Sundance at the Aboriginal Pavilion

Bird Runningwater's Photos--Sundance Native Program at the Olympics

Comment:  After all the talk about the Aboriginal Pavilion at the 2010 Olympics, this is the first I've seen of it from the outside.

As one posting put it, "The Aboriginal Pavilion at the Olympics is not in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, but rather is a temporary tent in the theatre's parking lot." Now I know what that means.

For more on the subject, see Natives Are Winners at 2010 Olympics and Native Participation in 2010 Olympics.

Below:  "Sterlin Harjo's GOODNIGHT IRENE screening at the Pavilion."

Will Olympics make things better?

Olympic legacy leaves First Nations confident, but some worry of social costs

By Terri TheodoreVancouver organizers have committed to more than a dozen programs they promise will leave a lasting social, environmental or economic legacy in Vancouver.

"We've taken it as one of our goals and one of our responsibilities, frankly, in staging the Games to make sure that we were always considering what we could do to help those who are less advantaged here in the city," Renee Smith-Valade, chief spokeswoman for the committee, known as VANOC, has said.

"So we put together a comprehensive plan under our sustainability program that looked at not only our sustainability from the platforms that perhaps more people are used to, environmental and cultural, but also social sustainability."

Everything from homelessness to the environment is on the Olympic agenda for these Games—sometimes providing a lightning rod for critics who say Olympic organizers have failed to meet those goals or have even made things worse.And:Harsha Walia, an human rights and homeless advocate, believes the legacy of Vancouver's Olympics will be benefits for a few and a lot of misery and suffering for the majority.

"You know the IOC will be gone, VANOC will be disbanded, but all of us will be left with a massive debt, a security legacy and increased police presence and more people still on the street."

John Rennie Short, professor of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has followed the legacies of several Olympic Games.

Short said it's hard to say if the Games will be good or bad for the city because cost-benefit studies are "in the realm of fiction" and have only been done by people who want to promote the Games.Comment:  It may be a mistake to expect Olympics-related social programs to make a big difference. I'd think in broader terms if I were a British Columbian Native. You've raised awareness of your history, culture, and art through the Olympics. Now build on that. Use this Olympics awareness to ask for more of everything.

And not just more money. More places at national and international negotiations. More discussion of how climate change affects you. More educational curricula and entertainment programming about you. Etc.

These things, in turn, will lead to more tangible benefits. Because businesses and government agencies are more aware of you, they'll include you in their thinking and planning. That will generate more jobs, schools, and health-care clinics.

Blacks provide an example

For a related example, consider the Civil Rights movement. Blacks didn't march to integrate particular drinking fountains and diner counters one by one. They marched to raise the public's awareness of their inferior status--of the laws and traditions making them second-class citizens.

That's why people like Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, and Rosa Parks were so important: for their symbolic value. They proved that blacks could demand and do as much as whites. They caused whites to see them in a new light.

Once blacks raised awareness of their plight, people started challenging the laws and traditions. Eventually the drinking fountains or diner counters--and a million other things, too--became integrated. So blacks succeeded by tackling America's cultural mindset first. Once that started shifting, it rippled through society as a myriad of small changes.

For more on the subject, see Natives Are Winners at 2010 Olympics and Native Buzz at 2010 Olympics.

Native designs on Dutch uniforms

Native artist brightens up Team Netherlands

Snowboarders honoured by City Hall, patriotic poet to perform at bookstore

By Kelly SinoskiFirst nations artist Alano Edzerza has made his mark on the Olympics with his designs appearing on the uniforms of Team Netherlands for the Olympics and at Canada Hockey Place.

Edzerza, who is well-known for working in a variety of media, created an "artful and spiritual interpretation of the Eagle's wings" on the sleeves of the uniforms to bring the team luck. The Dutch had snagged six medals by Wednesday morning, including three golds.Comment:  For related subjects, see Sho-Ban Artist Designs Helmet and Musqueam Design on Team Canada Jerseys.

Below:  "Artist Alano Edzerza with 'Making Waves' at his gallery." (Glenn Baglo, PNG, Vancouver Sun)

Natives are winners at 2010 Olympics

Canadian aboriginal tribes want benefits to extend beyond Olympics

By Dennis MooreFinancial rewards are big.

Each of the First Nations received $20 million worth of programs, services and venue construction from governments.

Approximately 100 aboriginal businesses have earned more than $57 million in contracts for Games-related activities ranging from helping to construct the Callaghan Valley ski center in Whistler to selling crafts.

But all involved play up intangible rewards: "Showing the world who we really are rather than being stereotyped," says Leonard Andrew, chief of the Lil'wat.And:An average of 14,000 people a day have visited the aboriginal center, Wade says. "We didn't want to be seen as just wearing beads and headdresses."

One-third of royalties of merchandise sold at the Aboriginal Pavilion Trading Post is donated to the Youth Legacy Fund.

There's more shopping at the Aboriginal Artisan Village.

All of the attention differs greatly from past treatment.Comment:  I'll say again that presenting Natives in a popular, media-friendly format such as the Olympics is worth a lot of documentaries, textbooks, and blog postings. That's why it's important to get Natives into movies such as Avatar and Twilight, TV shows, comic books, video games, and so forth and so on.

For more on the subject, see Native Buzz at 2010 Olympics and Olympics Broadcast in Native Languages.

Russian skaters do offensive dance

Aboriginal leaders:  Russian ice dancers' routine still offensive

By Maggie HendricksDomnina and Shabalin toned down their costumes and removed their face paint, but made no changes to their Aboriginal dance.

The dance they did was more likely their interpretation of Aboriginal dance, though they claimed to have done research. Watching the dance Sunday night, one can understand why Aboriginal leaders were offended.

At times, Shabalin led Domnina around by her ponytail. They mugged, stuck out their tongues and mimicked the hand over mouth gesture that was once associated with American Indians. After the dance ended, the crowd gave the Russians what could generously be called a lukewarm reception.Nothing cultural about this act

By Nikki AshbyTHERE is nothing that represents this as an indigenous Australian dance.

The costumes could be suggestive of traditional cultural dance by the colour red and the white paint possibly trying to reflect ochre on dark skin.

But, it is definitely not cultural dance. It looks to me as though they had googled a few images on the internet and mixed it up with the old school "caveman" image.

