Buffalo Spirit Articles - First Issue Welcome on our journey Elder Joe Cardinal - In his own words Devalon Small Legs - cultural advisor A case made for unusual, thought-provoking art Who do you go to for advice? Oglala Sioux man writes to set the record straight Listen and you will learn Make an offering to the Elder Advice from the powwow trail Sweetgrass Making the connection The healing dance - the arena director The man in two worlds The First Horses

Phone: (780) 455-2700Fax (780) 455-7639 Email: edwind@ammsa.com A case made for unusual, thought-provoking art By Yvonne Irene Gladue Buffalo Spirit Writer For 40-year-old Ivan Lord, his inspiration for the art he produces, which he calls metallic mystique, began two years ago when he made a metal clothes stand for his mother. Lord designs art made of steel pieces that he's welded together in the hopes of creating public awareness about Aboriginal issues. A piece of Lord's work called Steal 'n' Thunder, caught the eye of the staff at the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society in Edmonton. The work, which resembles a dreamcatcher made out of barbed wire, has a buffalo skull adorning the centre of the piece. Lord claimed that some people who viewed the frame for the first time found the piece offensive. To Lord, the steel and the barbed wire represents the fences that cattle farmers put up around their properties. He claims that this forced the buffalo to move away from their natural habitats to other feeding areas further north or south. "My work has a powerful message," said Lord. "The changes that have been going on in the last 1,000 years regarding the steel and the mechanisms have changed the landscape, the buffalo's territorial areas and the Aboriginal people's hunting areas forever," he said. Lord wants to make people think when they look at the work he does, the symbols of steel and machinery that changed Aboriginal people people's way of life forever. "The Aboriginal people had to start relying on cattle for food. They no longer hunted. They had to buy from the cattle farmers," said Lord who is of Mohawk ancestry and born in Fort Smith, N.W.T.. Lord grew up in northeastern Alberta around the Bonnyville area. A construction worker and a plasterer by trade, Lord worked on the Grande Prairie College, which was designed by architect Douglas Cardinal. This year he had the chance to create 11 animal designs on a wall of the new sporting goods store in Lac La Biche. "I got to do some mural type art work of animals found in the area," said Lord. The other designs that Lord is working on won't be as dramatic as his Steal 'n' Thunder, but he stresses that they will be just as thought provoking. They will be made to create public awareness. Editor's note: Shortly after this interview, Lord removed the buffalo skull from the centre of the barbed wire. When Ivan Lord brought his work to the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society, it sparked a discussion regarding the appropriate use of a buffalo skull and other spiritual material. Buffalo skulls are important to Aboriginal culture because they are used in Sundances and in sweats. There are two kinds of skulls -from the flesh and from the ground. Lord's was from the ground. While we didn't want to dampen Lord's enthusiasm for his work, or for his interest in his new-found, Aboriginal ancestry, we thought it was an important teaching moment. Cultural advisor Devalon Small Legs, artist Dale Stonechild, and Elder Ken Gopher were invited to speak on the topic with AMMSA's Gloria Stonechild and Norman Quinney: I understand that the statement he is making is a good statement, however, the usage of materials . . . When I looked at the picture, I got scared, having respect and consideration for this buffalo skull. . . .I feel that this sacred object should not be displayed in such a, almost, gross form. The thing I have trouble with accepting is the usage of this skull. To me, I see these sacred buffalo skulls at the sweat lodge, at the Sundance and when I look at it in this context, it is totally absurd, because I know that the spirits of these magnificent animals they have a place in tradition society that is very highly respected and honored. - Dale Stonechild, Cree/Sioux When you find an object in this manner, first you get an Elder to put tobacco there. . .and have a prayer, and then you can remove it. That's what I was taught. - Norman Quinney, Cree, Frog Lake, Eastern Alberta To me, the buffalo is a spirit. We have to treat the buffalo with holiness, because he was created for us to be our provider on the mother earth. . . . He's connected with the Sundance. He is really a holy thing, next to a thunderbird. It's their partner. All these things that's connected with the Sundance, the thunderbirds, the buffalo, we have to really respect that buffalo skull. We cannot abuse it., abuse it, like it's suspended with the barbed wire. You can't use that barbed wire for that. You've got to have a lot of respect for it. That is like trying to put barbed wire on a thunderbird, which could never be. We should always have respect for God's creation because those were provided for us, to serve our needs every day. We pray to that buffalo, we pray to the thunderbirds. We pray to the sun and all these things that are connected with the Sundances. And I myself, I'm really scared of stuff like this, we tend to abuse these . . . different tribes I see tend to play with stuff like this and these. They usually charge people just to sweat with them and that's wrong, because that buffalo is connected with that sweat lodge, the Sundance sweat lodge is what you call it. - Ken Gopher, Chippewa/ Cree, Rocky Boy Agency, United States In our teaching, we have a lot of respect for all of the items significant