Greetings All - Sorry that the field trip to the waterfront for the salmon homecoming was a bust. However, if you are able to stop by this weekend, it should be worth it. Craig
I would still like you to post your general observations to the blog. I know many of the assigned observations won't be possible. If that is the case, just write (briefly) about the observations in the park with the totems and people.
I got some stuff out of it though :D I actually rather liked it. and the free hot dog. whee!
Totem Poles
I see crows. The totem pole is dark against the sky. It is dry and tall and foreboding. It is a quiet element of respite among the other noisy elements of the waterfront. It doesn’t belong, but has roots that run far deeper than anything else here. The creatures carved into it are staring straight ahead, and look important and frightening. The colours are dull and dim and ancient. The pole is wise-looking. It has a lot more impact and presence than the rest of the buildings around here. The sky is blue. The totem pole is regal and dignified.
People in the park
There are a lot of people in the park. I don’t think any of them are Native Americans. But there is a guy playing the guitar, people with no shoes, a bicycle, sunbathers, tourists. People are enjoying the sun. It’s hot. The area looks commercial and full of tourists. They’re all waiting for something, but for what, it’s not clear. They are all watching, but there is no entertainment. It is noisy, but it is relaxed.
Comparisons
I see Drums and Dream Catchers next to a drum with Homer Simpson’s face on it. I see traditional garb next to tee-shirts and sweatshirts. I see Totem Poles next to Lampposts. Traditional Decorations next to a sign saying the shop accept Visa and Mastercard. Paintings next to postcards. Salmon next to Hot Dogs.
Pattern observations
The patterns are intricate and weaving. The shapes are curved. There are hundreds of triangles. Everything is tapered and cut into shapes like a puzzle. The patterns have bird shapes in them, and are symmetrical with dull colours: blacks, browns, reds, some greens and blues. Every element of space is used in the pattern, whether blank or not.
Park: There is a lot of people sitting in the park. It looks like they are on break from work. They sit on the grass and eat, smoke, and talk. The sun is very bright and every one looks like they are relaxing.
One totem pole has chreatures stacked on top of eachother. It looks like it represents a native tribe.
The other totem pole has a man and a women dressed in overalls. The man looks over at the other totem pole and the women looks away from the pole.
One tent had music playing. The music sounded like a new version of the type of native music I am used to. It had some of the old style drums and flutes in the music.
Totem Poles: Standing tall against the blue sky at Victor Steinbrueck Park are two totem poles. Without a doubt, anyone who would take a glance at either of them could tell that they are native art pieces.
To the right stands a totem whose wooden exterior is covered in faces carved (by hand!), and each face seems to have its own personality. One similar thing about each totem "face" is that each and every one is stacked on top of one another, as if saying that if they all help each other out, they are able to stand strong -- however, that's my own interpretation. I also notice that pigeons seem to have a fondness towards this totem. The totem opposite of this one -- a bare wooded totem with a man propped up on top who looks a bit like Mario from Super Mario Brothers -- is found pigeon-less. Maybe it's because it lacks the personality of the other totem pole. Who knows?
Just as Hannah had stated, it is certain that they don't seem to mesh with the tourist-y area around them. They are tall, and have a bit of oddity to them compared to everything else. But I guess that's what makes them special.
People: Up and around the totem poles, Victor Steinbrueck Park is filled with people who are busily working their way around Pike Place Market: visiting the many shops and booths, snacking on foods, taking pictures, and just sitting around taking in the scenery and good weather. Because the sun was shining high, the grassy area of the park seemed to be filled with sunbathers and folks who were too lethargic from the sun's heat to get up and do anything else. To me, it reminded me of the good ol' hippies back in the day, chilling out on a patch of grass, and just having a swell time doing so. The park seemed to be a big spot for tourists, so there were many individuals whipping out cameras -- including myself! -- to take in the many attractions down at Pike Place. A mixture of individuals scurried around the park, including tourists who come as far as Japan, musicians, busy-bodies looking for a bit of change, and others who just enjoy being out in the sun. It was a good day to take in the all the festivities going around. I was glad that I got to enjoy it as much as they did.
___________________________________
WATERFRONT:
The Salmon Homecoming Festival was just starting to unravel early Friday afternoon. There were small booths along a couple of the piers off of the waterfront. Many of these booths were selling native goods, including ponchos, bags, drums, jewelry, and many other hand crafts. Each and every item sold had native art printed on them. The bold patterns could attract the eye from a mile away. These designs consisted of many geometric shapes, stripes, lines, and dots repeating across the hand-crafted pieces. Other designs consisted of nature patterns -- leaves, animals, etc. Amongst them were also many other American-influenced goods such as native artwork printed on sweatshirts, t-shirts, fashion shoes, postcards, and much more. I suppose, there had to be some way for these individuals to attract the attention of the many tourists in the area. Familiar characters including Doraemon, Pepe le Pew, Homer Simpson, and Nimo could be seen on little toy drums found in one of the vendor booths.
