Josephine Woolington and I came to our publishers office to get a first look at our new book, "WHERE WE CALL HOME"
Available November 15th everywhere!!
I write to uplift, inspire, and educate in this desensitized world.
Josephine Woolington and I came to our publishers office to get a first look at our new book, "WHERE WE CALL HOME"
Available November 15th everywhere!!
Titled: “Unceded Kinship: Land, Place and People”. This exhibition explores ‘how we can restore our relationships to one another and to the natural world while holding kinship, solidarity, and community as sacred’.
“Unceded Kinship is guided and organized by UO alum @melaninmvskoke enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and of Shawnee, Yuchi, Quapaw, and Cherokee descent.
Amber is a nationally-recognized community organizer, artist, and stylist.
The project intersects with UO Common Reading's selection—Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer.”
For more information about this exhibition go to University of Oregon
RECEPTION:
When: Aug 30th from 3-5pm
Where: UO Knight Library Browsing Room.
Hope to see you there.
By Ramon Shiloh
I have been invited to contribute three colored pencil illustrated stories on archival atlas maps for Chris Morin of Raven Makes Gallery located in Sister’s Oregon (three hours southeast of Portland).
The gallery represents over thirty Indigenous Artists with
impressive growth trajectories over the next year. Chris is embarking on numerous scaled projects
representing Native creators from around the world. This initiative is titled “The Homelands
Collection” which focuses on illustrated stories on antique atlas, regional,
and territorial maps and was a revelation that came by accident. According to his
website:
“On occasion during the past 30 years, some artists have used a
few antique maps rather than ledger paper, with these works occurring in the
spirit of contemporary ledger art. However, a show or exhibition featuring
antique maps as the singular medium has not occurred.
Last year’s pandemic caused many of us to come to a halt. As the
crisis unfolded, there wasn’t much we could do except restrict our activities.
Hunkered down, opportunities for more thorough reflection occurred. For the
owners of Raven Makes Gallery, a number of those moments concerned
contemplating the suddenly unforeseeable future of Native American art.
In early May 2020, while surfing the Internet as our gallery
stood closed by order of the Governor, we happened upon a fascinating 1860’s
map of the Upper Great Plains that identified several tribes. The thought
occurred, “Wouldn’t it be great if a ledger artist could make a work on this?”
With more time to reflect, the notion wasn’t pushed aside as it might normally
have been.”
As a result, Chris has developed a profound collection of unique world maps, giving living Indigenous Artists a placeholder and platform to be seen and heard. Chris Morin and his wife, LaRita Chapman have lived in Chinle, Arizona and Alaska since 2016 and have developed lasting relationships with many Indigenous Artists, their families, and communities of people.
Their appreciation of First Nations Peoples’ awareness and deep cultural connections are represented with respect through Raven Makes Gallery. The space is intended to provide opportunities, support for Artists, as well as cultural, spiritual, and natural expressions.
To know more about Raven Makes Gallery and to see their extensive collection. Go to their Website
Ramon Shiloh
is an American award-winning author, illustrator, activist, and multicultural
Chef of Black, Filipino, Creek, and Cherokee descent.
Born in Palo Alto California in the middle of the Occupation of Alcatraz 1970
he grew accompanying his mother, June ‘Sukuybtet’ Legrand, as she built friendships with countless
luminaries and communities of people. As
a radio broadcaster, storyteller, educator, and social activist, his
mother surrounded him with Native perspectives and spiritual belief systems. After his mother’s passing in 1992, Shiloh
picked up her mantle and dedicated himself to engagement in Native communities
where he remains devoted to this day; “this is simply our way of life”.
Shiloh has spent
his lifetime forging alliances throughout urban and rural environments. He has volunteered at educationally focused
non-profit organizations for over three decades as a writer, artist, and
instructor to create insights, extend knowledge, and expand distributable tools
related to the mediums of Art, Food Sovereignty, Writing, and the Spoken Word. Shiloh’s capacity to relate to diverse
audiences, while maintaining and enhancing his cultural integrity, demonstrates
his words in action and completes the lessons for all those in which he invests.