to the Sundance lodge. The two very sacred items that we have is, first off, the centre pole, which is an item that's taken each year, where the lodge is built towards, and people make pledges to dance toward the Sundance centre pole. The other most significant is the buffalo skull. The buffalo skull is very sacred. It represents the buffalo grandfather that comes and helps us, gives us our food, gives us our way of life. That item, the buffalo skull, if the individual putting the Sundance up, doesn't have one, then he can't put up a lodge for the sun. If people understood the significance of these items that they do find, they would have a better understanding and a lot more respect for the item itself. I'm not going to be critical of this person, primarily because he doesn't have the teachings with him and he went about doing this piece on his own. And then, only after that did he seek Native advice on how they felt about it. If he'd done the opposite, and asked an Elder to come and look at the buffalo skull, he could have possibly got a different idea. Or if he understood how significant the buffalo skull was, I believe he would have gotten a different idea of how to put together the art piece. . . . In this time where we're at, we have both traditional people who understand what the buffalo skull is, and then we have the other people that don't understand. . . . It takes a protocol process, with tobacco. If somebody wants to find out about these things they have to come together and ask the questions that need to be asked, with tobacco. . . . Our traditions, our culture, our way of life, our beliefs are alive and well. And there are people out there that understand the particular pieces that are significant to our way of life. People shouldn't take things into their own hands until they understand what those things are. - Devalon Small Legs, Peigan, southern Alberta When you want to approach an Elder you have to take tobacco and cloth. There are four cloth colors the northern people go by -red, yellow, green and white, and matching ribbons - and you go to an Elder and ask him and he'll know you're after something and he'll advise you. - Norman Quinney There are a lot of people out here that are in traditional country, Indian country. They're available for talks, and they're available for advice. And the younger people shouldn't be afraid of going to ask for advice from the Elders. If an Elder doesn't know, it his or her responsibility to pass it on to someone who knows. . . . - Devalon Small Legs When it comes down to the sacredness of the items [artists] use, then it becomes controversial. . . . When they depict with these sacred items. Then there has to be an objection. There has to be someone to get up and speak and say, 'well, this is wrong.' Go to that person and tell them, 'this is wrong and it needs to be corrected.' - Devalon Small Legs Some years ago when I got into this field of art, I went to older artists that were already doing art work. . . and I got some good criticism back in terms of subject matter. And I always recalled what I was told. . . . Some of these things that I remember, and it comes from Ray Ahenikew, and he told me, he says, 'your work is very beautiful.' And he said, 'always know your subject matter.' I may have been critical in looking at this piece of work, I realize the statement is a meaningful statement, however, the object. I see this buffalo skull has to be taking care of.. . . When you find an eagle feather or an eagle bone, something that is sacred, when you find an animal beside the road, my grandfather told me, 'take that animal further and set it free. Take it away from the road and put some tobacco down for it and let it go free where it belongs.' I see the spirit of the buffalo captured inside this little frame and that is no place for him. He has a place to go. And to Ivan Lord, this is a teaching method for him to understand. He will learn something about choosing materials, especially sacred objects. They were not to be used to bastardize our spirituality. I don't mean to sound harsh, but these things I have been told and given direction in my career as an artist. - Dale Stonechild I was very fortunate to be living in Frog Lake where there was a lot of Elders at that time. I'd go to different houses and they would tell me about my culture. I was 14 years old when I left school and I was way out of touch with my culture. That's where I learned from the Elders, listening to them and also understanding some of their sacred things. And I used to go with my grandfather early in the morning. He used to wake me up, and we went to say a prayer while the sun was coming up. And in the evening also he asked me to come back in the evening as the sun was going down. And these are the things that I have learned. Every morning that I get up, I thank the Great Spirit that I am still alive and hope that I have a good day. - Norman Quinney With respect to the [buffalo skull] that is found in the ground, that's the one that is very sacred to us. That's the one that needs to be taken care of in a very, very respectful manner, primarily because that buffalo spirit is still there and it needs some tobacco, it needs some offerings. The one that's taken from the flesh, the ones that are slaughtered and those that are sold. . . .they can be displayed. But then you have to look at the type of display that they can be put into. . . .You have to use that protocol process. Individuals should go to the Elder with the tobacco and he could give the necessary advice regarding that. I think what we are trying to say here is the respect that you need when these types of items are being used. And then you will be guided by the spirit how to use them. - Devalon Small Legs Continue your journey