As you continue into the festival, there were small food vendors setting up for the festivities. I wasn't able to find much native food, but I did happen to come across a booth selling foods such as Cajun fried catfish, fried chicken, fried okra, french fries, hot dogs, ice cream, and lemonade. Yummy food that goes straight to your thighs. Mm. (Haha, I kid. Kinda.)
Besides food and fashion items, local organizations set up fort to advocate many environmental concerns. These consisted of habitat restoration, water resources, forestry, dam removal, and energy conservation. Many of these contribute to some of the natural resources in which natives and conservationists strive to protect. I learned a lot from these stalls, especially from the free brochures I happened to swipe. I also got a spiffy little whistle from the Seattle City Light booth. Pretty cool. :)
All in all, the festival was enjoyable. I'm sure if I had hung around for a few more days, there would have been more to see and do, but overall it wasn't too bad. If I wasn't told about this event, I wouldn't have known that it existed! Maybe I'll go again some other day -- hopefully they'll still have free hot dogs.
Towering over the grassy park at the pier stands an old wooden log backed by a metal slate. Carved into the wood are animals with exaggerated futures which depict the animals' strengths and symbolysm. Pigeons roost on the projections of wood, unceremoniously splattering it with their excrement. The order of the animals standing on each other describes a lineage, a ceremonious right, a tribe, or family's, history. It states "I am and I have been." Is this the last tribute to a diminishing people? a pole on the edge of the park where tourists sunbathe. It is a tribute to what was once one of the wealthiest groups of people in the Pacific Northwest. The people in the park are enjoying a sunny afternoon. They sit on benches reading, smoking, chatting, or they lay on the grass soaking in the sun rays. They are a mix of ages, colors, and cultures, but no Native Americans can be seen. The people are tourists on a brief visit. They are students out for a break. They are business people rushing by. They are each the center of their own unique story of life. Native-nonNative native symbols on sweatshirts and post cards. Handbeaded jewelry next to mass produced necklaces made in China. Salmon and frybread dinners served with Dr. Pepper and Fritos. I see a people holding on to the remaining fragments of their culture while embracing the new culture that others brought to them from as early as beading exchanges to technlogical exchanges. They are a people adapting to the modern world while holding on to their history and bringing it to the forefront of their lives again on occassions such as the salmon homecoming. I went back on Saturday and enjoyed some salmon and frybread, toured the booths and watched their dancing and drumming competitions. Their dances are neat to watch because of the patterns, they start slow in a circle then the tempo speads up and they continue in their circle with their movements. I saw such a blend of cultures there and realized that this was as much a traditional celebration for the tribes as an opportunity for them to share some of their culture with their neighbors.
PARK: The totem that I was immediately drawn to was the one with all of the different carvings. It seemed to me like the most “native.” I counted about seven different animals. It was hard to see the detail with the sun being so bright.
As far as the people in the park go, it seemed like the totem pole was the last thing on their mind. The all seemed to be there for the purpose of enjoying the sun, water, and each other’s company. They looked past the totem pole even though it faced them. They did seem to pay attention to our group, curious as to why such a large group would be taking notes on the totem.
The organizations tried to create a mixture by not to making it all about one certain thing, but a variety of different interests and causes. They aimed for a variety of people whether it was for the natural issues or just some semi-native shopping.
Some organizations that I saw were: • Puget Sound Tidal Energy Projects • The Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Program • Nooksack Recovery Team • The Elwah Dam Removal • F.I.S.H. (Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery)
Foods available: Ketchup, mustard, etc. other condiments Chips Coffee (Didn’t get to see what would actually get to go on the grill)
GEOMETRIC SHAPES AND COLOR: Black, red, white, blue, green & leather (light and dark browns) Curved edges Triangles Diamonds
Hannah Mootz September 9, 2007 Puget Sound Stories Salmon Homecoming
Exploration: Salmon Homecoming
Park- The totem pole I observed had a pattern of a small face then a big face topped on one another. I noticed a lot the faces appeared to be of some sort of bird, and the other animal faces were difficult to specifically define. One looked like a monkey, and there was definitely a human face as well. Real-life pigeons sat on something that sticks out from the pole horizontally. The main colors of this specific totem were brown, black, tan and maroon. There were several hands, feet, legs and arms that were part of the pole. There were groups of people in circles, some playing guitar and others just talking. A lot of people were napping! Some looked like they were just relaxing in the sun, and others looked homeless and trying to find a place to sleep or passed out from substances. There were men who stared, and families with babies and elders. This park seemed like both a tourist attraction and yet also a sanctuary for drug-users and the homeless to sleep or just be.
Stereotypes Warrior Friend of Nature Dependent Man in army suit napping Hippies Smokers White woman cop on a horse Someone checking out the flowers Passed out Natives and non-Natives Someone soaking up the sun A Native petting and kissing the horse that this cop (authority/higher status) was riding for the job, while the Native was befriending the horse.