The dance is certainly unlike anything I've seen and other than a few complex lifts, the performance didn't really entertain me. It looked wrong on so many levels.Loin cloths and rubbed noses . . . why would anyone be offended?

By Nicole Jeffery"I am offended by the performance and so are our other councillors," Bev Manton, the chairwoman of the NSW Land Council said.

"Aboriginal people for very good reason are sensitive about their cultural objects and icons being co-opted by non-Aboriginal people--whether they are from Australia or Russia.

"It's important for people to tread carefully and respectfully when they are depicting somebody else's culture and I don't think this performance does."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Russian Skaters Defend Stereotypes and Russian Skaters Change Costumes.

1st Aboriginal women in Winter Olympics

Feisty First Nations twins pioneered aboriginal place in Olympic sports

By Terri TheodoreWhen they first wore Canada's colours in the 1972 Sapporo Games, twins Sharon and Shirley Firth broke racial barriers to become the first aboriginal women to compete at the Winter Games.

But nearly four decades later, the women say little has changed.

In Vancouver Friday to promote their book and encourage more young people to get into sport, the sisters pointed out that just one of the Canadian athletes competing at the 2010 Games is aboriginal. Caroline Calve, a member of the First Nations Snowboard Team, was a part of the Canadian snowboarding team.

"I think it's really important that the aboriginal people themselves start stepping up to the plate and be proud of who they are. They have nothing to lose," Sharon said.

The twins--who say they're 112 years old, collectively--spent 17 years on Canada's cross-country ski team, competing in four Olympic Games: Sapporo in 1972, the 1976 in Innsbruck, Lake Placid in 1980 and Sarajevo's Games in 1984.

Between them, the sisters won 48 Canadian championships.

Sharon said it was a big deal for an aboriginal person to make it to the Olympics back then, and it still is now.

"It's really amazing that we did it and we're really proud to say that we represent 370 million people earth-wide," she said, referring to the world's indigenous population.

Members of the Gwich'in First Nation and part Metis, as teenagers they lived in Inuvik, NWT, where they joined the Territorial Experiment Ski Training program.

"We trained our butts off to make sure we made that team," Shirley said, as visitors streamed past her at the popular Northern House pavilion.Comment:  For a similar subject, see Alaska Native Snowboarder in Olympics.

Native buzz at 2010 Olympics

Olympic tourists descend on native sites

Amazing response to arts, crafts

By Suzanne FournierSales are brisk at these Olympic Games for all things First Nations: cedar carvings, Salish weaving, Kwakwaka'wakw silver and masks, drums and high-end Haida clothing.

With the Four Host First Nations as the first-ever indigenous Olympics co-hosts, intense promotion by Aboriginal Tourism B.C. and strong native themes at almost all Games events, "there is a real buzz in the air," said Sophie Pierre, chair of Aboriginal Tourism B.C.

"Without a doubt, there has been so much interest generated at these Games in aboriginal culture and tourism, we expect very significant economic spinoffs," said Pierre.

"We have members in every corner of the province, so this will benefit all First Nations over the long term," said Pierre.Comment:  For perhaps the millionth time, we see the popular culture's power to inform people about Indians. Pop culture can do it the right way, as with the Olympics. Or the wrong way, as with Indian mascots, Indian monuments, and Indiana Jones-style movies.

For more on the subject, see Pix of 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremony and Host First Nations Welcome Guests.

Below:  "Christine Hunt holds a candle holder made by her sister Corrine Hunt at an Aboriginal art show at Vancouver Community College, Corrine Hunt designed the Olympic gold medals for the 2010 Winter Games." (Jon Murray, Canwest News Service)

Olympics broadcast in Native languages

"The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is providing play-by-play commentary of live sports in Cree, Mohawk, Ojibway, Dene, Inuktitut, Michif and Oji-Cree," reports the Toronto Star. Read about it in Olympics Broadcast in Native Languages in my Pictographs blog.

B.C. Natives cursed Norwegian athletes?

B.C. chiefs deny cursing Norwegian Olympic team

Shaman blames lacklustre results on natives angry over Norway-owned fish farmsA shaman in Norway has suggested aboriginal people in B.C. might have cursed the Nordic country's Olympic athletes because of their opposition to Norwegian-owned fish farming operations in B.C., but West Coast native leaders deny any mystic influence.

Norway is traditionally a powerhouse in the Winter Olympics, having placed first overall in Salt Lake City in 2002 with 13 gold medals.

But when Norway's early results in the Vancouver Games were not as good as expected, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK sought out a Sami shaman—or indigenous spiritualist—who speculated his counterparts in B.C. might be the cause.

Eirik Boie Myrhaug is quoted as saying that Indian magic might be behind Norway's Olympic setbacks. He suggests some B.C. chiefs might have cast an evil spell on the Norwegian athletes.One chief denies the allegation:"I can honestly report that I do not possess this kind of spiritual power he's suggesting that I do," Chamberlin said.

"If I did possess such a power, I don't think I would be directing it at the Norwegian national sportsmen. I think I would direct it towards the fish farms."Comment:  Play fair, First Nations. Don't use your mystical powers to win the Olympics for Canada. <g>

I dunno, Chief Chamberlin. A sneaky Native sorcerer might realize it's too obvious to attack the fish farm directly. Better to attack a symbol of Norwegian pride like the Olympics team. Presumably that would teach the Norwegians to be more humble and listen to the hunger strikers opposing the farm.

Wasn't that the thinking behind the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, which had no strategic value but symbolized American might? Same with the Norwegian Olympics team.

Ahem. This item goes into the Stereotype of the Month contest for the claims that 1) Indians have mystical powers and 2) Indians would try to hurt people in underhanded ways.

It's kind of funny to hear an indigenous Norwegian shaman accuse his indigenous Canadian counterparts of black magic. Is he implying that he also casts spells on people when they don't cooperate? Or is he foolishly stereotyping Indians and thereby stereotyping himself?

For more on Indian curses, see Indian Curse in Saturday Night Live and Medicine Man Ends Talladega Curse. For more on the subject in general, see Magical Negroes and Indians.

Below:  "Team Canada defenceman Dan Boyle (22) fends off Norwegian forward Per-Age Skroder in the teams' Olympic opener on Tuesday. Team Canada defenceman Dan Boyle (22) fends off Norwegian forward Per-Age Skroder in the teams' Olympic opener on Tuesday." (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Aboriginal chefs aim for Culinary Olympics

Aboriginal chefs have sights set on Culinary Olympics in Germany

By Kim PembertonAlthough the B.C. aboriginal culinary team was formed just two years ago, its members have big dreams of competing in the 2012 IKA Culinary Olympics against chefs from around the world.

