceedings at the annual banquet. Tyler Medicine Horse, a traditional artist, wore a war shirt and leggings that he created, told good stories, and played traditional flute for the enjoyment of the audience. Crow elder and tribal historian Joe Medicine Crow also spoke.

The following is a brief overview of the 2005 proceedings.

Ken Blackbird: “Images I Live to Create: A Retrospective”

Ken Blackbird brings both his cultural perspective and photojournalist’s sensibilities to his photography as he works to capture the vitality of Indian life. Unlike romantic figures he has seen in historic photographs, he makes images of “life as it should be – the people still holding powwows and ceremonies, and knowing that they always will.” His work is part of a continuum, instead of telling stories on painted hides; he captures history with a camera. Blackbird dedicated his program to Darlene Windy Boy. He retired his images of her when she died 11 years ago. As he was working on this program, he found the images, scanned them and used them for this, his first digital slideshow set to music. “Technology can be hair-raising, but I love the outcome,” says Blackbird.

Blackbird’s work is awe inspiring. It makes you smile, makes you think, and occasionally brings a tear to your eye - everything that a powerful image should do. His stunning portraits of elders enhance their dignity and beauty. The portraits illustrate the merging of yesterday and today - elders and children – the continuity of life. Blackbird finds that to take good pictures, to honor his subjects, it is important to follow cultural protocol, even as a tribal member. This can slow the process, but the time spent brings opportunities to visit and to learn, and often brings the unexpected to the photograph.

Linea Sundstrom: “‘An Indian Paradise’: Continuity and Change in Perceptions of the Black Hills.”

To many, the Black Hills symbolize the Wild West – Wild Bill Hickok, Deadwood, gold. They also represent a long standing fight for land claims with indigenous peoples.

Considered sacred by many tribes, such as the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Lakota, Mandan, Ponca and Crow, the Black Hills were taken from the Lakota after it was retained by the Treaty of 1851. These ancient mountains are actually a round formation – like an earth lodge or Sun Dance circle. Dominant culture history books deny the indigenous connection to this land, despite findings of innumerable archaeological sites and oral histories. It is just one of the perceptions about Native people that need to be changed if the Lakota are to ever have the Federal land holdings in the Black Hills restored to the tribe.

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Black Hills were illegally taken from the Lakota, stating, ''A more ripe case of dishonesty may never have been seen.” Congress offered $81 million for the Black Hills. The current value is now, accounting for compounded interest, approximately $500 million.

''Lakota people have refused the money for the last twenty-five years, asserting the [Black Hills] are not for sale. Eighty percent of the Lakota are absolute in non-receipt of money. The government thinks the case is closed; the Lakota know the case is open,'' said Linea Sundstrom, an archaeologist who specializes in ethnogeography and rock art.

Sundstrom said there is always the question about how a people with the nation's most extreme poverty refuse one-half billion dollars. “It's not about the money; the land isn't for sale, according to tribal elders. The land was taken because those who did the taking said the American Indian did not use the land properly. But the land provided sustenance and a spiritual value,” Sundstrom said.

''I think the prevalent thought on that is that the money will not fix what's wrong. It won't bring things back into balance,'' she said. “For now, the indigenous people hold onto the hope that the circle will be complete again.”

William C. Meadows: “Kiowa Ethnogeography”

Dr. Meadows familiarized the audience with Southern Plains ethnogeography. He covered three categories – the Kiowa names for places, Kiowa geographical categories and the Kiowa concept of homeland.

The Kiowa concept of homeland is based around a wide array of settings and experiences – resource locations, religious sites, battle sites, burials – resulting in a prolonged sense of place and belonging. The Kiowa have moved a lot in the last 300 years – from the Northern to the Southern Plains, and their concept of homeland has changed with these moves. One particular land form that has been replaced in Kiowa ethnogeography because of this migration is Bear’s Lodge (Devil’s Tower) in Wyoming. Called Xò-aî in the Kiowa language, it now shares its traditional Kiowa name with Stone Tower in Oklahoma – which looks similar.

Karl Brauneis: “The Tactical and Strategic Use of Fire During the Great Sioux War”

Stewardship Coordinator on the Shoshone National Forest (Wyoming), Karl Brauneis discussed the use of fire during the Great Sioux War, 1876-1877.

During the Indian Wars, the care and feeding of horse herds was paramount to life on the Plains for American Indian war parties and the U.S. Cavalry. The strategic use of fire was widespread throughout the Indian War campaigns by both groups to hinder the other from this most essential task, and therefore being able to engage efficiently. Brauneis stated, “The key point is that these fires were allowed to burn to their natural conclusion.” Fire use during the Sioux War demonstrates “cultural fire” – not a word found in the firefighting nomenclature. Brauneis ascribes that in contemporary times, cultural fires in the late summer and fall could allow the grasses and plants plains to revive and thrive, as they had for centuries under the stewardship of Native peoples prior to current land management. Brauneis emphasized, “History is knowledge that can become wisdom if applied to the present tense.” With this knowledge of the use of fire as a tactic in the Great Sioux War, but also its benefits to the land, Brauneis believes, “it is time to reevaluate the Wilderness Act to allow for cultural fires by American Indians to shape the ecosystem. It is time to reevaluate the outdated thinking behind the proscription on prescribed fire use in a wilderness based upon the understanding that American Indians expressed dominion over their environment and used technology, fire, to shape landscapes to their liking.”

