Indigenous Art and its Divine Perspectives

Scott Frazier's Antelope Santee Dolls

Blessings to you as we begin our descent out of the summer, yet still holding onto its joy and abundant message of love. As I mentioned in a previous blog encounter I was born in the summer and for some reason this year, this summer has been the most amazing summer of my life. Perhaps it is because I have returned to the sea and I am very content in my home here.  In addition to building friendships with wonderful people who just seem to fit into my world, and I in theirs.
I have been lax in preparing this blog as so many life-changing events have blessed my life this summer.  The most important is my daughter returning back into my life from an absence of 10 years. So we have been connecting almost every day through emails.  I look so forward to hearing from her each day and including her in my life again.
I would love to share the amazing metaphysical, magical, miracle that reunited us. But first you must be interested in it, and I also must get her permission to share it here.
I do apologize for not including some aspects of myself through this blog.  Primarily I have been so excited about bringing some amazing folks here to you that I completely left out some details about myself.
As you are familiar with my Spring Equinox blog, my husband, I and our little Doxie Auggie, moved from Siskiyou County,  CA. to Del Norte CA.  The Siskiyou region is considered California's High North regions of northern California.  I am descendant of the Shasta, Klamath/Modoc original peoples of the region through my maternal great/grandfather, who's father was Shasta and mother was Klamath/Modoc. Another long story about how I found them in another blog, (also if you are interested in it). Mind you I also produce another blog dedicated to the topics of the Indigenous here on blogger, Flicker's Drum Beat, if you care to visit it.  I created it to keep involved with Indigenous communities that I support as I am also the founder of L.U.T.E.A. a nonprofit organization that supports healing through indigenous perspectives.  However, we are also venturing to build partnerships with local businesses and organizations to collaborate in educating on culture through artistic and music gatherings, and soirees.  If you are interested please contact www.lutea.org to be on our mailing list.
How I reconnected to my great grandfather's peoples was through some amazing ladies at the Yreka Library, (I was on a break finishing up my Ph.D. dissertation), who referred me to Shasta Elder Betty Hall. Betty is the foremost historian on the Shasta peoples as well as Siskiyou County.  She is also related, and that I am honored for our relationship.  Perhaps my sojourn there in Siskiyou County was to meet Betty and to rediscover my Indigenous High North roots, for most of my later adult life I have been drawn to the mountains.
However, my maternal great grandmother was from the Indigenous California communities of the Coast Miwok/Southern Pomo whose homelands originate within Marin County and Sonoma Counties.  My father was from the South Pacific.  Eventually, the ocean called me back and now that I am here I realize how much I've missed it for so many years.
Though Del Norte County is not considered the High Country, it still has the forests, and they are the Redwood forests, again ancestors I had missed when I was living near the sea amongst the Redwoods in the Bodega/Jenner area.  Now feeling at home here, I am looking forward to learning from the Yurok and Tolowa communities.
So there you have it as far as my background, heritage, and region.
The other non-concrete aspects of myself are that I am a vocalist (and have been since I was 6 years of age) and a songwriter.  I am also an artist and anticipate producing more work by the inspirations of those that I honor through this blog as well as the artistic community I live in.
I am also an astrologer for over 45 years now and very involved with healing be it emotional, mental and spiritual utilizing many Indigenous methodologies including utilizing my Reiki Mastership.
I believe an artist yearns and freely ventures into the unseen world, or many times lives within many intangible environments.
So, I am very happy to announce to you that for some time now I will be featuring artists in the upcoming blogs and podcasts.  I hope to interject sporadically some insights and musings I'd personally like to share regarding the topics I previously listed interspersed throughout the next year.
The main focus for this season blog is I want to touch base on the two Indigenous Artists I have featured on my podcast, "Divine Inspirations".   Indigenous Metis artist Lisa Du Fresne from Canada and Indigenous Santee/Sioux, Absarokee (Crow) Artist Scott Frazier.

Lisa Du Fresne

Lisa's Manitou fiber piece in the forest

Example of Lisa's pieces facilitated with Children from recycled materials 

As you have already met up with Lisa Du Fresne, she is again featured as she is firstly known (her identity) as a professional artist in Guelph Ontario Canada. Lisa is an international renown Professional Theatre and visual artist.  She offers dynamic, hands-on, Fun and educational bilingual workshops in Visual Arts, Theatre, Storytelling, Puppetry, Mask, Playwriting and other related subjects. Another subject is that Lisa has been the acquisition Editor for Aontacht Limited that published a metaphysical journal based in Birmingham, UK. Lisa is a very diverse artist, however, in our conversations, Lisa reveals to us on our podcast, her very intimate relationship with nature and a glimpse of the process that she has learned to work within the relationship.  This process is very strongly founded and linked within her spiritual Metis knowing and understanding.  Lisa is not as exposed in the media these last few years as she has been in mourning over her beloved sister Lucie DuFresne.  Lucie DuFresne, Ph.D. Religious Studies facilitated a Women in Religion Conference at Ottawa University that I was asked to present on the spiritual correlations between the Egyptian and Native American cultures and symbolism. At the conference, I met Lisa, and we became fast friends. I've known Lisa for over 20 years. We are very honored to have Lisa share her intimate artistic experiences within her creative process at Divine Inspirations blog and podcast.  Here is a link to the Wellington Adviser to an article on Lisa.
I met Scott Frazier in Montana when I was working on my Master's Degree in Native American Studies. He was so gracious to be an honored guest speaker in several of the classes I taught at Montana State University. He also is an Elder and Knowledge Keeper I turned to when I needed traditional spiritual healing when I was far from my own homeland. I have never lost touch with Scott as I honor and respect all that he does.  Scott had been facilitating Sun Dance Ceremonies for over 35 years and has a very long relationship with the National Park Service in Montana and Wyoming.  Scott was a familiar figure in the dead of winter conducting ceremonies for the protection of the wolves and buffalo in the parks. Scott is also an international Indigenous advocate, founding Project Indigenous working to educate on the need to respect and honor Mother Earth and her traditional peoples. Scott is also an artist of traditional cultural revitalization bringing forth his Plains culture through dolls he has designed and handcrafted.  In our conversation, Scott shares his journey with the dolls and his attitude about being an Indigenous artisan. Scott is also going through the loss of both his beloved parents.  We are so grateful that he has been so generous to spend time sharing about his work on the podcast.  If you wish to listen to the full interview of Scott on another podcast I produce featuring Indigenous guests here is the link to "Our Ancient Lands".  He will also be bringing his dolls out in a show in October.  Scott's showroom site through Made in Montana.
It was a pleasure to reconnect to both Lisa and Scott.  I do hope you receive something of value in listening to both of them and visiting with us here at Divine Inspirations blog.  If you would like to contact either Scott of Lisa, please get in touch with us. If you are interested in future activities I will be in collaboration for the future please don't forget to subscribe or contact me.

Ka Molis!

DiVeena


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