They’re hoping a special feast they are preparing nightly during the 2010 Olympics will help them achieve their goal since partial proceeds of the venture will help fund their journey to Erfurt, Germany.

Chef and team manager Ben Genaille, of Kanata Cuisine, said not only are members practising their culinary skills and team building, but visitors and locals have an opportunity to enjoy authentic aboriginal cuisine.

The seven-course meal is paired with wine from Nk’Mip Cellars, B.C.’s only aboriginal winery, which is owned and operated by the Osoyoos Band in the Okanagan.A previous Aboriginal Culinary Olympian:

Aboriginal House chef is an Olympic medallist

The Culinary Olympics, that is. Now Arnold Olson is feeding up to 13,000 a day and hoping to inspire the next generation of aboriginal cooks

By Mia StainsbyThe buck-stops-here guy in the kitchen, chef Arnold Olson, is a ship calmly plowing through churning ocean waters. It might be a symptom of exhaustion from consecutive 18-hour days, but more likely it's his considerable experience that keeps him from behaving like he's captain of the Titanic.

Olson's been there and done that when it comes to VIP feedings. He's hosted many dazzling functions while working for Ottawa's parliamentary restaurant (such as dinner for Queen Elizabeth) and had surprise guests (the late Pierre Trudeau). He's worked for the Canadian Consulate and presided over the food at many international functions.

He's also competed as part of the first aboriginal competition in the 1992 World Culinary Olympics, where his team rocked 'em and socked 'em, bringing home seven golds, two silvers and two bronzes for Canada.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Five Famous Native Chefs.

Below:  "Chef Ben Genaille of Kanata Cuisine, second from left, helps out in the kitchen of the Native Education College's Longhouse with members of the Aboriginal Culinary Team, who are training and fundraising to go to the 2012 Culinary Olympics in Germany. Beside Genaille are Phillip Robidoux and Samantha Nyce both of the Aborginal Culinary Team and Amanda Wettstein, far right, from the Native Education Centre's catering out program." (Photograph by: Yvon Ouellet, Special to The Vancouver Sun)

Russian skaters defend stereotypes

Russian figure skaters defend Aboriginal-inspired dance

By Josh Massoud and Glen ForemanCONTROVERSIAL Russian figure skating duo Maxim Shabalin and Oksana Domnina have defended their Aboriginal-inspired costumes, declaring they "like the way they dance and the leaves."

In their first interview with Australian press, the pair also hinted the costumes, featuring brown body tights, white tribal paint and strategically placed foliage, had made the trip to Vancouver.

It had been reported they scrapped the outfits after causing deep offence to Aborigines, but Shabalin hinted that only minor changes had been made after research and a secret meeting with Indigenous Canadians yesterday.

"I don't know about this report (about our costumes being scrapped)," Shabalin said. "Maybe, maybe not."Comment:  "I like the way they dance and the leaves." Could their understanding of Aboriginal culture be any shallower if they tried?

Obviously, these skaters want to be hammered with criticism until they relent. Okay...if they insist, we'll oblige.

For more on the subject, see Russian Skaters Change Costumes and Russian Skaters Should Rethink Routine.

Below:  "Russia's Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin in the controversial costumes." (Picture: AP)

Pix of 2010 Olympics opening ceremony

Opening Ceremonies for Vancouver 2010Last night, Vancouver, British Columbia welcomed the world, as over 2,600 winter athletes from 82 countries entered the BC Place arena, ready to compete in 86 events in 15 different sports. The opening ceremony focused on Canadian diversity and heritage, with emphasis on the many cultures of the First Nations. After the longest Torch Relay in history, the Olympic Flame has come to rest and now lights the cauldron of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. (30 photos total)Rodney Pond describes the action:

2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony:  Aboriginal Peoples ShineThe Aboriginal Four Host First Nations welcomed the athletes at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. The First Nations speakers were from the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh tribes. They were surrounded by welcome Totem Poles that resembled tall ice glaciers. 300 Aboriginal youth performers from the First Nations, Inuit and Metis joined in the celebration with their bright, colorful and traditional costumes.

Native actresses Chantal Rondeau and Lisa Muswagon were dancers in the opening ceremony. Men and women hoop dancers (my favorite), drummers, men's fast & fancy and women's shawl dancers, joined them. As the parade of athletes walked into the stadium, NBC commentator Bob Costas praised the Aboriginal dancers for their stamina and grace. The native performers even danced energetically with singers Nelly Furtado and Bryan Adams with their tribute song Bang the Drum. The 2,600 athletes and Canadian spectators were all beating their own white "single-hand" drums throughout. That was way, way cool.

The theme for the opening ceremony was called "Landscape of a Dream." The audience followed chosen travelers across Canada. We were transported to every region from the frozen icebergs, secluded mountaintops, and prairie grasslands and then into the deep oceans. We saw salmon, eagles, bears, whales, running horses (my favorite) and huge horizons above. Narrator and Actor, Donald Sutherland even quoted from a speech by Chief Dan George. The audience burst into applause upon hearing it.

The impressive Totem Poles and the Aboriginal designs from a spectacular lighting display was a feast for the eyes. It was very clear that the First Nations peoples were strongly represented in the opening ceremony. It is about time and what a better place to receive such recognition than during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. NBC drew an impressive 32.6 million viewers for Friday night's broadcast.Comment:  Some impressive photos on the Boston Herald site. I almost wish I'd seen the ceremony. <g>

For more on Natives in the Olympics, see Aboriginal Performers in Opening Ceremony and Native Participation in 2010 Olympics.

Gong's shoes in fashion showcase

Fashion footwear grounded in Coast Salish art

Over the past year, using sharpies and pencils, Louie Gong has transformed Vans shoes into culturally inspired works of art. Now his shoes will be part of a runway show during the Olympic Games.

By Lornet TurnbullThis week, the 36-year-old will be one of eight Native designers from across North America participating in an aboriginal fashion show during the Olympic Games.

In fact, the educational-resource coordinator at Muckleshoot Tribal College in Auburn is one of only a few Native people from the U.S. who will participate in a slate of events over the next two weeks organized by the Olympic Games' Four Host First Nation coordinators.

