Native Wisdom Beauty Products

Story and Photography by Marilyn Angel Wynn

Generally I don't endorse products, especially on my blog. Except for now, I'll make an exception and mention Native Wisdom Beauty. I'm using some of their products and have been delighted to see real results.

Last fall I was in Denver for a family reunion. Through Facebook, I connected with FB friend Jennifer Wolf, a Ponca tribal member and Herbal Research Chemist. At that time my company, Native Stock Pictures, was interested in photographing Native American business owners. She volunteered as her profession was a research chemist who had been employed with the FDA (Food & Drug Administration). She also owned a small home-based business with a line of beauty products.

After we wrapped up our photo shoot, Jennifer gave me a few samples of her skincare products. She placed inside my camera bag a nice sized tin of Honeysuckle Body Butter and a bottle of her Blueberry Body Wash. It wasn't until I flew back home, unpacked when I began using her gifts daily. A few weeks later, I realized how my dry skin was improving. Scented with lovely flowery fragrances, I craved healthy living each time I used the delicious smelling cream or soap.

Jennifer's story is a familiar one today. Even though she had a prestigious career with the FDA, Jennifer dreamed to be a 'stay at home' mom. To financially help with the transition, Jennifer teamed up with her sisters to create Native Wisdom products. "As Native Americans, it was important to us to look to Mother Earth for answers on how to create natural products safe enough for a baby, but exquisite enough for the whole family" explained Wolf. All three sisters agreed to only use the finest potions used by indigenous cultures around the world.

Native Wisdom skincare products are all formulated with ingredients such as acai and blueberry extract, shea butter with honey and chamomile. Basically, anything that is good enough to eat! Native Wisdom Beauty combines traditional indigenous herbalogy with the latest in break-through technology to create sumptuous products. Did I mention my own itchy dry crepe skin? It's starting to take on the look of it's plump youthful self again. After summer, my feet resemble #1 sandpaper and feel like that of a bristle pad. When I started to rub them with Native Wisdom's non-greasy body butter each night I was surprised at the outcome.

You are probably as skeptical as I would be reading this. It's just that these results are for real. The products work. BTW, except for the first gift samples during our photo shoot, I've not received any endorsements what-so-ever! I just think that a wonderful natural product should be shared with other consumers. Another plus is that a portion of online sales benefit the American Indian College Fund.

I'd be interested to know if any of you are already using these fabulous skincare products. Or if you start using any of the lotions or soaps by Native Wisdom then fill me in on your results. I know that I'll be ordering more from Native Wisdom soon.

Children: Keepers of Tradition

Here's a 5 minute multimedia video titled " Children: Keepers of Tradition" produced by Angel Wynn of NativeStock Pictures.
Native Stock Pictures is now a full service multimedia provider. Using colorful Native American Indian photographs and stock footage with quality sound to create short productions for websites, business and education needs. "Because of recent web content demands and my original background in the film industry," comments Wynn, "it's a real natural to produce programs using stock photos and footage from my archives."
NativeStock's specialty niche is documenting America's First Nations. NativeStock's summer shooting schedule has a heavy lineup of events that include traditions, demonstrations, languages and more. Share your ideas and suggestions with Wynn by contacting her at angel@nativestock.com. In the meantime, enjoy this latest slide show "Children: Keepers of Tradition."

VIEW VIDEO HERE:

Origins of Native American Beadwork

Before contact with European civilization, Native Americans were making beautiful objects decorated with natural materials obtained from their own area or through trade. Trade routes crossed the Americas and extended to the Caribbean Islands, giving access to a variety of material: shell, metals, semi-precious stones, bone, ivory, porcupine quills and feathers, to name some of the most common trade items. Beads, painstakingly made from bone and shell, had many uses including breastplates and wampum.

The arrival of explorers and traders from Europe changed the materials Native Americans used, as well as influencing traditional patterns. The Spanish, English, Dutch and French offered glass beads as gifts and used as currency in trade. Native Americans quickly adopted the new material, incorporating glass beads into traditional patterns. Although the first traders offered the finest beads they could get, including amber, glass and faceted chevron beads, soon the Native Americans were asking for beads in specific materials, colors and shapes.