Waterfront-
Native Non-Native Selling of baskets woven by a Native woman Sunglasses Clothes, jewelry, dream catchers Native American woman eating fried chicken CD’s of Native music Shirts represent Native Americans being the original founding fathers, but on a cotton t-shirt Drums and Sticks Elephant Ears Beaded Dolls Frye Bread Buffalo Burger
I saw hardly any performance art by Natives. I did see a man dressed in a brown suit with green hair who was waving to people, perhaps promoting a restaurant or store. There was also another man who was dressed in all silver with crazy silver hair and glasses. He was on a silver bucket, juggling silver bowling pins and taking pictures with tourists. He may have been a Native American, but it was too hard to tell with the paint. The only other performance art form I could see was drumming circles with dancing, but it was in an area that was restricted to non-tribal people. I saw both types of stereotypes of Natives. I saw a lot of them obviously drunk or passed out from alcohol. But I also witnessed men and women in full paint with feathers that stood proud of their culture.
Totem Pole: "Farmer's Pole" Designed by Victor Steinbruek Carved by: James Bender
The totem pole that I looked at was a long wooden pole smooth almost all the way up. Yet at the top there was a man and woman back to back sitting a top the pole. The man is wearing a blue jumpsuit with a hat that looks similar to a fedora. There is a round yellow circle on his front. He has a mustache. The woman is wearing a red skirt and white blouse. She has black shoulder length hair. She has the same yellow circle on her chest as well. Nose is broad, she has a very native appearance. Judging by the way they are together it could symbolize many things. They are back to back and very close and in another sense because they are facing away they are apart. They could be seen as protecting eachother from all sides. It is the farmers duty to protect his woman whereas her duty is to support him. It could also be taken as if they are leaning away from one another. They have turned their backs to each other. When white man colonized america many men took native brides and as history has sometimes stated these woman's lives held no meaning to them anymore.
People in the park: -TOURISTS (Nicer the day the more there are) -Residents (tanning, smoking) -Bicyclists -Homeless -Couples on day dates -Students taking notes
WATERFRONT:
There werent many booths set up yet but we still got a good look at many things. There were many educational booths set up to teach you about salmon. What they mean to our environment, they're process of life and what we can do to help them become stronger. Many of the booths had activities and kid friendly posters to invite them in and help them learn more directly.
We saw many things for sale, from dreamcatchers to sunglasses and high heels. I didn't notice much food besides the restaurants on the pier.
From a Design Standpoint:
From what I saw there were a few objects that cause my eye. One was woven baskets with geometric shapes in patterns along the sides. Another was wool blankets with traditional native patterns covering the whole thing. The patterns were mostly made up of triangles and diamonds. The colors were what made it really catch your eye. Woven into the baskets and in the blankets I saw beige, black, red, teal, brown and orange. -
Park: I spent my time looking at the totem pole that was made of the animal carvings. I'm not absolutely sure why they carved the animals they did, especialy the bottom one that looked like it was holding an offspring. I think that the natives carve stories into the poles using the animals to represent certain people or events. While at the park and looking around at the different people I couldn't really see any of the stereotypes we had talked about. Well, except for one. I saw a man on a hill who clearly a friend of nature. He had dreadlocked hair and was playing guitar. Granted that alone doesn't dictate a friend of nature, but the fact that on his guitar were stickers to raise environmental awareness and support nature groups is a good indication.
Native:
Massive totem pole Selling of traditional garbs Little celebration hand drum Native music on CD
Non-Native:
Pole cut in 1/2 Concrete support Hand drums, had non-native printNative art being sold on non-native things
Located in the park where two totem polls. One was in the traditional style, depicting all sorts of animals (im guessing that are related to the tribe that created it). The second totem poll (if you could call it that) was something of a mockery. It was just a tall poll with a man in blue over-alls...a tragic copy-cat made in the ''white- man'' world. As far as stereotypes go, the more traditional poll created an atmosphere that would sugest that man is a friend of nature, and maybe even a little dependent on it. While the other poll...well it was just sad... it suggested that man is superior...so i guess it had a little bit of the whole warrior thing going on. As far as peiple in the park, it was mostly tourists...of so it seemed...there were also some homeless people just hanging out on the grass, sleeping, handling, etc.
Waterfront: As we entered the celebration many hours before it began we didn't run into a lot of traditional foods, crafts, music, and dance. Actually we faced more enviormental groups and venders. The enviormental groups had games (which Brandon found amusing) and panthlets duscussing mostly the issue of the sounds water and it's impact on the life it holds. The venders sold mostly knock- offs of things that looked native...$$$$$ tourists (and even us) love that kind of stuff!