The Aboriginal Fashion Showcase is scheduled for Vancouver Community College; it started Friday and runs through Tuesday.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Gong's Shoes Take Off and Eighth Generation's Custom Shoes.

Below:  "Louie Gong will show his hand-painted shoes in the Aboriginal Fashion Showcase in Vancouver."

Native art on Olympic medals

Winter Olympics 2010 Medals Made From Recycled Electronics

By Amar ToorWinter Games officials have unveiled the design of the new medals in all their resplendent, curvaceous glory, and the chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" has been heard 'round the world. Besides their uniquely undulating shape (said to reflect the Vancouver landscape), the ponderous prizes also have novel origins--crafted, so we're told, from melted circuit boards. Created by Canadian artists Corrine Hunt and Omer Abel, the gold, silver, and even Cindy Brady bronze treasures weigh over a pound each, are designed with laser-etching to ensure that no two are exactly alike, and are all composed of materials reclaimed from electronics.A video on making the medals:

Les médailles

On Facebook, the NMAI adds:Did you know that the medals featuring the orca for the 2010 Winter Olympics were designed by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian designer/artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver, BC?Comment:  I didn't know the Olympics designed new medals for every set of Games. I thought the medals had a traditional, standard design.

For more on Natives in the Olympics, see Aboriginal Performers in Opening Ceremony and Native Participation in 2010 Olympics.

2010 Olympics in The Simpsons

Sunday's episode of The Simpsons (airdate: 2/14/10), titled Boy Meets Curl, had a Winter Olympics theme. Here's the story:After discovering their love of curling Marge and Homer try out for the Olympic team and actually make it to the 2010 Vancouver Games. Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Lisa develops an addiction to collecting Olympic pins.The episode had a few Native bits:

One of the Olympics pins we see close up is a disc of Pacific Northwest-style art--perhaps a moon symbol.

The Simpsons encounter the medicine woman from The Simpsons Movie. She and Homer engage in some impromptu throat-singing that sends them into an altered state of consciousness. He thanks her for her help; she demands that he pay her bill.

Bart and Lisa discuss her pin addiction in front of a totem pole.

For more on the subject, see Inuit Throat Songs as Ringtones and Native Participation in 2010 Olympics.

Aboriginal performers in opening ceremony

Aboriginal People Welcome World to Vancouver Olympics

By David CraryThe 2010 Winter Olympics opened Friday night with a cultural ceremony that highlighted performers and traditions from Canada's aboriginal communities.

The highest-ranking official delegation at the ceremony included dignitaries from around the world and the four chiefs of the First Nations whose traditional native territory overlaps the Olympic region.

Aboriginal performers danced through the entire march of nations for games that have been dedicated to luger Nodar Kumaritashvili from the country of Georgia, who died in a horrific crash on the sliding track at Whistler.

Comment:  For more on the subject, see Olympics Protesters Smash Store Windows and Host First Nations Welcome Guests.

Olympics protesters smash store windows

Olympic protesters smash department store windows

By Anne M. PetersonPolice in riot gear confronted more than 200 masked protesters who hurled newspaper boxes through the display windows of a popular department store selling Olympic souvenirs.

Seven people were arrested after officers carrying clubs and shields quashed the downtown protest on the opening day of competition at the Vancouver Olympics. There were no immediate reports of injuries.And:The protest was originally organized by the Olympic Resistance Network to "disturb 'business as usual'" in Vancouver. The ORN is an umbrella group for many causes surrounding the games, ranging from environmental to economic issues.

The most prominent involved native Indians who want to reclaim their property ("No Olympics on Stolen Ancient Land") and those angry over the amount of money spent on Olympics as opposed to public housing ("Homes Not Games").Comment:  For more on the subject, see Protesting Poverty at 2010 Olympics and Olympics Organizers Diss Natives.

Below:  "A security person stands guard outside a Hudson's Bay Co. store that was damaged by protesters in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010." (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Indigenous nations in the Olympics?

Olympic sovereignty

By Rob CapricciosoHave Indian nations been invited to join the games in that sovereign way? Not as the window dressing of the Olympics, but as the dressing itself? If not, why not? Individual Indians have long represented their countries proudly in a variety of athletics, so why not be given the chance to represent their tribal nations as well in the Olympics?

Wouldn’t it just be right to see one, or two, or hundreds of indigenous nations marching into that stadium to compete, fight, and win against the other nations of the world?Comment:  I'm guessing Capriccioso's proposal won't happen anytime soon. Recognizing tribal nations in the Olympics would be one step toward recognizing them in other forums, and the powers that be don't want to do that.

For more on the subject, see Olympics Protesters Smash Store Windows and Host First Nations Welcome Guests.

Inukshuk or totem pole?

Vancouver 2010:  Olympic Logo No "Friend" to SomeVancouver 2010 Emblem

Photograph by Jeff Vinnick, Reuters

The Vancouver 2010 emblem is dubbed Ilanaaq—"friend" in an Inuit language—and is an "eternal expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms every day," according to the Vancouver 2010 Web site.

But Ilanaaq has generated controversy among some First Nations—Canada's term for non-Inuit American Indian groups. The groups feel the symbol doesn't reflect the native art and culture of the Vancouver region and the rest of British Columbia, such as totem poles.[S]ome First Nations indigenous leaders have said the symbol lacks influence from native cultures of the Vancouver region, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

"The First Nations community at large is disappointed with the selection," Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, told the CBC in 2005. "The decision-makers have decided not to reflect the First Nations and the Pacific region in the design of the logo.

"I can't help but notice the remarkable resemblance it has to Pac-Man," Phillip added.

More Fitting Vancouver 2010 Emblem?

Photograph by Pete Ryan, National Geographic Stock

A traditional totem pole created by Haisla people stands tall in the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia. Some Vancouver-area indigenous leaders have suggested a totem pole might have made a better Vancouver 2010 emblem, since the art form is native to British Columbia.

Comment:  I can see both sides of this question. The argument against the inukshuk, above, is valid. The argument for the inukshuk is that it represents the broad northern sweep of Canada. And particularly the Arctic region, which is appropriate for the Winter Olympics. A totem pole doesn't quite say "cold" the way an inukshuk does.