Most of these early beads came from the glass factories of Murano near Venice Italy and a few came from France and the Netherlands. Venetian beads had softer colors than the brighter glass beads made in Bohemia (Czech Republic) that were introduced to the American Indians in the 19th Century. Both the new colors and the more uniform size of the Czech beads appealed to Native American beaders. This resulted in a decline in the use of Venetian beads.

Because the dominant European culture and religion discouraged traditional practices and beliefs, Native Americans began to incorporate traditional concepts into their beadwork. For example, Arctic tribes transformed tattoo patterns into elaborately beaded parkas; Northeast tribes replicated their wampum designs; across the Great Plains certain colors and patterns came to have significant meanings.

As glass beads spread across North America, each tribe used them to express their own patterns and traditions. Today, bead artists borrow beading techniques and patterns from each other. Many create new beadwork patterns based on tribal culture and traditions. Many examples of old style beadwork can be found in museums. While many contemporary designs can be found on ceremonial regalia adorned on traditional dancers attending pow wows today.

Photography by: Marilyn Angel Wynn/Nativestock.com

Sedona Sweatlodge Deaths

For the past week I've received numerous calls from friends and clients regarding the recent deaths of the 3 people involved using a sweatlodge at a spiritual retreat in Sedona Arizona. I'm sure you've heard or read about this news by now.

First of all, the operation was commercially run. These people paid $9,000 each to be part of a weekend called "Spiritual Warrior" run by self made spiritual guru, millionaire and non-native James Ray.

Native American people do not charge for sweatlodges. You have to be invited by a tribal member before you can partake of the sweat. Throughout all my time traveling through Indian Country, I've been invited twice and have only participated in one sweat along with seven female tribal members of the Crow Nation. Of course there was no charge.

Of all the dozens of constructed sweat houses that I've come across and photographed, I've never seen as large a one used that is 415 square feet and holds 50 people! The general size of a REAL Native American sweatlodge would hold between 4-10 men or women, depending on size of structure and participants. Also, sweatlodge ceremonies are not of mixed sexes. Men most commonly will sweat first and then afterwards, while the rocks are still hot, the women will have their own time inside. Obviously I'm not a sweatlodge enthusiast. But 2 hours inside the dome-shaped sauna with no breaks or water? The number 4 is very sacred to all tribes and the ceremonies are broken up into 4 sessions so you can remain inside the sweat or come out to drink or drench yourself with water. Or, like my ladies group of sweatlodge participants, have a cigarette.

Sedona Arizona is the laughing stock of spiritual guru hopefuls who make considerable incomes by offering bogus American Indian ceremonies. How come when white's get involved with anything that may help others it's always centered around greed and money? Especially in the spiritual arena that tends to offer non-tangible products.

Ray's recent postings on his Twitter account said he was "shocked and saddened" by the tragedy.
"My deep heartfelt condolences to family and friends of those who lost their lives," he wrote. "I am spending the weekend in prayer and meditation for all involved in this difficult time; and I ask you to join me in doing the same." Great words for a self centered guru trying to cover his ass.

Ray claims to help people achieve both spiritual and financial wealth through his corporation called Harmonic Wealth®. His wisdom and promise is that after one of his retreats "You simply will make more money and become more successful" and "will double, triple, even multiply by ten the size of your business."

One promise of Ray's that was made absolutely true on October 9th was "My five-day "Spiritual Warrior" retreat promises to "absolutely change your life." It did change the lives of three people including their families.

