Actually being able to start my reading in November
did not lead to actually finishing in November, but I don't feel horrible about
the time involved. There was a lot of reading, some of it quite challenging. While
various concerns came up during the reading, solutions arose as well.
Last year I reviewed one Native American artist each
week in November, but I hadn't started the reading quite yet. This year not
only did the reading sync up with the listening, but I only reviewed
indigenous artists.
One of the concerns - which I mentioned in another
post - was this feeling of being rushed. I only reviewed Native musicians not
only for immersion but also because I wanted to make sure that I got everyone
who was waiting. I read more books because I wanted to be sure to read all of
the books.
I can think of some possible reasons (possibly
reflecting a sense of foreboding related to the election) for a sense of
urgency, but then there was also the thought of another year coming, and what
would I do then? Part of the answer came through a completely different
concern.
Previously many of the Native American musicians I
reviewed came through a special I had watched, For the Generations. I
had a list of artists left from that, but as I was getting ready to check out
one of the artists, Dawn Dumont, she turned out to be more of a standup
comedian than a musician. Well, comics go on tour too.
I didn't want to ignore her, and reviewing standup
comedy was an intriguing idea, but I did not see any upcoming performances that
I could get to or archives of recorded performances. However, she did have a
book. I added that to my reading list, and next year I will read Nobody
Cries at Bingo.
The artists themselves provided solutions for me. I
have had a hard time finding poets, but one of the books, Dreaming the Dawn,
included interviews with poets. I have several more names to check out now.
Tracking down their individual work may still be difficult, but it helps.
It seems that they are never only artists. Two of
the books I read were by musicians (Robert Mirabal and Jana Mashonee) I had
reviewed last year. Many of the musicians also make instruments or weave
baskets or make jewelry, and the poets also draw and sculpt. Because creativity
is so important to me, I take inspiration from that.
I will have more to say about how they worked
together, but here is a quick overview:
Musicians reviewed:
Davidica Little Spotted Horse
Michael Bucher
Wayquay
Pura Fé
Tracy Bone
Martha Redbone
Ulali
Litefoot
Books read:
Sisters in Sprirt: Haudenosaunee
(Iroquois) Influences on Early American Feminists, by Sally Wagner Roesch
Conquest: Sexual Violence and American
Indian Genocide, by Andrea Lee Smith
Skeleton of a Bridge, by Robert Mirabal
To the American Indian: Reminiscences of
a Yurok Woman, by Lucy Thompson
American Indian Story - the Adventures
of Sha'Kona, by Jana Mashonee
Dreaming the Dawn: Conversations with
Native Artists and Activists, by E. K. Caldwell
Seven Hands, Seven Hearts: Prose and
Poetry, by Elizabeth Woody
Halfbreed: The Remarkable True Story of
George Bent -- Caught Between the Worlds of the Indian and the White Man, by David F. Halaas and Andrew E. Masich
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