For more on the subject, see Inukshuk Symbolizes 2010 Olympics.

Host First Nations welcome guests

Comment:  The first video is an excellent example of how to show the richness and diversity of today's Native people. Check it out.

In Seeing Indians Is Believing, I said even a good movie isn't enough to educate people about Indians. This is about as close as a movie can come to representing the idea that Indians are alive and thriving.

It's fun and catchy, so it's easy to watch. And at only 3:19, the message is short and to the point--therefore effective.

I'd be curious to show this video in a class and test its effectiveness. I bet it would compare favorably to textbooks, presentations, and other forms of classroom learning.

For more on the subject, see Native Participation in 2010 Olympics and Olympics to Benefit Host First Nations.

2010 Olympics on "unceded territory"

Olympics Met With Mixed Emotions By First Nations

By Martin KasteStewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, says his people still retain rights to the land that the Olympics are being held on.

"British Columbia is unceded indigenous territory," Phillip says. "Unlike the rest of Canada, we have not entered into nor have we signed treaties, and therefore we still enjoy unextinguished aboriginal title to all the land and resources of British Columbia."

To some, this means the Olympics are being held on stolen native land. But Phillip says if the Four Host First Nations want to allow the games on their land, that's their right. Not that he's happy about it. His organization has kept its distance from the Olympics, and he's even refused to take part in the tribute to native culture in Friday night's opening ceremony, which he calls "Disneyesque."

"I don't think it's proper for me to stand there and hold hands with government officials and be part of the misrepresentation of the well-being of our people," Phillip says.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Protesting Poverty at 2010 Olympics and Olympics Organizers Diss Natives.

Legends of the Olympics mascots

Legends Of British Columbia Welcome The World to 2010 Vancouver Olympics

By Phyllis MayLegends abound in the British Columbia regions and the mascots represent those legends. The creation of Miga came from the rare, beautiful, small Kermode bear (called a "Spirit Bear") only found in British Columbia and a killer whale. The many stories of Orca whales transforming into bears was a perfect mascot to represent the First Nations. Miga, the little sea bear, represents the tribes who were protectors of the sea. Miga LOVES snowboarding!

The mountains of British Columbia are represented by Sumi. The beliefs of those First Nations' often reflected a theme of transformation and how the spirits, animals and human, connected for the transformations. Sumi represents a powerful animal spirit who is a protector, not only of the animals but also the land and sea. His spirit is a combination of the thunderbird, the black bear and the orca whale…all revered creatures of the area.

The third mascot is more familiar since most have heard of Sasquatch or Big Foot. Legend has it that Sasquatch is a mysterious creature that roams the Canadian forests. Sasquatch has been a local legend of the Pacific West Coast for years so the third mascot is Quatchi, the shy one. Quatchi will be everywhere but he does love hockey and wants to observe the best so that he can fulfill his Olympic dream. He can't wait to meet new friends.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Whale and Bear and Sasquatch.

Chief Cliff Singers at 2010 Olympics

Flathead Reservation's Chief Cliff Singers to perform at Winter Olympics

By Vince DevlinThe singing and drumming group from the Kootenai Tribe on the Flathead Indian Reservation--and their ancient drum--are headed to the Winter Olympics later this month.

The Chief Cliff Singers will perform on Friday, Feb. 19, at the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion--also known at the Chiefs' House--in the center of Olympic activity in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

They'll be singing and drumming for dancers from Canada's Ktunaxa Tribe at the pavilion, which will feature Indigenous performers daily throughout the Games' Feb. 12-28 run. Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, born on the Piapot Cree Indian Reserve in Saskatchewan, kicks off the Chiefs' House performances for the Four Host First Nations, sponsors of the pavilion.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Asham Stompers at 2010 Olympics and Youth Choir's Olympics Invitation Axed.

Russian skaters change costumes

Russian ice dancers changing controversial costuming [Updated]In the face of intense international criticism, Russian ice dancers Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, the reigning world champions, are changing the costuming that has offended leaders of the Australian aboriginal community, the Tribune has learned.

Russian Figure Skating Federation President Valentin Piseev confirmed via telephone Friday that changes were being made before the Olympics. "I am aware of this [controversy]," he said.

Piseev said the team will keep the supposedly aboriginal music, which has been called inauthentic by aboriginal leaders. "The music is OK," he said.

Asked about the changes a couple minutes into a telephone conversation, Natalia Linichuk, the team's coach, abruptly replied she could not talk until after practice Friday.Comment:  Another protest works. People are slowing learning that they can't get away with stereotyping indigenous people.

For more on the subject, see Russian Skaters Bad, Gaultier Good and Russian Skaters Should Rethink Routine.

Below:  Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin. (Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press)

Russian skaters bad, Gaultier good

A good explanation of why the Russian skaters' outfits are objectionable while Jean Paul Gaultier's dresses aren't.

Olympic Games' tortured relationship with fashion won't change in Vancouver

Raising eyebrows: The taste level of Russian ice dancers Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin is being questioned.

By Robin GivhanThe ice dancers have chosen to emulate the dark skin of Australian aborigines by wearing unitards in varying shades of brown. The costumes have white swirls to mimic body paint. Faux leaves dangle from their limbs and torso. They're also wrapped in bits of red fabric that are supposed to represent loincloths but that resemble poorly made skorts--a garment that no man should ever wear, not even male figure skaters who, over time, have managed to get away with everything from gauntlets to ruffled epaulettes. Serious folks who represent the aboriginal culture have announced to the media that they are offended. As well they should be, if for no other reason than the costumes are hideous. But the bigger issue is whether the idea itself is offensive. Should Russian skaters be using Australian aboriginal culture at all? Is any sort of appropriation inherently mocking?

It's one of those questions that comes up with frequency in the fashion industry where designers believe they have the creative license to borrow freely from everyone and anything. The list of cultures that have been ransacked in the name of style is long and includes African American, Jewish, Indian, Caribbean, Native American, Middle Eastern, African and so on. No one is off-limits. Occasionally, designers have been inspired to glorious effect. Almost a decade ago, Jean Paul Gaultier debuted a ready-to-wear collection in Paris that was a pastiche of African and black American style. His models looked glorious and noble. And the clothes, in velvet and jewel tones, were breathtaking.