Photos courtesy of Nativestock Pictures

Winners: 2009 Native American Music Awards

ELEVENTH ANNUAL
NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
2009

Photo By: ©Marilyn Angel Wynn/Nativestock.com

WINNERS

Listen To Winning Songs and Artists

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jan Michael Looking Wolf
The Looking Wolf Project


BEST BLUES RECORDING
Dancing In The Rain
Graywolf Blues Band


BEST COMPILATION RECORDING
Bitter Tears Sacred Ground
Joanne Shenandoah & Michael Bucher

BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
Life Is Calling My Name
Shane Yellowbird


DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Skylar Wolf
Devil’s Son


DEBUT DUO / GROUP OF THE YEAR
Will & Lil Jess
Reservation Nights


BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Joy Harjo
Winding Through The Milky Way



BEST FOLK RECORDING
Four Wolves Prophecy
Atsiaktonkie


FLUTIST OF THE YEAR
JJ Kent
Ta Te’ Topa Win



BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
Amazing Grace
Lenape Spirits
Wind Spirit Drum


GROUP OF THE YEAR
Brule’
Lakota Piano II


BEST HISTORICAL RECORDING
Native Pride
Thunder Hawk Singers


BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
Tango!
Gabriel Ayala


BEST MALE ARTIST
Bryan Akipa
Songs From The Black Hills


BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING
Peyote Ways
Primeaux & Mike


BEST NEW AGE RECORDING
Deep Within
Tony Redhouse



BEST POP RECORDING
Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter)
Apryl Allen


BEST POW WOW RECORDING
Band of Brothers
Midnite Express


BEST PRODUCER
Kelly Parker
Out Of The Blue


BEST RAP / HIP HOP RECORDING
All Day All Night
Rezhogs


RECORD OF THE YEAR
Earth Gift
Kevin Locke



BEST ROCK RECORDING
Sirensong
Eagle & Hawk


SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR
A Change Is Gonna Come
Jana Mashonee


SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Samantha Crain
The Confiscation: A Musical Novella


BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING
The Great Story From The Sacred Book
Rain Song/Terry & Darlene Wildman


BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING
It Is A New Day
Oshkii Giizhik Singers


BEST VIDEO
Movin On
Charly Lowry & Aaron Locklear


BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING
Ceremony
Michael Searching Bear


NATIVE HEART
Michael Brant DeMaria
Siyotanka


LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Stevie Salas



LIVING LEGEND
Tommy Allsup


HALL OF FAME
Ritchie Valens

Listen To Winning Songs and Artists

Nominees Announced for Native American Music Awards

Nominees Announced for the Eleventh Annual

Native American Music Awards (NAMA)
To Be Held On October 3rd, 2009
In Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls Photo by ©Marilyn Angel Wynn/Nativestock.com

A. ARTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Arvel Bird Tribal Music Suite, Journey of a Paiute (Southern Paiute)
2. Jan Michael Looking Wolf The Looking Wolf Project (Kalapuya – Grand Ronde Tribes)
3. Jana Mashonee New Moon Born (Lumbee)
4. Jim Boyd Harley High (Colville Confederated Tribes)
5. Kevin Locke Earth Gift (Lakota/Hunkpapa Sioux & Anishinaabe)
6. Tony Redhouse Deep Within (Dine)

B. BEST BLUES RECORDING
1. Dancing In The Rain Graywolf Blues Band (Intertribal)
2. Devil’s Son Skylar Wolf (Navajo)
3. Having A Good Time Now Pappy Johns Band (Iroquois)
4. I Don’t Play By The Rules Gary Small & the Coyote Bros (Northern Cheyenne)
5. I’ve Been Driftin From Door to Door Jimmy Wolf (Mohawk)

C BEST COMPILATION RECORDING
1. Bitter Tears Sacred Ground Joanne Shenandoah & Michael Bucher (Oneida/Cherokee)
2. Clear Water Reflections Various Artists (Ute/N Cheyenne/Lakota/Huichol/Ojibwe)
3. Come To Me Great Mystery Various Artists (Intertribal)
4. First Light Golana (Cherokee)
5. NBA Vol 1 JSK Presents (Warm Springs/Wasco/Modoc)
6. Sacred Place Mary Youngblood (Seminole/Aleut)

D BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
1. Live At Totah Theater Desert West (Navajo)
2. Life Aint Hard Ray St Germain (Metis)
3. Out of the Blue Out of the Blue (Cree)
4. Rattle Snake Bruce Hamana (Hopi)
5. Life Is Calling My Name Shane Yellowbird (Cree)

E DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Apryl Allen Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) (Comanche)
2. Benjamin Grimes Truth (Dine)
3. Dawn Avery Tulpe (Mohawk Haudenosaunee)
4. Jace Martin Jace Martin (Mohawk)
5. Samantha Crain The Confiscation: A Musical Novella (Choctaw)
6. Skylar Wolf Devil’s Son (Navajo)

F DEBUT DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
1. Desert West Live At Totah Theater (Navajo)
2. Jimmy Shendo & Moiety Walking The Life Road (Jemez Pueblo)
3. Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii Singers Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii (Navajo)
4. Out of the Blue Out of the Blue (Cree)
5. Red Hand/White Hand Soothing Spirits (Apache)
6. Will & Lil Jess Reservation Nights (Oglala Lakota)

G BEST FEMALE ARTIST
1. Annie Humphrey-Jimenez The Sound of Ribbons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe)
2. Jackie Tice Morningsky Drum Song (Cherokee)
3. Joanne Shenandoah Bitter Tears Sacred Ground (Oneida/Cherokee)
4. Joy Harjo Winding Through The Milky Way (Muskogee)
5. Tagaq Auk/Blood (Inuit)
6. Tinesha Begaye Night of The Northern Lights (Dine’ Navajo)

H BEST FOLK RECORDING
1. Christmas On Turtle Island Jonathon Maracle (Mohawk)
2. Four Wolves Prophecy Atsiaktonkie (St Regis Mohawk)
3. Ink Blots and Random Thoughts Tonemah (Kiowa/Comanche/Tuscarora)
4. Papago Warrior P-dub Style Papago Warrior (Tohono O’odham)
5. The Confiscation: A Musical Novella Samantha Crain (Choctaw)
6. The Sound of Ribbons Annie Humphrey-Jimenez (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe)

I FLUTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Bryan Akipa Songs From The Black Hills (Dakota Sioux)
2. Douglas Blue Feather Sacred Space (Cherokee)
3. JJ Kent Ta Te’ Topa Win (Lakota)
4. Kevin Locke Earth Gift (Lakota/Hunkpapa Sioux & Anishinaabe)
5. Mary Youngblood Sacred Place (Seminole/Aleut)
6. R. Carlos Nakai Talisman (Navajo Dine’)

J BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
1. Amazing Grace Lenape Spirits (Cherokee/Mic Mac/Lenape)
2. For Our Future Cherokee National Youth Choir (Cherokee)
3. Hand of Jesus Yvonne St. Germaine (Cree)
4. Old Country Church Darrell “Boots” McCallum (Cree)
5. The Father’s Dance Broken Walls (Mohawk)
6. The Great Story From The Sacred Book Rain Song/Terry & Darlene Wildman (Ojibwe/Yaqui)

K DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
1. Black Lodge Spo Mo Tiin Nan (Blackfeet)
2. Brule’ Lakota Piano II (Lower Brule’ Sioux)
3. Eagle & Hawk Sirensong (Ojibway)
4. Primeaux & Mike Peyote Ways (Sioux/Navajo)
5. Rezhogs All Day All Night (Yakama)
6. Tha Tribe Tha Quiet Storm (Navajo/Menominee / Assinaboine/Pima)

L BEST HISTORICAL RECORDING
1. Blackfeet Legends of Glacier National Park Jack Gladstone (Blackfeet)
2. For The Love of Music Wabs Whitebird (Paq’tn Kek)
3. For Our Future Cherokee National Youth Choir (Cherokee)
4. Molly of the Mohawks Augusta Cecconi Bates (Willow Wind)
5. Native Pride Thunder Hawk Singers (Micmaq/Cree)
6. The Cheyenne Dog Soldiers Red Hawk (United Cherokee)

M BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
1. Dusk To Dawn – Gvwi (Cherokee)
2. Something About The Awakening (Dine)
3. Tango! Gabriel Ayala (Yaqui)
4. The Looking Wolf Project Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Kalapuya – Grand Ronde Tribes)
5. Warriors Last Breath Mike Serna (Apache/Gabrileno)
6. Works By Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate Jerod Tate & San Francisco Symphony & Chorus (Chickasaw)

N BEST MALE ARTIST
1. Bryan Akipa Songs From The Black Hills (Dakota Sioux)
2. Eli Secody Sunrise Love – Happiness with Wifey Over Coffee (Navajo)
3. Gabriel Ayala Portraits (Yaqui)
4. Golana First Light (Cherokee)
5. JJ Kent Ta Te’ Topa Win (Lakota)
6. Michael Bucher Bitter Tears Sacred Ground (Oneida/Cherokee)

O. BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING
1. Faith Kevin Yazzie (Navajo Dine’)
2. Humbly We Pray Delbert Blackhorse (Navajo)
3. Peyote Ways Primeaux & Mike (Sioux/Navajo)
4. Songs of Strength & Beauty Monroe/ByJoe/Turtle/Egawa (Navajo/S Cheyenne/Lummi)
5. The Gift of Life Nikki Begay (Navajo)
6. Thoughts & Prayers Maxine & Guy Tishie (Navajo)

P BEST NEW AGE RECORDING
1. Deep Within Tony Redhouse (Dine)
2. Generations Brian Hammill (HoChunk)
3. Lakota Piano II Brule’ (Lower Brule’ Sioux)
4. Sacred Space Douglas Blue Feather (Cherokee)
5. Songs From The Black Hills Bryan Akipa (Dakota Sioux)
6. Talisman R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo Dine’)

Q BEST POP RECORDING
1. A Change Is Gonna Come Jana Mashonee (Lumbee)
2. Anywhere Leanne Goose (Dene/Inuvialuit)
3. Jace Martin Jace Martin (Mohawk)
4. Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) Apryl Allen (Comanche)
5. No Rez—Ervations Matthew S. Montour (Mohawk-Kahnawake)
6. To Walk In Beauty Spirit Wing (Munsee)

R BEST POW WOW RECORDING
1. Band of Brothers Midnite Express (Ojibway, Sioux, Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Taos Pueblo, Algonquin)
2. Bring Your Feathers In Black Stone (Cree)
3. Faith, Loyalty & Love Youngbird (Pawnee)
4. November Winds Northern Wind (Ojibway)
5. Red Rock Northern Cree (Cree)
6. Spo Mo Tiin Nan Black Lodge (Blackfeet)

S BEST PRODUCER
1. Charles Button & Will Clipman Here & Now
2. Eddie Weber Songs of Strength & Beauty
3. Kelly Parker Out Of The Blue
4. Robert Doyle Talisman
5. Stevie Salas Be What It Is
6. Wolf’s Robe aka Flute Man Ancient Dreams

T BEST RAP / HIP HOP RECORDING
1. All Day All Night Rezhogs (Yakama)
2. The Backside Chase Manhattan (Muscogee Creek, Ojibwe)
3. Native Anthem (Yall Aint Know) Sandy & Chris Hunt, Kash Kow, Lou Nice, Chief, Stoney Creek, Charly Lowry, Aaron Locklear
4. Bluelight Quese Imc (Pawnee/Seminole)
5. The World & Everything In It Team Rezofficial (Cree)
6. Talisman Wasted Talent N8 (Yakama)

U RECORD OF THE YEAR
1. Bitter Tears Sacred Ground Joanne Shenandoah Michael Bucher (Oneida/Cherokee)
2. Earth Gift Kevin Locke (Lakota/Hunkpapa & Anishinaabe)
3. Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) Apryl Allen (Comanche)
4. Songs From The Black Hills Bryan Akipa (Dakota Sioux)
5. Songs of the Navajo James Peshlaka (Navajo)
6. The Looking Wolf Project Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Kalapuya)