Chart:
Native: *Jewery/ using native designs in the beading, as well as leather work. *Prints/ prints using traditional designs and symbols. *baskets and hats/ weaved. *shells *Musical inmstruments/ fluts and such decorated in bright colors and symbols. *weaved ponchos
Non-Native: *T-shirts *Hot dogs *Instruments with Homer Simpsons face on it. *Blankets with sports teams on them. *non-native jewelery/ beading and metal work that has nothing to do with tradional work.
**As far as looking and costumes and props, I wasn't really able too. On friday not much going on, and unluckily i was unable to return over the rest of the weekend due to work. However I did take notice of jewery, clothing, and instruments for sale, and discussed them in the above chart.**
Tori Bryan 9/10/2007 Seattle Salmon Homecoming Excursion Observations
Sorry if there isn't enough here! There wasn't really anything going on...
Park: I see every type of person here. Black, white, rich, poor. Every race and creed. Tourists, buisnessmen, artists, students. Old, young, middle-aged. There's alot of culture here, and to me, it feels like nothing is really out of place here. Everything is calm and serene, everyone is just either relaxing or having fun with their friends, taking a break from work.
Totem pole: The pole is alot taller than I thought it would be, with alot more detail too. Someone poured their heart and soul into carving this. It's mostly in hues of brown, black, blue and red. I can see several animals, though I can't tell whether I'm right which ones they are. I see Bears, an Orca, Eagle, Rabbit, possibly a beaver, and a hawk/some smaller type of bird. I think the only thing taking away from the majestic appearance of the totem pole is the pigeon's perched on the Orca's dorsal fin.
Comparisons: A handwoven poncho next to a Seattle Seahawks throw blanket, obviously not hand woven, or a machine-embroidered sweatshirt. Home-made bags next to one's obviously not. Native drums and flutes next to CD's. Handmade ceramics next to glass cases.
I know that this is long and late, but here it is anyway.
In the park there were two totem poles that were vastly different. One of these totem poles was classically Native American in that it had the stylized characters stacked on top of each other. The faces and bodies were so unrecognizable compared to reality that it was difficult to determine if they were either human or some sort of beast, with the exception of wings or an obvious likeness to an animal. The bottom creature could be either human or animal, is a female holding her child. Above is a small bird, perhaps a crow. On top of the bird is an animal with a unique face portraying perhaps a rodent or a similar animal. On top of the totem is a large bird, most likely an eagle, placed on top to signify superiority. There is a large, saw-like object that sticks quite a few feet out from the middle of the totem pole. This might represent masculinity to show that women are needed for the birth of humankind, but men are dominant. The park that the totem poles resided in was crowded with tourists. None of the tourists resembled anything like a warrior or in tune with nature. Plenty of them seemed dependent on something like their cell phone or food or their cameras. Being that the day that I came to the Salmon Home Coming was the first day that they opened, there was not a great variety of things there. However, there were plenty of little shops that were selling a variety of Native American things, and things that were not Native American. There were clothes being sold in one shop that were stereotypical children dresses. There were also beaded necklaces and earrings that were classically Native American. At the same place there were also t-shirts being sold with the printing of an animal or even a picture of a Seahawk. Next to the jewelry there were sunglasses being sold. In another booth there were C-Ds being sold. Some of the music was of nature of the typical Native American drum beats and singing. Next to these C-Ds were Christian songs and romance music. Next to the booth was another demonstrating how to fish. There were pictures of the old style of fishing with small nets. But in a different picture there was a picture of a man fishing still with a net, but a more convenient, modern style of net. There was a great deal of Native American things that were being sold at the Salmon Homecoming Festival. Things like rugs with designs of animals like wolves. Other things like deer skin drums and an Indian girl doll. Also bracelets with bear foot prints on them. Examples of things being sold that were not Native American were mugs with pictures on them and post cards. There were carvings of elephants and watches with the print of Mickey Mouse. As far as the artistic aspect of the Indians, there was a great deal of reds, light blues and deep browns. In most of the art work, the artists seemed to favor dark, rich colors. Also, almost everything that they did was always symmetrical or circular. Half of the art work was out of beads or thread. Everything that was portrayed in the artwork was stylized. There were plenty of fish, bears, deer, elk, crabs, eagles, and male and female humans. There were a great deal of feathers placed in the particular work and plenty of foot prints. Several of the more stereotypical things were placed on more modern objects such as mugs and t-shirts. Things like animals, mostly the wolf or an eagle, which go along with the stereotype of how the Native Americans were in tune with nature. Also all of the booths that were selling things portrayed that the people selling things were dependant on the people who might buy from them. There was one Native American who was a security guard that might be thought of as a warrior. These were the observations taken from the tour made from walking through the Salmon Homecoming Festival. -Christine Bingham
14 comments:
I would still like you to post your general observations to the blog. I know many of the assigned observations won't be possible. If that is the case, just write (briefly) about the observations in the park with the totems and people.
I got some stuff out of it though :D
I actually rather liked it. and the free hot dog.
whee!