In regard to his dedication to Native and non-Native youths Shiloh states, “As a mentor, I want to help them identify the process, structure, and technique of Storytelling in their everyday lives. Children have had a difficult run expressing truthfully their fears, accomplishments, or dreams in a socially-awkward-networked world. I want to guide them in trusting their instincts and holding ownership of their actions.” Utilizing this philosophy, he contributes perspectives that help develop experience, knowledge, and their over-arching relationship-to-self to grow in authentic, individual, and unique expressions.
A
foundational achievement was born when Shiloh partnered as an illustrator with
author and storyteller Gerald Hausman to produce
the award-winning Wisdom Tales book: The Otter, the Spotted Frog & the Great
Flood; a mythical story based in America before humans existed
on earth, with animal characters and a great flood that ends with the creation
of First Man and First Woman in a very surprising way. The book has won three
Midwest Book Awards (Gold Medal in the category “Illustration: Graphic,” and
Silver Medals in the categories “Children’s Picture Books” and “Total Book
Design”) and won the 2013 ForeWord Review “Book of the Year” Bronze Medal Award
in the category “Picture Books, Early Reader.”
Ramon’s collaborative nature has broadened his
accomplishments and continues to positively influence others. Notable works have included: acclaimed Storytelling
at planetariums, fairs, museums, comedy venues; documentarian in music
journalism; graphic novel illustrations; creator and contributor to various
expressions such as “Guidance Through an Illustrative Alphabet”, “The
Corn Whisperer”, multicultural magazine titled “ColorsNW”, “THE ALPHABET
MONOLOGUES, multimedia experience “Star Story Sessions”, “The Art of Comedy
Collection” at the Hollywood Improv, “Pathways to Freedom 2000: A Trail of
Tears” for Rosa Parks and her associated influences, “Young Native Voices
Theater Education Project” at Red Eagle Soaring Youth Theater; hosting a Chef’s
Table at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of The American Indian in Washington
DC; and more.
The collective
influence of these experiences with incredible mentors, communities, perspectives,
initiatives, and stories has shaped Shiloh’s worldview. They continually teach him how to better
bridge the urban-native gap from social commentary to realized action. He is defined by his contributions of
productive thought, perspectives, Storytelling, art for our souls, food for our
bodies, grace of the written word, boundless love, and so much more. Shiloh’s goal is to honor his life’s path, as
well as the legacy of June’s work, and continue
building better partnerships of understanding the Native way.
Look out for his upcoming telling of Constellation Stories through his creation
“Star Stories for Little Dreamers.”
With respect and dignity to All”
Ramon Shiloh
I'm thrilled to be invited to participate as "Guest Speaker" for this important online event happening today, Friday August 5th 2022.
Meaningful Movies Project is a Non-Profit organization who helps communities organize and educate through forums. They empower public discussions with every documentary film highlighted in order to build awareness and critically analyze local, domestic, and international social justice issues.
In this conversation, Meaningful Movies Project teamed with high school students to experience the online screening of "INHABITANTS: An Indigenous Perspective". The film "follows five Native American communities as they transform the fight against climate change with traditional land management practices. Such methods had allowed these populations to successfully live in the American climate before colonization disrupted their way of life. Now, many indigenous communities in the United States are reviving their ancient relationships with the land. The stories showcase movements across the country, such as sustaining traditions of Hopi dryland farming in Arizona, restoring buffalo in Montana’s Blackfeet reservation, maintaining forestry on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin, reviving native food forest in Hawaii, and using the Karuk tribe of California’s prescribed fire techniques. The urgency of the climate crisis has led to many turning to the past and relying on practices by North America’s original inhabitants."
I was not part of this documentary. Due to my extensive involvement in the space of food sovereignty, sustainable agriculture, and Native activism I was asked to contribute and speak to the environmental and cultural concerns presented in this film. Very proud to partner with Meaningful Movies Project in the fight for education and advocacy in order to keep breathing life into our ancestral knowledge and applying the salve of Native perspective to the modern world.