V BEST ROCK RECORDING
1. Be What It Is Stevie Salas (Apache)
2. Harley High Jim Boyd (Colville Confedeated Tribes)
3. Just Another Show Tritt Smith (Navajo)
4. Sirensong Eagle & Hawk (Ojibway)
5. Trial By Design Thirtyseven featuring Gregg Analla (Isleta/Laguna Pueblo)
6. Walking The Life Road Jimmy Shendo & Moiety (Jemez Pueblo)

W SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR
1. A Change Is Gonna Come Jana Mashonee & Derek Miller (Lumbee)
2. Indian Reservation Michael Searching Bear (Cherokee)
3. Native Americana Keith Secola (Ojibway/Anishnabe)
4. Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) Apryl Allen (Comanche)
5. Riding Free Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida)
6. Witchi Tai To – Joy Harjo (Muskoke)

X SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
1. Chris Tomes & John Lone Eagle Soothing Spirits (Apache)
2. Darryl Tonemah Ink Blots and Random Thoughts (Kiowa/Comanche/Tuscarora)
3. Jace Martin Jace Martin (Mohawk)
4. Gary Small I Don’t Play By The Rules (Northern Cheyenne)
5. Kris DeLorenzi & Jonathan Maracle The Father’s Dance
6. Samantha Crain The Confiscation: A Musical Novella (Choctaw)

Y BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING
1. Gift of the Grandchildren Mac Lopez & Grandaughter Kendra Muro (Shoshone/Cherokee)
2. Now Is The Time Sapokniona Whitefeather (Apache)
3. Songs of the Navajo James Peshlaka (Navajo)
4. The Great Story From The Sacred Book Rain Song/Terry & Darlene Wildman (Ojibwe/Yaqui)
5. The Story Tellers Ancient Wisdom (Abnaki)
6. These Were Their Words Red Hawk (United Cherokee)

Z BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING
1. It Is A New Day Oshkii Giizhik Singers (Intertribal)
2. Kontiwennenháwi(Carriers of Words) Ratirista Kehronon – Skywalkers (Awkesasne Mohawk)
3. Lenape Spirits Wind Spirit Drum (Cherokee/Mic Mac/Lenape)
4. Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii Singers (Navajo)
5. Okeymow Maskiki II Shanise (Cree)
6. Traditional Shoe Game Songs Porcupine Singers (Navajo)

AA BEST SHORT OR LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO
1. A Change Is Gonna Come Jana Mashonee (Lumbee)
2. Don’t Forget About Me Michael Bucher (Cherokee)
3. I Am Donna Kay (Mètis)
4. Movin On Charly Lowry/Aaron Locklear (Lumbee)
5. Life Is Calling My Name Shane Yellowbird (Cree)
6. The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold Jan Michael Looking Wolf & Floyd Westerman

BB BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING
1. Allegro Gabriel Ayala (Yoeme)
2. Ceremony Michael Searching Bear (Cherokee)
3. Portraits Gabriel Ayala (Yaqui)
4. Tango! Gabriel Ayala (Yoeme)
5. Tribal Music Suite, Journey of a Paiute Arvel Bird (Southern Paiute)
6. Winding Through The Milky Way Joy Harjo (Muskoke)

CC NATIVE HEART (Non-Native Artist)
1. Gary F. Leatham Resonance Ancient Sounds
2. Colby Thomas Colby Thomas Sings Molly Brant
3. Jan Seiden Memory Of Time
4. Jonny Lipford Cross Roads: The Beginning of a Brand New Day
5. Michael Brant DeMaria Siyotanka
6. Scott Tweedie Seeking Vision

Join Native American Network: ORIGINS TV

You can join THE ORIGINS TV by clicking on this link:

Indian Country Travel & News

Our members include Russell Means, Native American Music Awards executives, Shinning Elk Entertainment, NativeStock Pictures, On Native Ground Radio and many more...