Totem Poles
I see crows. The totem pole is dark against the sky. It is dry and tall and foreboding. It is a quiet element of respite among the other noisy elements of the waterfront. It doesn’t belong, but has roots that run far deeper than anything else here.
The creatures carved into it are staring straight ahead, and look important and frightening. The colours are dull and dim and ancient. The pole is wise-looking. It has a lot more impact and presence than the rest of the buildings around here.
The sky is blue. The totem pole is regal and dignified.
People in the park
There are a lot of people in the park. I don’t think any of them are Native Americans. But there is a guy playing the guitar, people with no shoes, a bicycle, sunbathers, tourists. People are enjoying the sun. It’s hot.
The area looks commercial and full of tourists. They’re all waiting for something, but for what, it’s not clear. They are all watching, but there is no entertainment.
It is noisy, but it is relaxed.
Comparisons
I see Drums and Dream Catchers next to a drum with Homer Simpson’s face on it.
I see traditional garb next to tee-shirts and sweatshirts.
I see Totem Poles next to Lampposts.
Traditional Decorations next to a sign saying the shop accept Visa and Mastercard.
Paintings next to postcards.
Salmon next to Hot Dogs.
Pattern observations
The patterns are intricate and weaving. The shapes are curved. There are hundreds of triangles. Everything is tapered and cut into shapes like a puzzle.
The patterns have bird shapes in them, and are symmetrical with dull colours: blacks, browns, reds, some greens and blues.
Every element of space is used in the pattern, whether blank or not.
Park: There is a lot of people sitting in the park. It looks like they are on break from work. They sit on the grass and eat, smoke, and talk. The sun is very bright and every one looks like they are relaxing.
One totem pole has chreatures stacked on top of eachother. It looks like it represents a native tribe.
The other totem pole has a man and a women dressed in overalls. The man looks over at the other totem pole and the women looks away from the pole.
One tent had music playing. The music sounded like a new version of the type of native music I am used to. It had some of the old style drums and flutes in the music.
Dylan Lathe
VICTOR STEINBRUECK PARK
Totem Poles: Standing tall against the blue sky at Victor Steinbrueck Park are two totem poles. Without a doubt, anyone who would take a glance at either of them could tell that they are native art pieces.
To the right stands a totem whose wooden exterior is covered in faces carved (by hand!), and each face seems to have its own personality. One similar thing about each totem "face" is that each and every one is stacked on top of one another, as if saying that if they all help each other out, they are able to stand strong -- however, that's my own interpretation. I also notice that pigeons seem to have a fondness towards this totem. The totem opposite of this one -- a bare wooded totem with a man propped up on top who looks a bit like Mario from Super Mario Brothers -- is found pigeon-less. Maybe it's because it lacks the personality of the other totem pole. Who knows?
Just as Hannah had stated, it is certain that they don't seem to mesh with the tourist-y area around them. They are tall, and have a bit of oddity to them compared to everything else. But I guess that's what makes them special.
People: Up and around the totem poles, Victor Steinbrueck Park is filled with people who are busily working their way around Pike Place Market: visiting the many shops and booths, snacking on foods, taking pictures, and just sitting around taking in the scenery and good weather. Because the sun was shining high, the grassy area of the park seemed to be filled with sunbathers and folks who were too lethargic from the sun's heat to get up and do anything else. To me, it reminded me of the good ol' hippies back in the day, chilling out on a patch of grass, and just having a swell time doing so. The park seemed to be a big spot for tourists, so there were many individuals whipping out cameras -- including myself! -- to take in the many attractions down at Pike Place. A mixture of individuals scurried around the park, including tourists who come as far as Japan, musicians, busy-bodies looking for a bit of change, and others who just enjoy being out in the sun. It was a good day to take in the all the festivities going around. I was glad that I got to enjoy it as much as they did.
___________________________________
WATERFRONT:
The Salmon Homecoming Festival was just starting to unravel early Friday afternoon. There were small booths along a couple of the piers off of the waterfront. Many of these booths were selling native goods, including ponchos, bags, drums, jewelry, and many other hand crafts. Each and every item sold had native art printed on them. The bold patterns could attract the eye from a mile away. These designs consisted of many geometric shapes, stripes, lines, and dots repeating across the hand-crafted pieces. Other designs consisted of nature patterns -- leaves, animals, etc. Amongst them were also many other American-influenced goods such as native artwork printed on sweatshirts, t-shirts, fashion shoes, postcards, and much more. I suppose, there had to be some way for these individuals to attract the attention of the many tourists in the area. Familiar characters including Doraemon, Pepe le Pew, Homer Simpson, and Nimo could be seen on little toy drums found in one of the vendor booths.
As you continue into the festival, there were small food vendors setting up for the festivities. I wasn't able to find much native food, but I did happen to come across a booth selling foods such as Cajun fried catfish, fried chicken, fried okra, french fries, hot dogs, ice cream, and lemonade. Yummy food that goes straight to your thighs. Mm. (Haha, I kid. Kinda.)