Gaultier's wisdom was in using the specific cultures as merely his starting point; his creative process took flight from there. He wove an elaborate and enticing fantasy out of reality. He created something wholly new that was, itself, worth celebrating. In contrast, the ice dancers' costumes attempt to re-create something that they simply cannot. Cultural markers are etched out over generations. They can't be stitched up in a few hours. These costumes don't embellish on reality; they don't transform it. The unitards, with their ridiculous greenery, are like cheap, lazy Halloween costumes without the plastic mask.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Russian Skaters Should Rethink Routine.

Below:  "Raising eyebrows: The taste level of Russian ice dancers Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin is being questioned." (Ivan Sekretarev/associated Press)

Sho-Ban artist designs helmet

Speed Thrills in Contest for Vonn’s Helmet

By Bill PenningtonThe American alpine racer Lindsey Vonn held a public contest to design the helmet she will wear at the Vancouver Games, and she announced Thursday that the winning entry belonged to Laddie Lee Whitworth, a 60-year-old retired machinist from Pocatello, Idaho.

Two of the other three finalists were professional designers or artists, but Whitworth is an amateur artist who worked for 37 years in a cement factory. He is also a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes at Idaho’s Fort Hall reservation.

Whitworth’s design is red, white and blue, with flames flowing from front to back, like something on the fenders of a drag racing car. There is an American flag just over the helmet’s brow.Comment:  For more on Native art at the Olympics, see Aboriginal Art Bottle Program and Musqueam Design on Team Canada Jerseys.

Asham Stompers at 2010 Olympics

Métis dance troupe makes Olympic grade

Asham Stompers wins audition to perform at Games

By Bill RedekopThe Asham Stompers are stomping their way to Vancouver.

The Métis dance troupe has won an audition to perform at this year's Olympic Games.

They'll dance the famous Red River Jig and other Métis jigs and square dances, born in the late 1700s and early 1800s at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers.And:Two dance members hail from Reedy Creek, 10 kilometres south of Ebb and Flo First Nation, and another three are from Peguis First Nation. There are eight Métis and five First Nation people in the troupe.

The Asham Stompers wanted very badly to perform at the Games. Members paid their own way to Vancouver last July to audition before the Four Host First Nations, on whose territory the Games are being held. The Squamish, Lil'wat, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh are the host First Nations.Comment:  This article is unclear about the "audition." If the Stompers auditioned last July, why are they auditioning again? If they're appearing once or twice at next month's Olympics, aren't these actual performances and not just "auditions"?

For more on the subject, see Olympics Organizers Diss Natives and Youth Choir's Olympics Invitation Axed.

Inukshuk symbolizes 2010 Olympics

With Open Arms, Vancouver Emblem Has Curious Past

Emblem for Winter Olympics inspired by inukshuk, an Inuit stone marker with ancient history

By Leanne ItalieThe emblem of the Olympic Winter Games is a colorful humanoid with arms spread wide, a contemporary interpretation of a stone landmark called an inukshuk with a history stretching back more than 3,000 years in Inuit culture.

Sitting atop the Olympic Rings, the symbol looms large on licensed merchandise and is sure to generate curiosity once the Games are under way.

An inukshuk (in-OOK-shook) is a carefully balanced pile of unworked rocks and slabs. The Inuit have built them through time to guide travelers, assist with hunts, warn of danger or indicate caches of food. A miniature version stands hip-high, with others measuring 3 to 6 feet tall (1 to 2 meters), one builder said.

With a more human look, the design for the Olympic emblem was chosen in 2005 from about 1,600 proposals to represent hope, friendship, hospitality and teamwork, according to Vancouver organizers. Named Ilanaaq (ih-LAH-nawk), meaning friend, it was cast in Canada's red and two shades of blue, along with green, yellow and gold, to evoke the host country's sweeping forests, mountains, islands and sunsets.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Olympics to Benefit Host First Nations.

Alaska Native snowboarder in Olympics

Alaska's first Native Olympian

By Craig MedredSnowboarder Callan Chythlook-Sifsof--who got her start being towed by her brother behind a snowmachine across the wild, windswept and snow-covered hills of remote Southwest Alaska--is going to the Olympics next month.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association made it official Monday.

Chythlook-Sifsof will compete in boardercross, an event in which groups of snowboarders race wildly down a steep course in a barely controlled pack.And:Part Yupik and part Inupiat, Chythlook-Sifsof appears to be the first Alaska Native ever to make it to the Olympics.Comment:  For more on Natives in the Olympics, see Three Native Olympic Gold Medalists and Huron Swimmer in Olympics.

Genuine Cowichan sweaters in store

HBC, BC tribes reach deal on 'genuine' Cowichan sweaters for Olympic store

By Dirk MeissnerTraditional sweaters hand-made by B.C. aboriginal knitters will be part of the official line of Olympic clothing, after an agreement was reached between Vancouver Island's Cowichan Tribes and the Hudson's Bay Company.

Hudson's Bay spokeswoman Shari Burnett said Monday there now is a deal with the Cowichan Tribes of the Duncan area, 60 kilometres north of Victoria, to sell genuine, hand-knit Cowichan sweaters in the company's flagship Olympic store.

"We are expecting some sweaters from the Cowichan Tribes to be inside the Olympic superstore on Feb.1," Burnett said.

The Cowichan Tribes objected publicly last fall when the Bay introduced its Olympic apparel because one sweater, selling for about $350, appears to be similar in design and look to the Cowichan sweaters, for which the Cowichan Tribes are widely known.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Olympics Cave to Cowichan Pressure and Non-Cowichan Sweaters Are Fakes.

Russian skaters should rethink routine

Russian ice dancers should rethink their routine

By Bev MantonFrom an Aboriginal perspective, this performance is offensive. It was clearly not meant to mock Aboriginal culture, but that does not make it acceptable to Aboriginal people. There are a number of problems with the performance, not least of all the fact both skaters are wearing brown body suits to make their skin appear darker. That alone puts them on a very slippery slope.

Australians know only too well the offence that can be caused by white people trying to depict themselves as black people during performance pieces. Last year's domestic and international furore over the blackface skit on Hey, Hey it's Saturday's Red Faces is a recent case in point.

That said, I don't think it's the most offensive part of the performance. That honour belongs to some of the claims by Domnina and Shabalin that have accompanied it.

