International Digital Storytelling Conference, Óbidos, Portugal, June 26-27

The Center is partnering with the newly formed MULTISTORIAS.PT to present the Third International Digital Storytelling Conference, which will be held this June in the beautiful seaside town of Óbidos, Portugal. www.obidos.pt.

Organized as a follow-up to the 2003 conference in Cardiff, Wales and the 2006 conference in Melbourne, Australia, the Portugal event will feature a group of renowned speakers from the field of digital storytelling, including Lisa Heledd Jones, former facilitator with BBC’s Capture Wales project, Eddie Westbroek, the former director of Sweden’s Room for Storytelling project, Joe Lambert of the Center for Digital Storytelling, Simon Stromberg of the Shahrazad Project, and Kelly McWilliams (invited) with Queensland University of Technology, co-editor with John Hartley of Story Circle: Digital Storytelling Around the World(Australia). Networks and organizations such as the Museum of the Person International Network, the Digi-Tales European Network, and the Dublin Institute of Technology will also be involved. The conference will explore theoretical and practical aspects of digital storytelling in the context of community work and will facilitate dialogue on methodological innovations using broadcast, mobile technology, and Web 2.0 applications.

For information or to register, visit www.storycenter.org/obidos.html.

Bunky Echo-Hawk, the artist- from the Native American Times
By Rob Capriccioso
Story Published: Mar 20, 2009
Story Updated: Mar 19, 2009
WASHINGTON – The Echo-Hawk name has been making big waves lately as a result of political wrangling in Washington. But the name isn’t synonymous with politics. For Bunky Echo-Hawk, it’s all about creating art. It just so happens that the messages of his art often end up being political.

Echo-Hawk, 33, has long been expressing himself through painting and drawing, but it was last August, during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, that his work began to attract an even larger nationwide Native following.

The Pawnee and Yakama tribal member was invited to attend an Aug. 27 event celebrating Native contributions to the Democratic Party. There, he was asked to create a unique live painting, with dozens of attendees watching over him as he worked.

Attendees of the event said he seemed to have a vision in mind before he began, but some insisted he was free-flowing, as he is sometimes known to do. He said at the time that he “hadn’t decided what it was going to be,” when he started painting.

As Echo-Hawk’s paints slid onto the canvas, distinguishing shapes began to appear: A prominent chin; a strong nose; a tell-tale ear of an important politico in profile. Echo-Hawk’s vision contained all the distinctive features of then-President-elect Barack Obama.

But he wasn’t done yet. Echo-Hawk added a headdress to the portrait with feathers hanging down to the gentleman’s suit coat and tie. A red line of paint was also added to Obama’s lower and upper eye regions. Then, the artist imprinted the plain suit with a bright red image of his own hand, and signed his artist’s signature in hot pink.

In the end, Echo-Hawk’s portrayal somehow made Obama seem like both a revolutionary warrior and a peaceful listener.

Just as artist Shepard Fairey was able to express the feelings of the change movement by creating a distinctive representation of Obama in a much celebrated poster with the block words “Hope” imprinted at the bottom, Echo-Hawk was sending a message: Obama should be the clear choice for Natives. He was a man who would understand. He was a man who would listen.

Soon, the painting began getting attention throughout Indian country; YouTube videos were made about its creation; and it received plenty of tribal attention in the Denver region.

By the time Obama was sworn in as president Jan. 20, the painting had come to Washington too, along with Echo-Hawk. Organizers of the American Indian Inaugural Pow Wow allowed the work of art to be displayed at the hotel where the festivities were held.

By then Echo-Hawk had been able to produce hundreds of prints of the canvas painting, ranging from large sizes to postcards.

“They are just beautiful,” said Sally Frazier, an Alaska Native, to a person at the booth where Echo-Hawk’s replicas were being sold. “They say so much to me.” She bought a packet of five postcards, which she planned to send to family members.

When Indian Country Today featured a picture of Echo-Hawk’s “Barack Black Eagle: He Who Helps People Throughout the Land,” on www.indian
country.com after Obama’s inaugural address, people commented expressing their support for his work. A sample: “Your painting looks beautiful. You are really an awesome artist.”

Echo-Hawk said he was inspired to create the piece after hearing the words of Obama during his campaign visit to Crow Agency, Montana in May 2008 where he was adopted as an honorary member of the Crow Nation by the Black Eagle family.

To commemorate the piece, the Tuell-Guest collection, in conjunction with Echo-Hawk, has released authorized reprints. Information on how to get commemorative posters and T-shirts featuring the design are available on Echo-Hawk’s Web site.

While the events surrounding the painting have made for an amazing year, Echo-Hawk’s artistic story did not start with his popular tribute to Obama. He’s been a full-time artist for several years. He labels himself a “proACTIVE ARTist.”

“I get inspired and motivated to do my art from injustice in Indian country,” Echo-Hawk said in a recent interview posted on YouTube. “There are a great number of atrocities that our people faced throughout the past 500 years. My fuel for my art comes from how those atrocities affect us today as Americans, as Native Americans.”