Besides food and fashion items, local organizations set up fort to advocate many environmental concerns. These consisted of habitat restoration, water resources, forestry, dam removal, and energy conservation. Many of these contribute to some of the natural resources in which natives and conservationists strive to protect. I learned a lot from these stalls, especially from the free brochures I happened to swipe. I also got a spiffy little whistle from the Seattle City Light booth. Pretty cool. :)
All in all, the festival was enjoyable. I'm sure if I had hung around for a few more days, there would have been more to see and do, but overall it wasn't too bad. If I wasn't told about this event, I wouldn't have known that it existed! Maybe I'll go again some other day -- hopefully they'll still have free hot dogs.
Towering over the grassy park at the pier stands an old wooden log backed by a metal slate. Carved into the wood are animals with exaggerated futures which depict the animals' strengths and symbolysm. Pigeons roost on the projections of wood, unceremoniously splattering it with their excrement. The order of the animals standing on each other describes a lineage, a ceremonious right, a tribe, or family's, history. It states "I am and I have been." Is this the last tribute to a diminishing people? a pole on the edge of the park where tourists sunbathe. It is a tribute to what was once one of the wealthiest groups of people in the Pacific Northwest.
The people in the park are enjoying a sunny afternoon. They sit on benches reading, smoking, chatting, or they lay on the grass soaking in the sun rays. They are a mix of ages, colors, and cultures, but no Native Americans can be seen. The people are tourists on a brief visit. They are students out for a break. They are business people rushing by. They are each the center of their own unique story of life.
Native-nonNative
native symbols on sweatshirts and post cards.
Handbeaded jewelry next to mass produced necklaces made in China.
Salmon and frybread dinners served with Dr. Pepper and Fritos.
I see a people holding on to the remaining fragments of their culture while embracing the new culture that others brought to them from as early as beading exchanges to technlogical exchanges. They are a people adapting to the modern world while holding on to their history and bringing it to the forefront of their lives again on occassions such as the salmon homecoming.
I went back on Saturday and enjoyed some salmon and frybread, toured the booths and watched their dancing and drumming competitions. Their dances are neat to watch because of the patterns, they start slow in a circle then the tempo speads up and they continue in their circle with their movements. I saw such a blend of cultures there and realized that this was as much a traditional celebration for the tribes as an opportunity for them to share some of their culture with their neighbors.
Natalie Fisher
PARK:
The totem that I was immediately drawn to was the one with all of the different carvings. It seemed to me like the most “native.” I counted about seven different animals. It was hard to see the detail with the sun being so bright.
As far as the people in the park go, it seemed like the totem pole was the last thing on their mind. The all seemed to be there for the purpose of enjoying the sun, water, and each other’s company. They looked past the totem pole even though it faced them. They did seem to pay attention to our group, curious as to why such a large group would be taking notes on the totem.
WATERFRONT:
Native Non-Native
Ponchos Sunglasses
Dream catcher Necklace
Seal drum Homer Simpson drum
Woven blankets Tie-dye sweatshirts
Mugs,
magnets,
postcards, plates
The organizations tried to create a mixture by not to making it all about one certain thing, but a variety of different interests and causes. They aimed for a variety of people whether it was for the natural issues or just some semi-native shopping.
Some organizations that I saw were:
• Puget Sound Tidal Energy Projects
• The Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Program
• Nooksack Recovery Team
• The Elwah Dam Removal
• F.I.S.H. (Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery)
Foods available:
Ketchup, mustard, etc. other condiments
Chips
Coffee
(Didn’t get to see what would actually get to go on the grill)
GEOMETRIC SHAPES AND COLOR:
Black, red, white, blue, green & leather (light and dark browns)
Curved edges
Triangles
Diamonds
Hannah Mootz
September 9, 2007
Puget Sound Stories
Salmon Homecoming
Exploration:
Salmon Homecoming
Park-
The totem pole I observed had a pattern of a small face then a big face topped on one another. I noticed a lot the faces appeared to be of some sort of bird, and the other animal faces were difficult to specifically define. One looked like a monkey, and there was definitely a human face as well. Real-life pigeons sat on something that sticks out from the pole horizontally. The main colors of this specific totem were brown, black, tan and maroon. There were several hands, feet, legs and arms that were part of the pole.
There were groups of people in circles, some playing guitar and others just talking. A lot of people were napping! Some looked like they were just relaxing in the sun, and others looked homeless and trying to find a place to sleep or passed out from substances. There were men who stared, and families with babies and elders. This park seemed like both a tourist attraction and yet also a sanctuary for drug-users and the homeless to sleep or just be.
Stereotypes
Warrior Friend of Nature Dependent
Man in army suit napping Hippies Smokers
White woman cop on a horse Someone checking out the flowers Passed out Natives and non-Natives
Someone soaking up the sun
A Native petting and kissing the horse that this cop (authority/higher status) was riding for the job, while the Native was befriending the horse.