Scott Frazier: “As Long as the Rivers Flow: Native Waters: Building the Community”

“Water belongs to all of us.” – Potowatomi (Potawatamink) Elder

“Take care of water because it is life.” – Northern Arapaho (Nookhooseiinenno) Elder

Scott Frazier is the Executive Director of Native Waters and also serves as Indigenous Liaison for International Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). Based at Montana State University, Bozeman, Project WET is a nonprofit water education program and publisher for educators and young people ages 5 to 18. The program facilitates and promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and the establishment of internationally sponsored Project WET programs. Their mission is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education.

As part of the Native Waters program, Frazier and his team produced a 500 foot photo panel display about the Missouri River watershed. It is sent into every Native school from the most north and west portion in Browning, Montana and down the Missouri Basin. This also includes museums, libraries, and other facilities in a community. The idea is to get American Indian students into an environment and then teach them about water.

Frazier demonstrated one of the activities of Project WET/Native Waters – tossing a soft plastic globe ball into the class or audience. Then he asks, “Where is your left thumb?” It is an exercise in physically seeing the percentage of water on the planet versus land. Frazier then asks, “Is your left thumb on a reservation?” Emphasizing to the children, “We are small, but we are here and in the game,” which gives them a sense of awareness of their tribe’s place in the world. Frazier deals with hundreds of tribes in the lower forty-eight states and Alaska; including the twenty-eight tribes in the Missouri River basin. Frazier insists, “We want to empower communities to take care of themselves.” In the Native Waters activity books and display, an elder from each of the Missouri River tribes is quoted about the meaning of water. With these quotes Frazier is also trying to teach children to respect elders and to go to them in a good way. “It is about the future, the children, the children and the land. So they can see what water means to us as Native people. To teach children about the ceremony, sacredness, and what water does for us. The goal is to give them the tools (education) and then have each community take care of itself.”

Charles Braithwaite: “Creating a Sense of Presence, a Sense of Place, a Sense of Identity: Balancing Cultures and Land Use in the Design and Building of Ho-Chunk Village”

Charles Braithwaite asks, “Why is it important to look at culture and land use?” He then provided three answers. 1. There are different world views according to culture: is the land to be exploited or cherished? 2. Choices impact the future. 3. Cultures may learn from each other. With these ideas in mind, Braithwaite took us on an interesting visit to the Winnebago people of Nebraska at Ho-Chunk Village – where they are thinking of culture and land in the past and to the future.

The Winnebago of Nebraska have a reservation in north east Nebraska of 120,000 acres. There are 2600 people on the reservation; however 5,000 still live in Wisconsin. Ho-Chunk Village is a new housing enterprise on 40 acres of land with 110 living units to be built in the next five to seven years. The village consists of commercial and residential properties.

Why the need for Ho-Chunk Village? One-third of the households on the reservation are considered overcrowded, and there is a housing shortage. People are leaving the reservation, and there is a lack of sense of community – no physical place for the community. There are also health (increased obesity and diabetes) and economic problems. However, unemployment is decreasing, and income is rising, but people are still leaving the reservation for Sioux City, Iowa. This is causing a splinter in the tribe. Another difficulty being when money is available to build a house there are problems in finding a location due to multiple owners of single land tracts. In Ho-Chunk Village, retail owners will be living in apartments above their retail space, and residential properties will surround the retail stores. Lance Morgan, Ho-Chunk Inc., is the primary developer of Ho-Chunk Village. He believes it makes good economic sense to develop and build the new community. The Village was a collaboration of many parties: Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Ho-Chunk, Inc.; Winnebago Tribal Government and Winnebago people and HDR Architects.

Three principles guide the development: 1 “An urban neighborhood in a rural area.” The idea of new urbanism is taking hold in rural areas, increasing the density of housing and community. This is the first time it has been brought to Indian Country and it brings together the community. 2. Active Living: The community makes it inviting to walk, where wide sidewalks make it easy and socially acceptable to walk for enjoyment and health. 3. “Modern can also be traditional” – circle of commercial activity and government activity surrounded by housing. This is based on traditional principles of Winnebago villages. In addition to homes, businesses and commercial properties and community services; at the very center of the Village is a representation of the clan at Heritage Plaza. It is a circle of life-size statues representing the twelve clans – and it lies at the center of the community. Streets are named after clans and tribal leaders – incorporating heritage into something seen and heard everyday. Architectural details, such as mosaics, designs in windows, doors, etc. all reflect back on the Winnebago people artistic traditions. Such small elements are noticed by, and have meaning for, tribal members – not necessarily outsiders.

The heart of Ho-Chunk Village is a commitment to community, education, health, technology, and a sense of place. These cornerstones form the building blocks for a dynamic and special place.