They are not, as they state, wearing "authentic Aboriginal paint markings." They are wearing white body paint in designs they dreamed up after reading about Aboriginal Australians on the Internet. The designs are no more "authentic" or "Aboriginal" than the shiploads of cheap, "Aboriginal" tourist trinkets that pour into our country from overseas.

This is not a particularly difficult concept. For art to be Australian, it must be painted by an Australian, and for art to be Australian Aboriginal, it must be painted by an Australian Aboriginal. Russian art is not painted by Italians, and I doubt Russians would be impressed if someone tried to pass it off otherwise.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Russian Skaters Do "Aboriginal Dance."

Below:  "Russian ice dancers Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin perform the routine that has angered indigenous Australians." (Photo: AFP)

Russian skaters do "Aboriginal dance"

'Aboriginal' skating routine has Russian pair on thin ice

By Tom ReillyIN THE fiercely competitive world of international figure skating, performers will do anything to get an edge. For Russian world champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, the desire to stand out from the crowd has led them to unveil a new "Aboriginal dance" to perform at next month's Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

In dark-toned bodysuits, complete with what they claim are authentic Aboriginal paint markings, the pair easily won their national ice dance competition three weeks ago at their first performance of the routine, making them favourites for gold. But while the judges in St Petersburg may have been impressed, many in the Aboriginal community are not.

"I am offended by the performance and so our other councillors," said Bev Manton, chair of the NSW Land Council yesterday. "Aboriginal people for very good reason are sensitive about their cultural objects and icons being co-opted by non-Aboriginal people--whether they are from Australia or Russia.Where the Russians got their "inspiration":Within ice-skating circles there are suspicions the Russians may have "borrowed" the idea for an Aboriginal dance from Australian rivals Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman.

The Sydney-based pair first performed an Aboriginal dance at a Korean competition in 2008--after spending a year in consultation with the indigenous community to ensure their performance, music and costumes respected Aboriginal culture.How they made their performance "authentic":Asked about their research of Aboriginal culture, Domnina said: "We've watched video clips on the internet of these dances and it is really like this--complete with the leaves around the knees."Comment:  To my untrained eye, these costumes look like obvious imitations, not genuine reproductions. We can only imagine how badly the skaters have misunderstood and misrepresented the dance.

If you're going to imitate an indigenous ceremony, at least do some real research. O'Brien and Merriman did it the right way. Domnina and Shabalin did it the wrong way.

For another ice-skating controversy, see Skater Dances "Last of the Mohicans" in a Skimpy Outfit. For similar controversies at beauty pageants, see Miss Peru Wears Bolivian Costume and Pageant Contestant = Sexy Chief.

Torch relay at Buffalo Jump

The story behind the strangest stop on the Torch Relay

By Allan MakiAt some point in the planning stages of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, someone must have looked at a map of Alberta and exclaimed, "I have no idea how we do it, but we have to go to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. How can we not?"

Rarely has a place been so splendidly named: a head was once smashed in here, along with a lot of buffalo that were forced to jump off a cliff and plunge to their doom because, 5,000 years ago, that was the only way to kill these four-legged monsters.

Since the indigenous people of the time didn't have any firepower or weapons of buffalo destruction, they simply drove the beasts over the edge of a cliff where, 10 metres later, there was meat and skins aplenty. Enough for the whole gang.

Given the history of the jump and what it meant to the Blackfoot people, the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. The government of Alberta later named it a provincial historic site and, yesterday, the Olympic torch made its well-planned appearance on the viewing platform where the buffalo once fell like giant stones.Curiously, the place isn't named after buffaloes with their heads smashed in:The Blackfoot name for the site is Estipah-skikikini-kots and, according to legend, the Head-Smashed-In part isn't about buffalo having their heads crunched upon impact with the ground. It has to do with a young Blackfoot who wanted to watch the buffalo soaring overhead by standing directly beneath the cliff.One Native passes the torch to another:

Olympic torch comes to historic Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southern Alta"Thank God they didn't herd me off the end of the cliff," chuckled 1988 Olympian Wendy Lumby, originally from the Swan Lake Band in Manitoba but who now lives in Calgary.

"I'm not cold. I had the flame keeping me warm. My heart's been pounding non-stop ever since I woke up and to be honest I didn't think I'd be lasting the two hours before I did my run. It was fantastic. What an experience," she added.

Lumby, who competed in alpine skiing at the Calgary Olympics, said this is a unique experience.

"I think what I'll remember most is just the adrenalin rush that you have constantly from the second you wake up and the excitement of knowing this flame is going to go light the cauldron at the Olympics."

Lumby handed off her torch to 17-year-old Michael Strikes With a Gun--a modern-day member of the Buffalo Runners Society, which holds runs at ceremonial events and for charities across North America.

"I just found out yesterday that I was going to be in this torch bearer relay thing but when I found out I was pretty excited--speechless--the first thought that came to my mind was 'I'm going to do this for all the young aboriginal people and all the young native people on reserves,"' said Strikes With A Gun, who was still holding a ceremonial eagle feather.Comment:  There's more to the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump than these articles indicate.

I believe archaeologists have found many complete buffalo skeletons at this jump and others like it. From this they concluded that Natives used only the buffaloes they could reach, on top of the pile, and let the others go to waste.

Conservative pundits have used this fact to slam the idea of Indians as ecology-minded stewards of the land. That Indians used "every part of the buffalo" is a joke, they claim, when Indians killed dozens of animals without touching them.

This is good place to remind you why conservative pundits are often idiots.

1) The buffalo jumps happened in only a few places on the Northern Plains. Northern Plains Indians are only a small fraction of all Indians. It's ridiculous to generalize from the practices of a few Plains Indians to all Indians.

2) The Indians presumably instigated buffalo jumps because they couldn't hunt enough individual buffaloes to feed themselves. They didn't have any way to fine-tune the jumps and kill exactly the number of animals they needed. (Over)killing in the name of survival has little or nothing to do with a callous disregard for nature.

3) Killing 50 or whatever extra animals out of a herd of millions doesn't contradict the idea of Indians as ecologists. They didn't exterminate the whole species, as Americans tried to do. They killed only a trivial amount for their own needs.

This did nothing to harm the species' health. In fact, by culling the stupider beasts from the herd, they may have strengthened the species overall. The proof is in the prairie: The white man found herds stretching from horizon to horizon when they first explored the West.

A helpful analogy

Imagine a farm where the people raise enough crops and livestock to feed themselves. They need no outside help. They consume only enough to survive and use the rest to sustain their lifestyle.