Waterfront-
Native Non-Native
Selling of baskets woven by a Native woman Sunglasses
Clothes, jewelry, dream catchers Native American woman eating fried chicken
CD’s of Native music Shirts represent Native Americans being the original founding fathers, but on a cotton t-shirt
Drums and Sticks Elephant Ears
Beaded Dolls
Frye Bread
Buffalo Burger
I saw hardly any performance art by Natives. I did see a man dressed in a brown suit with green hair who was waving to people, perhaps promoting a restaurant or store. There was also another man who was dressed in all silver with crazy silver hair and glasses. He was on a silver bucket, juggling silver bowling pins and taking pictures with tourists. He may have been a Native American, but it was too hard to tell with the paint. The only other performance art form I could see was drumming circles with dancing, but it was in an area that was restricted to non-tribal people.
I saw both types of stereotypes of Natives. I saw a lot of them obviously drunk or passed out from alcohol. But I also witnessed men and women in full paint with feathers that stood proud of their culture.
Jessica Greco
Exloration: Salmon homecoming.
Totem Pole: "Farmer's Pole"
Designed by Victor Steinbruek
Carved by: James Bender
The totem pole that I looked at was a long wooden pole smooth almost all the way up. Yet at the top there was a man and woman back to back sitting a top the pole. The man is wearing a blue jumpsuit with a hat that looks similar to a fedora. There is a round yellow circle on his front. He has a mustache. The woman is wearing a red skirt and white blouse. She has black shoulder length hair. She has the same yellow circle on her chest as well. Nose is broad, she has a very native appearance. Judging by the way they are together it could symbolize many things. They are back to back and very close and in another sense because they are facing away they are apart. They could be seen as protecting eachother from all sides. It is the farmers duty to protect his woman whereas her duty is to support him. It could also be taken as if they are leaning away from one another. They have turned their backs to each other. When white man colonized america many men took native brides and as history has sometimes stated these woman's lives held no meaning to them anymore.
People in the park:
-TOURISTS (Nicer the day the more there are)
-Residents (tanning, smoking)
-Bicyclists
-Homeless
-Couples on day dates
-Students taking notes
WATERFRONT:
There werent many booths set up yet but we still got a good look at many things. There were many educational booths set up to teach you about salmon. What they mean to our environment, they're process of life and what we can do to help them become stronger. Many of the booths had activities and kid friendly posters to invite them in and help them learn more directly.
We saw many things for sale, from dreamcatchers to sunglasses and high heels. I didn't notice much food besides the restaurants on the pier.
From a Design Standpoint:
From what I saw there were a few objects that cause my eye. One was woven baskets with geometric shapes in patterns along the sides. Another was wool blankets with traditional native patterns covering the whole thing. The patterns were mostly made up of triangles and diamonds. The colors were what made it really catch your eye. Woven into the baskets and in the blankets I saw beige, black, red, teal, brown and orange.
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Park: I spent my time looking at the totem pole that was made of the animal carvings. I'm not absolutely sure why they carved the animals they did, especialy the bottom one that looked like it was holding an offspring. I think that the natives carve stories into the poles using the animals to represent certain people or events.
While at the park and looking around at the different people I couldn't really see any of the stereotypes we had talked about. Well, except for one. I saw a man on a hill who clearly a friend of nature. He had dreadlocked hair and was playing guitar. Granted that alone doesn't dictate a friend of nature, but the fact that on his guitar were stickers to raise environmental awareness and support nature groups is a good indication.
Native:
Massive totem pole
Selling of traditional garbs
Little celebration hand drum
Native music on CD
Non-Native:
Pole cut in 1/2
Concrete support
Hand drums, had non-native printNative art being sold on non-native things
Park:
Located in the park where two totem polls. One was in the traditional style, depicting all sorts of animals (im guessing that are related to the tribe that created it). The second totem poll (if you could call it that) was something of a mockery. It was just a tall poll with a man in blue over-alls...a tragic copy-cat made in the ''white- man'' world. As far as stereotypes go, the more traditional poll created an atmosphere that would sugest that man is a friend of nature, and maybe even a little dependent on it. While the other poll...well it was just sad... it suggested that man is superior...so i guess it had a little bit of the whole warrior thing going on. As far as peiple in the park, it was mostly tourists...of so it seemed...there were also some homeless people just hanging out on the grass, sleeping, handling, etc.
Waterfront:
As we entered the celebration many hours before it began we didn't run into a lot of traditional foods, crafts, music, and dance. Actually we faced more enviormental groups and venders. The enviormental groups had games (which Brandon found amusing) and panthlets duscussing mostly the issue of the sounds water and it's impact on the life it holds. The venders sold mostly knock- offs of things that looked native...$$$$$ tourists (and even us) love that kind of stuff!
Chart:
Native:
*Jewery/ using native designs in the beading, as well as leather work.