Echo-Hawk believes art is a pathway to re-educating the public and correcting stereotypes about Native Americans.

“Through art, that can be achieved,” Echo-Hawk said. “It can set sparks off in people’s minds, in people’s hearts, and inspire them to want to look at these issues and do something about it.”

He believes, too, that artwork should be affordable, so that it is accessible to everyone. Sometimes he sells massive paintings that would normally cost thousands of dollars for a few hundred dollars. He said he most enjoys painting for Native people.

In addition to being a freelance graphic designer and photographer, Echo-Hawk is a full-time father. He is also the director of NVision, a nonprofit group that focuses on developing Native youth leadership and traditional and contemporary expressions of art, culture, education and media from a Native perspective. It is based in Longmont, Colo. and is an affiliate of the Seventh Generation Fund, one of the oldest Native foundations in the country.

Echo-Hawk said the organization promotes the development of a new generation of Native leaders, artists, educators and activists within a context of respect and understanding for traditional Native life ways, sovereignty and community.

This is the report for the SLQ . Page 27 has outcomes and Pelican- Hope Vale is listed .

The SLQ does amazing work and is one of the best used public spaces in the country . A testament to the true use of a public Library. Thanks to Lea Giles – Peters and team.

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/122874/SLQ_-_2007-08_Annual_Report_-_Pt_3_-_Outcomes.pdf

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/home/content/41529327.html

Bunky Echo Hawk is in my mind one of the most influential up and coming contemporary Native American Artists tobe working in the USA today ! His work is inspiring , witty , clever and politically critical. His understanding of issues and ability to move people is astiundig to watch. His live art perfromances cross generational divides and have a air of ceremony and presence that is rare . Please check this man out and see this article about him in the Indian News. I met Bunky in Arizona and watched him paint live , it was astounding and his work is very profound and thoughtful. He is also very good !!! VERY !
This is someone we will hear a lot about in the future.

Dr Jean Burgess is one of the leading writers , thinkers and academics on this topic. She lives in Brisbane and works at QUT Creative Industries. Her work in the area of Vernacular creativity, has helped me a lot and inspired me in my own work. Dr Jean will have a book soon coming out about U-tube and social networking and I will defintely post about this when it comes out. Please go and have a look at her site here.
Enjoy !

]]> http://samiastories.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/state-library-queensland-annual-report-08/feed/ 0 samiastories http://samiastories.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/community-prophets-voices-from-the-cape/ http://samiastories.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/community-prophets-voices-from-the-cape/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:53:19 +0000 samiastories http://samiastories.wordpress.com/?p=227 ]]>

This is an excellent project that works with young people making stories. Please go and have a look. Voices from the Cape is one of the projects undertaken. It was done about the same time we were on the Cape and has a similar aim. The work they are doing is ” deadly ” .

community prophets website : David Vadiveloo and crew:

click on link to listen

Black Politics Interveiw ABC Radio

 This is another way to go see the stories and also read more about the wonderful work Pelican is doing with community. They are building on the work done in previous years and have recently recieved a caring for country grant to develop the work and engagement further with communities in Victoria. Also an article from the Koori mail which I will seek out and post for you. 

Enjoy !

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2009/01/16/44455_news.html

http://www.svpelican.com.au/pages/stories.html

Here is the first posted story from the Hope Vale-Pelican Digital story project undertaken in August – September 08. The other 18 stories will go up soon , thanks for your patience. The full credits and information about the project will be posted along with the others as they come on line. However briefly let me say , “many hands” made these stories and a big thank you goes out to everyone who helped. All the sponsors , the storytellers , the Elders , Pelican expeditions ,State Library Queensland , Arts Queensland , the co-operative research center for Aboriginal health,the DST team , Speak out – stylin up mob AND so many more  that I will not name by name ! you know who you are !!! for all who came and sat and took the time to yarn up and learn and share their knowledges , thank- you.

This was a co- creative project and the stories are a result of a 4 week project in a bush media camp at REMOTE Cape Flattery with the  youth and elders from the Hope Vale community .

YES , we had to barge equipement in and drive over sand dunes at low tide to get there. We camped in the heat and humidity with sand and crocodiles and Taipans , probabaly one of the more remote spots you could do this in and one of the most beautiful!

During this time people learnt how to make their own stories , some for the first time. The ages ranged from 6 to 80 years old. We intervened as little as possible , just guiding the process and allowing people to develop their own voice and styles. The critque of this experience and the findings from interveiws inform my research. You can see my research proposal on this site by scrolling on the side bar or through archives.

Do come back  soon to see the rest of stories soon and read a fuller description and see the links to contact the people who helped in this project. For now this is a early taste with the permission of the wonderful people at the Cultural Center who launched this on U -tube. Remember you can also google Pelican Expeditions or the Hope Vale Wikki.