Susan Stewart: “Artwork Inspired by the Land”

As an internationally known artist and curator of Chief Plenty Coups State Park (Montana), Susan Stewart says that her inspiration for artwork comes from the land around her. She guided the audience through a retrospective of her work – including her installation pieces – noting this was “thirty years of artwork inspired by the land,” making the presentation “more personal in nature.”

Of a self-portrait Stewart said the piece shows “Myself in the landscape and the importance of land identification.” Stewart stated that on the “land where I belong – it heals the mind and spirit, without this connection a person feels lost. Artistic expression is a way of giving back to the Earth – an homage. It is ceremonial intention that brings us to healing.”

As the curator and lead interpreter of Chief Plenty Coups State Park, Stewart said, “It is a wonderful opportunity to take care of this place that will be left for all to see. It is an honor. Though life’s journey as an Indian person, a Crow person takes me many places, I am now back to my land base.”

Joseph Medicine Crow: “The Chief Arapooish Address to Robert Campbell, 1843.”

The Creator brought everything together - earth, water, fire and air; ''this is Crow country.''

These were the words of Crow Chief Arapooish to fur trader Robert Campbell in 1843, as spoken by Crow elder and tribal historian Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow.

''You can take fur, but don't overdo it. You can eat buffalo, but don't overdo it. While you are here, don't hurt our land. Go now and catch the beaver, but don't overdo it; eat buffalo, but only what you need. So long as you do this, you are welcome in Crow country,'' were the words of Arapooish.

''We are the earth people,'' Medicine Crow said. ''It is very challenging trying to preserve our land and keep it sacred. A lot of times you abuse our land,'' he said.

Medicine Crow said that non-Indians may acquire land and claim they can do anything they want on it.

''We don't own the land; we belong to it. Father Sky is getting mad at us. There are tornadoes and hurricanes, and it goes on and on,'' Medicine Crow said.

''While we are here we can enjoy; here we can sustain the Indian beliefs,'' he said.

Timothy P. McCleary: “Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) Cultural Landscape Project”

Little Big Horn College instructor Timothy McCleary has been compiling Apsáalooke (Crow) place names and narratives associated with them since 1996. So far 500 names have been recorded. McCleary says that, “history is on the land, it is not linear, not about time, recall the importance of the past.” Cloud Peak in the Big Horn Mountains is the most sacred place to Crow people.

Typically, McCleary has found that places with names are located along major routes and trails. McCleary’s research has found there are six types of places names: Descriptive feature of a place; animal behavior associated with a feature; descriptive of supernatural/sacred acts or phenomenon at the place, or an historic event occurred there. Different places names came about during reservation times, including naming a place for the original allotee, and translating an English place name into Crow.

Howard Boggess: “Weatherman Draw Rock Art Site”

Howard Boggess was instrumental in the recent effort to preserve the parietal art at Weatherman Draw, a 4,268-acre valley north of Cody, with centuries-old pictographs and petroglyphs including shields, animals, and warriors. The site has significant religious and cultural meaning to numerous tribes of the Plains. The Bureau of Land Management designated the Weatherman Draw as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern in 1999. Boggess wrote over 200 letters to tribes for asking for help in protecting the site from the oil and gas drilling interests. Anschutz Exploration Corporation of Denver pursued the option to drill an exploratory well in the area also named "Valley of the Shields" or "Valley of Chiefs." The area was once part of the Crow Reservation and is still used for Crow ceremonies.

The Sierra Club, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and 10 American Indian tribes were fighting the move by the Anschutz Corp. In 2001, Boggess was part of the negotiations between the two parties. They were successful in putting the drillings plans on hold while the developer and tribal officials worked to find an alternative. Members of the Crow and Blackfeet tribes offered to look at other development potential on their reservations for Anschutz. A spokesperson for the National Trust for Historic Preservation stated "it is a positive step in the right direction to protect Weatherman Draw."

In April 2002, Anschutz Exploration Corporation dropped their plans to drill in the sacred valley, and also made the unprecedented move of giving two leasing rights in Weatherman Draw to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In a Billings Gazette article, William Miller, vice-president of Anschutz Corp. said, "We recognize there are significant cultural values connected with this site." Miller believes that the transfer of the leasehold rights to the National Trust was “the most effective way to see that the interests of all parties are met." A Sierra Club representative said, "The significance of these amazing places and the inappropriateness of energy development within them is affirmed by this decision."

Field Trip

Plains Indian Museum Seminar participants were privileged to have Mr. Boggess and BLM Archaeologist Glade Haddon lead them on an informative and enjoyable trip to Weatherman Draw on Sunday afternoon. The participants saw, and learned about, the many amazing artworks. They also learned more about the area, its history and the people who created these incredible pieces of art.

The 29th Annual Plains Indian Museum Seminar, Native Land and the People of the Plains, was an informative weekend that fused stories of history and contemporary life on the Plains. The presenters and participants brought to light why the Plains Indians peoples vehemently protect their ancestral homeland and sustain their culture through the deep connection to the land.