*Prints/ prints using traditional designs and symbols.
*baskets and hats/ weaved.
*shells
*Musical inmstruments/ fluts and such decorated in bright colors and symbols.
*weaved ponchos
Non-Native:
*T-shirts
*Hot dogs
*Instruments with Homer Simpsons face on it.
*Blankets with sports teams on them.
*non-native jewelery/ beading and metal work that has nothing to do with tradional work.
**As far as looking and costumes and props, I wasn't really able too. On friday not much going on, and unluckily i was unable to return over the rest of the weekend due to work. However I did take notice of jewery, clothing, and instruments for sale, and discussed them in the above chart.**
Tori Bryan
9/10/2007
Seattle Salmon Homecoming Excursion
Observations
Sorry if there isn't enough here! There wasn't really anything going on...
Park:
I see every type of person here. Black, white, rich, poor. Every race and creed. Tourists, buisnessmen, artists, students. Old, young, middle-aged. There's alot of culture here, and to me, it feels like nothing is really out of place here. Everything is calm and serene, everyone is just either relaxing or having fun with their friends, taking a break from work.
Totem pole:
The pole is alot taller than I thought it would be, with alot more detail too. Someone poured their heart and soul into carving this. It's mostly in hues of brown, black, blue and red. I can see several animals, though I can't tell whether I'm right which ones they are. I see Bears, an Orca, Eagle, Rabbit, possibly a beaver, and a hawk/some smaller type of bird. I think the only thing taking away from the majestic appearance of the totem pole is the pigeon's perched on the Orca's dorsal fin.
Comparisons:
A handwoven poncho next to a Seattle Seahawks throw blanket, obviously not hand woven, or a machine-embroidered sweatshirt. Home-made bags next to one's obviously not. Native drums and flutes next to CD's. Handmade ceramics next to glass cases.
I know that this is long and late, but here it is anyway.
In the park there were two totem poles that were vastly different. One of these totem poles was classically Native American in that it had the stylized characters stacked on top of each other. The faces and bodies were so unrecognizable compared to reality that it was difficult to determine if they were either human or some sort of beast, with the exception of wings or an obvious likeness to an animal. The bottom creature could be either human or animal, is a female holding her child. Above is a small bird, perhaps a crow. On top of the bird is an animal with a unique face portraying perhaps a rodent or a similar animal. On top of the totem is a large bird, most likely an eagle, placed on top to signify superiority. There is a large, saw-like object that sticks quite a few feet out from the middle of the totem pole. This might represent masculinity to show that women are needed for the birth of humankind, but men are dominant. The park that the totem poles resided in was crowded with tourists. None of the tourists resembled anything like a warrior or in tune with nature. Plenty of them seemed dependent on something like their cell phone or food or their cameras.
Being that the day that I came to the Salmon Home Coming was the first day that they opened, there was not a great variety of things there. However, there were plenty of little shops that were selling a variety of Native American things, and things that were not Native American. There were clothes being sold in one shop that were stereotypical children dresses. There were also beaded necklaces and earrings that were classically Native American. At the same place there were also t-shirts being sold with the printing of an animal or even a picture of a Seahawk. Next to the jewelry there were sunglasses being sold.
In another booth there were C-Ds being sold. Some of the music was of nature of the typical Native American drum beats and singing. Next to these C-Ds were Christian songs and romance music. Next to the booth was another demonstrating how to fish. There were pictures of the old style of fishing with small nets. But in a different picture there was a picture of a man fishing still with a net, but a more convenient, modern style of net. There was a great deal of Native American things that were being sold at the Salmon Homecoming Festival. Things like rugs with designs of animals like wolves. Other things like deer skin drums and an Indian girl doll. Also bracelets with bear foot prints on them. Examples of things being sold that were not Native American were mugs with pictures on them and post cards. There were carvings of elephants and watches with the print of Mickey Mouse.
As far as the artistic aspect of the Indians, there was a great deal of reds, light blues and deep browns. In most of the art work, the artists seemed to favor dark, rich colors. Also, almost everything that they did was always symmetrical or circular. Half of the art work was out of beads or thread. Everything that was portrayed in the artwork was stylized. There were plenty of fish, bears, deer, elk, crabs, eagles, and male and female humans. There were a great deal of feathers placed in the particular work and plenty of foot prints.
Several of the more stereotypical things were placed on more modern objects such as mugs and t-shirts. Things like animals, mostly the wolf or an eagle, which go along with the stereotype of how the Native Americans were in tune with nature. Also all of the booths that were selling things portrayed that the people selling things were dependant on the people who might buy from them. There was one Native American who was a security guard that might be thought of as a warrior. These were the observations taken from the tour made from walking through the Salmon Homecoming Festival.
-Christine Bingham
Good words.
Dreamcatchers next to a drum with Homer Simpson's face on it...
Strange how crows seem to flock to totems.
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