OUR NEW BOOK DEBUTS FALL 2022

About:

Reconnect with the natural world through essays that blend science and prose. In her debut work, Josephine Woolington turns back the clock to review the events that have challenged Pacific Northwest wildlife in an effort to provide a deeper sense of place. Only then can we imagine how these imperious effects might be overcome.

Join Woolington as she sheds light on the diverse species whose populations are slowly declining from the lands, seas, and skies of the Pacific Northwest. Only by acknowledging this truth can we understand that our impact on the Earth is deeper and far more significant than we ever imagined. Through interviews with local educators, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and artists from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Haida Nation, the Yakama Nation, the Makah Tribe, and beyond, we are invited to decenter our singular perspective in favor of a more empathic, collective approach.

The flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest are resilient. As they adapt to a world far removed from its wonders, we must realize our own interconnectedness to nature and to one another. Woolington colors the rich history of the Pacific Northwest within the eye of its beholder so that society can learn to live intentionally in the land that sustains us all. From the coastal tailed frog to the sandhill crane, the yellow-cedar to the camas flower, these stories reimagine what it means to live mindfully in the colorful region we call home.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ooligan Press (November 15, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1947845365
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1947845367

About the Author 

Josephine Woolington is a writer, musician, and educator. She previously worked at several newspapers in Oregon, where her work was read by both regional and national audiences via The Associated Press. During her time at The Register-Guard in Eugene, she received an award for best education coverage from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. In addition to journalism, she's a musician and music educator. She's toured nationally and internationally with different artists, and she writes, records, and performs her own music as well. She earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Oregon in journalism and political science and received the school's highest award for excellence in journalism. Her artistic, mindful perspective and curiosity about all living things guide her creative endeavors. She lives in her hometown of Portland with her love and their fur child, Gladys the cat. Follow her musings on Instagram @josephine_antoinette_, and on Twitter @j_woolington.

About the Illustrator

Ramon Shiloh (Creek, Cherokee, Filipino, African) is an award-winning author and the illustrator of several books. In 2018 Shiloh was invited to host a Chef's Table at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. 

Shiloh focuses many of his efforts on supporting Indigenous children. He uses his knowledge of food, art, and culture to help Native youth develop a love for cooking that connects them to both good health and their histories in our ever-changing world.

 

ART THERAPY

By Ramon Shiloh

 Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury effects people differently.

Mine is complicated and unstable.

According to “American Congress Of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM)”, the benefits of Art therapy:
Lowers cortisol levels
Improves focus
Can be cathartic & improve self-understanding

Help predict and make decisions
Fosters self expression; great for rehabilitation”

It seems my path will be dedicated to Art for the rest of my life Facebook Peeps.

Keep your eyes peeled for Art posts, as I try my best to navigate this newfound disability.

Be well everyone 💔

I STAND FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

 Another tough moment in history. 

Titled: Confirmation & The Death of Roe v. Wade 
(Doodle Thoughts)
Medium: Colored Pencil, Sumi Ink, Acrylic on Pentalic Paper
©Ramon Shiloh 2020/2022

Teamed With "IllumiNative" for Mother's Day Campaign

 

Happy Mother’s Day Everyone

Artist Statement:

My mother used to say “women are “co-creators of life and keepers of time, through our bodies.”

Like all children, this youth represents purity and kindness.

She reflects in the brilliance of diversity (flower) with no bias or judgment.

In this act, she is rewarded with a memory (necklace/medallion) of her innocence and for the time of her life.

She is the promise of her generation, the hope. Instilled in this child are the qualities of respect, tolerance, strength, equality, and understanding, this is her birth right. These teachings have been passed down through all generations.

She has the honor of harmony with Mother Earth and therefore a desire to protect us all.

In her transformation, as a young adult, she reflects on herself (dancer) flourishing between tradition and modern society.

She is the bridge. Her markings, worn to face the world, represent the challenges to be heard and a constant fight for respect as an independent woman. She continues this journey throughout her coming years.

In the end, or beginning, her culmination of experiences is represented by the mother of all women (elder) who guides in purity and kindness. She watches over us and the generations to come so that we all can live a better life.

For more information about IllumiNative go to --->ILLUMINATIVE

©2022 Ramon Shiloh/IllumiNative

I MADE "NEW YORK TIMES"

My take on Grape Dumplings in the New York Times!

Click >>> DUMPLINGS ARTICLE

  

My Accident, Hospitalization, and Thank You

By Ramon Shiloh

 
These past five months have been difficult to process. I’m still recovering from injuries after getting hit by a car. This brain injury has changed everything for me and I’m doing my best to take things slow. I need to. My recovery depends on it.

Only one week into my new job in Tacoma Washington, I never imagined I would see my whole life change in an instant. I had always avoided close calls; I had never experienced a near death like this. It really reshaped my perception of time, and I was forced to accept the good, the bad, and the ugly, from the entire experience.

This accident forced me into isolation for four months. In my bed. It wasn’t pretty. I was spiraling in a void that wreaked havoc with my self-esteem. I found I needed to seek therapy to resolve some mental issues that had compounded my self-worth. Even writing this note is taking so much time. It did not take this much time before to gather my thoughts and write them down.

I truly wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

To put it all in perspective: I moved to Tacoma this past fall on November 3rd, became an employee on November 5th, and was struck by a car on November 11th.

Because of this person’s carelessness, I missed a very noble opportunity to build community partnerships, intertribal relationships, recruit local and indigenous farmers to my seasonal menus, and strengthen my connection to the remarkable kitchen staff and management at ALMA.

My endeavor was to bring awareness of food sovereignty into our Urban Native landscape. My purpose as executive chef was to echo foraging practices between Indigenous peoples of this continent and discuss the colonial footprint that gave way, separating tribal identities and dismantling shared histories, through storytelling and agricultural knowledge.

Please support ALMA if you are headed to Tacoma. Chef Kevin Michalk, who I promoted to take my place, is putting out some of the best food for the seasons to come. He kept that kitchen afloat after my absence and deserves all the success for what he’s putting into that place. Although his menus will not entirely be Native cuisine, some menu items will pay respects to First Nations of the Puget Sound and abroad.

Executive Director Lisa Fruichantie will approve future creations to come out of ALMA.

It’s going to be difficult for me to be back in the kitchen for quite some time. But even when I’m back to normalcy, my doctor has reminded me that the recovery process for everyone with a brain injury looks different and I know he is right. Even if I return to the food industry, I still risk an aneurysm, stroke, or seizure, if I push my stress levels to the limit.

With everything that has happened, I’ve decided to move back to Portland.

I would like to thank everyone who sent well wishes, gifts, prayers, financial assistance, and came to my bedside, while I was at my worst. The impact of your love still resonates, and I can’t wait to see everyone when I’m better and able to visit and join gatherings with familiar friends. I love you all. Thank you and be safe out there. I mean it! 

IT’S A GOOD MONTH TO BE INDIGENOUS

 

A beautiful written essay about my food and work through Food Sovereignty. Sponsored by Kitchn.com

Written by Amber Starks.

Click Kitchn site link to read the article 🪶