Now imagine something happens to one of their meals. A dust storm covers it in grit, or baby pours rat poison on it. The family has to throw the food out.

Does this carelessness and wastefulness mean the family isn't ecology-minded? No. It means the family is "only" 95% ecology-minded, perhaps, not 100%. Because humans aren't perfect, they occasionally waste goods and resources.

If ancient Indians achieved an "ecological rating" of 95%, they'd be doing a hell of lot better than most people today. Most people would be lucky to get a rating of 50%--recycling half their waste, replacing half their inefficient appliances, avoiding half the unnecessary car trips, etc. I suspect the typical American would fall in the 0-20% range. Compared to that, Indians were incredibly ecology-minded.

For more on the subject, see Dennis Prager and The Ecological Indian.

Below:  Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. (Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail)



"Torchbearer Wendy Lumby passes crowds on top of the cliffs at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alta., Monday, Jan. 18, 2010. The ancient site was used by native American Indians to herd and slaughter buffalo." (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

"Authentic Aboriginal" label introduced

B.C. native groups unveil 'authentic' logo

Businesses must be native-owned; operate to high standards

By Mark HumeIt took 12 years to work out a process that was acceptable provincewide, but 60 native organizations in British Columbia have finally agreed on a way to designate goods and businesses as culturally authentic.

A new seal was unveiled at a news conference Monday that is being awarded to native-run enterprises that pass a rigorous screening by the Aboriginal Tourism Association of B.C. Native leaders say the logo, which features the words “Authentic Aboriginal” framed by an eagle feather and human eye motif, will promote quality control and allow consumers to easily identify genuine native products.

The seal can be granted only to native owned and operated businesses, so it would not have headed off the controversy that emerged last week when VANOC was criticized by a Squamish Nation artist for selling aboriginal items, such as T-shirts and baseball caps, that were printed outside Canada. The Four Host First Nations have dismissed the criticism of VANOC as unwarranted because all the art was done by natives, although the mass reproduction of some items was done by non-native businesses.And:The first businesses to win approval under the program are the Haida Heritage Centre, in Skidegate; the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos; the St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino, Cranbrook; the ‘Ksan Historical Village, in Hazelton and the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, in Whistler. Although those are all large-scale tourism businesses, Ms. Battel said individual artists or small galleries can also apply for the right to use the seal.Comment:  The host nations' dismissal of the criticism is rather facile and self-serving. If products are designed by Natives but manufactured by non-Natives, it's easy to see why some people might be upset. The host nations' position is defensible, but don't pretend there's no basis for a controversy.

The same issue crops up in Native art throughout the US, especially in the Southwest. For instance, if a Navajo carves a katsina (kachina) based on a Hopi design, is it an authentic Hopi katsina? Most Hopi carvers and Indian art dealers would say no, but the Olympics Host Nations apparently would say yes.

For more on Native tourism, see Aboriginal Tourism in British Columbia and Nine Native Cultural Centers to Visit.

Protesting poverty at 2010 Olympics

Natives vow to press poverty issues at Olympics

By Mark HumeThe federal and British Columbia governments have been warned that the Olympic Games will be used as an international stage to highlight native poverty unless funding is provided for economic development in aboriginal communities.

Squamish Chief Bill Williams, chair of the Four Host First Nations, which until now has shown a unified front in working to promote the Olympics, issued that caution in an interview yesterday. Leonard Thomas, president of the BC First Nations Forestry Council, said the same thing in letters to government officials.

"The time for plain talking is now upon us. Our forest-dependent first nations communities are no longer willing to quietly sit back and wait for actions that never come," Mr. Thomas said in a letter to B.C. Forests Minister Pat Bell.

"The fact that your government and its federal partner are spending $3-billion to stage the Winter Olympics is merely exacerbating the frustration and anger felt by our communities as they continue to be told that there is no money in the pot to address their situations, which, as you are fully aware, are of a most desperate nature."

Mr. Thomas asked for an urgent meeting to resolve the issue, and said if steps aren't taken, "the FNFC and its member first nations will reluctantly, but without hesitation, take advantage of the intense international media interest that will be focused on B.C. before and during the Winter Olympics."Comment:  I don't know if the four host nations promised not to protest, or acted as if they wouldn't protest. But protesting at the last moment, a month before the Olympics, is probably a smart move from their perspective.

For more on the subject, see Protests Planned Against Torch Relay and Native Leaders, Youth Target Olympics.

Below:  Squamish Chief Bill Williams, I presume.

The Road Forward at 2010 Olympics

The Road Forward

Written & Directed by Marie ClementsStep inside a life-sized Aboriginal snow globe filled with the voice and visions of Aboriginal living history. This nine-minute multi-media experience embodies the stand up reality of our Aboriginal mothers and fathers and the movement they began on the road forward.

Inspired by the lives of our Aboriginal relatives, captured by street photographer Foncie Pulice on the downtown streets of Vancouver, The Road Forward, galvanizes the political and social movement of British Columbia’s First Nations history and the rights fought by Aboriginal leaders that forged a movement where no one will be left behind.

On the closing night of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, experience some of the finest First Nations performers in an innovative Indigenous musical epic filled with images and voices raised in song and hope. This nine-minute theatrical and filmic experience connects our tumultuous past with the rising vision of The Road Forward.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Participation in 2010 Olympics and Native Documentaries and News.

Aboriginal Art Bottle Program

Aboriginal artist earns unique Olympic spotlight

By Shelley CookSince she was old enough to pick up a paintbrush, Winnipegger Jackie Traverse knew she would be an artist. Her destiny was confirmed Monday when she received national honours for art that will be displayed at the Vancouver Olympics.

The 40-year-old mother of two daughters is the only Manitoban Coca-Cola selected in their Aboriginal Art Bottle Program.

The program will showcase the work of 15 aboriginal artists from across Canada who created art from giant-sized Coca-Cola bottles.

Traverse, who is of Anishinabe descent, said she was inspired to paint her bottle, entitled Nokomis Mikinaak--Mother Turtle, from one of seven sacred aboriginal teachings. Her bottle, which is about two metres tall, will be unveiled at The Forks National Historic Site on Jan. 5.Below:  "Jackie Traverse says the inspiration for her art comes from her life experiences." (David Lipnowski/Winnipeg Free Press)