The Origins TV is a prophesy of Indigenous proportion, a meeting place, where content developers of Native American and Indigenous media vent.

Native American NEWSPAPERS

Research Tribal Newspapers and The Web Before You Go

Photography By: ©Marilyn Angel Wynn/Nativestock Pictures

Before visiting an area to photograph, in Indian Country USA, I do the research. One of my main tools for information are tribal newspapers for stories of annual events, new developments and interesting people. I to be a subscriber of many of these weekly's and monthly's. On occasion I've even placed ads in some to hire models or look for an assistant. Now, instead of the printed versions, I go straight to a tribal newspaper's website to search through a wealth of information. Their stories vary from governmental issues to special events all the way down to local gossip on the rez. Photo researchers that call my office looking for images of specific current happenings, which I generally do not have at the time of their request, are directed to a tribal community paper or one of the National Native American circulations. Here's a list with links to many of my favorite websites to gather information.

• Native Radio
• The Navajo Times
• The Cherokee Phoenix
• The Eastern Door
• Lakota Country Times
• ShobanNews
• Shastawind News
• NativeBiz
• Potawatomi Traveling Times
• Indian Country Today
• NativeWeb News
• Turtle Island Native Network
• Navajo/Hopi Observer
• News from Indian Country
• Red Lake News
• Indianz
• Native American Times

Let me know your favorite newspapers or websites that you use. I'd like to hear from you.

The Cherokee Phoenix was one of the first tribal newspapers published in the early 1800's using both english and the Cherokee syllabary language. The Phoenix press was located in New Echota Georgia and began distribution several years before the infamous Trail Of Tears.

Hollywood Movies Indian Style

photography by: Marilyn Angel Wynn

As part of my business of Indian Country travel and photography, I'm always in search of historic and contemporary films for entertainment that are primarily based on tribal cultures. Most of the stories are drama based but you will find some genuine Indian humor scattered throughout a couple of scripts. Here's a list I made up of 16 movies (Hollywood-style) that, to various extents, present Native Americans where the script content is realistic and somewhat accurate. They range from feature films where the narrative genre involves reservation life today, historic periods, specific events and includes documentary films. These are movies that I've personally watched and feel that they all, on the most part, provide a respectful image of Native Americans and other Indigenous cultures around the world. This list is in no special order. Many of these films are available at BlockBusters.com where you can view detailed information on each film, such as actors, directors, etc. Sometimes an included plot summary is provided. Suggestions to include other films are welcome.

MOVIES:

• Whale Rider
• Rabbit Proof Fence
• A Man Called Horse
• Last Of The Mohicans
• The Last Of His Tribe: Ishi
• Skins
• Dreamkeeper
• Wardance
• Thief of Time
• Water
• Little Big Man
• Dances With Wolves
• Edge Of America
• Smoke Signals
• End Of The Spear
• Pow Wow Highway

An Inheritance Of Arrowheads

A Purpose in Life...To Photograph Tribal Nations

It all began when I inherited a few ancient stone tools and arrowheads. That was when the moment when I dreamed up this awesome career, at least for me anyway. This self-created job description was to "specialize and photograph American Indian culture's for the who's who in publishing".

Now after several years of travel to document Native America, reading hundreds of books and speaking with a variety of tribal elders, I dreamed of another project. Through much research, I came across many inspirational speeches from tribal members past and present who eloquently spoke of their spiritual philosophy on living.

In fact, this obsession with photographing American Indian tribes and to read their leaders quotes, inspired me so deeply that I set out to self-published a book. Titled 'Voice of the Spirit: Words of Wisdom From Indian Country USA' this photo book was designed to include my own personal selection of 100 of my favorite photographs I've had the honor to capture along with snippets of meaningful quotes so eloquently spoken by Native people recorded throughout post-contact.

Here is a small sample of photographs and exerpts from my book 'Voice of the Spirit'.

"Knowledge is inherent in all things. The world is a library" -Chief Standing Bear

"When you see a new trail, or a footprint you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing" -Uncheedah

"Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself" -Chief Seattle