People of the Hills: Summer

From the "People of the Hills" video essays by John Berry (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Summertime is the spotlight in this seasonal journal from the Onondaga Nation in New York state. This time of year is full of the celebration of life: school graduations combine the traditional with the modern; the first harvests from the community gardens begin; and music and dance are everywhere [...]

Sketchbook

Pencil sketch in 8b graphite. This woman was the wife of Lakota chief American Horse; she was very beautiful and I love her serene expression.

Click the photo for a larger view.

Horses in the Americas, Part 2

Part 2: New World, New Horse

By the time they reached the Americas, the ancestors of the mustang had witnessed - and even participated in - the rise and fall of many of the world's empires. Used as an instrument of conquest, it just as easily transformed into a weapon of revolt and an emblem of independence.

It is altogether fitting that this remarkable shape-shifter became not only a potent spiritual symbol, but an emblem of the New World whose convoluted heritage it so closely mirrored [...]

At the Louvre

Louvre Exhibits: "Rembrandt the Draftsman"

So here's my first foray into the web interactives of the Louvre Museum. Out of the list of thematic mini-sites I've chosen "Rembrandt the Draftsman." Of the three areas in which Rembrandt made his mark (no pun intended) - painting, etching, and drawing - this exhibit highlights the last. With pencil and paper being my first love I could hardly resist [...]

This Month in History:

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August 10, 1680:
Pueblo Revolt begins

The Pueblo Revolt begins under the leadership of Pope (pronounced "Popay") who coordinates an uprising against Spanish colonial oppression. Read about the ingenious plan that helped to preserve Pueblo sovereignty and traditions [...]


August 11, 3114 BC:
Beginning of the Mayan "Long Count"

Today marks the anniversary of the start of the current Long Count, one of many "Great Cycles" in the Mayan conception of time. Read more in my post about the Mayan Long Count, Mesoamerican calendars, and the 2012 doomsday (or not) [...]

August 15, 1926:
Birth of Native American acting pioneer Eddie Little Sky

Little Sky became one of the first Indian actors to play Native roles on tv. His prolific filmography eventually included dozens of movies and almost every popular western series of the 50's and 60's [...]