Just out., December 19, 1997, Page 17, Image 17

ju s t o u t T d K M i b w 1 » , 1 9 0 7 Y 17
IN TRIBUTE
The gift of truth
Musician Bonnie Blackwolfy who died this month
took her AIDS diagnosis as a call to help others
,
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by Inga Sorensen
I
t was the early 1970s when the paths of
Susan Colson and Bonnie Blackwolf first
crossed.
Though just 42, Blackwolf leaves a legacy
steeped in music and healing.
“Those years were filled with
promise musically. She played briefly
in a band conducted by Miles Davis.
ccording to Johnson, Blackwolf’s partner
She had great salsa gigs that started at
of the past four years, Blackwolf was born
2 am,” she says. “And she got very
“I initially met Bonnie when my girl­
Dec. 6,1954, in Mud Lake, Idaho, to Carol
involved in the drugs that often ac­
friend and I picked her and her best friend
Cope (now of Aloha) and “a Blackfeet Indian man
company playing music. Drugs had
up hitchhiking on Cornell Road in Beaverton,” who Bonnie never really knew.”
been a challenge for us when we
she says. “We had a ’55 turquoise-and-white
Johnson, 44, says Blackwolf visited Oregon
played together, and continued to be
Oldsmobile full of guitars, and somehow we
during the summers, and eventually moved to the
that for Bonnie.”
squeezed two high school students in.”
state and was adopted by her stepfather, Paul
Johnson says Blackwolf spent
The two would soon meet again—this time at
Kovaleff. She has three half siblings: Gail, now
much of her life battling alcoholism
a “women’s jam,” which was not a surprise given
residing in Australia, Karen, who lives in Eastern
and drug addiction.
the fact that both young women were passionately
Oregon, and James, who lives in Beaverton.
“Bonnie told the story of missing
wrapped up in the burgeoning women’s music
According to Johnson, Blackwolf became in­ the audition for the Saturday Night
scene of that era. Colson would have bass in hand,
volved in music at an early age, “playing with Live band because she was loaded.
while Blackwolf cradled her prized possession, a
Portland’s own Baba Yaga before her teen years
Given what happened to many of the
trumpet.
were finished.”
principals from SNL, she believed
“As I walked in, a young woman was bent over
Colson was the bass player for Baba Yaga, a missing that audition probably saved
a trumpet case. She straightened up her nearly 6
Latin/jazz group comprising women musicians
her life,” Johnson explains.
feet, long brown hair cascading down her back,
who performed together from roughly 1974 to
Colson says Blackwolf eventually
and gave the sweetest smile as she fingered the
1979.
returned to Portland after her New
valves of her trumpet,” recounts Colson, now 49
She says the group toured the country, ap­
York stint, got clean and sober, and nl .
and living in San Francisco.
then went to live for a short while at B lackvolfm lhe ^
*»
peared regularly at Portland’s (now defunct)
Tall and sturdy, Blackwolf presented a strik­
Mountain Moving Cafe, and recorded an album
the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.
wanted to do it just once more,” says Johnson.
ing figure, even without her anomalous instru­ which was distributed by Olivia Records.
“Those were really important years for her. At
“The Babas took in more at the door that night
mental accouterment.
“Bonnie, like the rest of us in the band, was
the time, I felt she was growing beyond who I’d
than the entire national tour they did in the ’70s.
Portland resident Kristan Aspen, 49, who has
learning to play jazz as we went along,” says
known, reaching for new parts of herself. She
After paying people’s airfare, most of the Babas
long been involved in the local women’s commu­
Colson. “One of us would bring in a melody and
became so articulate, painting dreams and con­ gave the money to Bonnie. They were so excited
nity, recalls her first glimpse of Blackwolf.
chord chart for a new composition. Bonnie could
nections between all the parts of living,” she says.
to play together, no one in the band ever told the
“It was in the mid-1970s.... Bonnie was 18 at
compose a mean horn line on the spot;
All along, says Johnson, Blackwolf continued
packed audience why they were doing this show—
the time. I remember she was really shy, really tall
she and the sax player, Patti Vincent,
to work on sobriety issues.
or maybe no one wanted to think about it.”
would go off in the comer for 20 min­
In April, Blackwolf celebrated 11 years of
utes and come back with parts. Later,
being clean and sober. However, five years into
ver the months, Blackwolf became sicker.
we were joined by flute player Nancy
her sobriety, Blackwolf was diagnosed with AIDS.
“Bonnie talked about not wanting to be
Cady, and the three of them could make
“One night she called me, crying, and said that
so medicated that she could not feel her
mountains of horn harmony together.” she had gotten an [AIDS] diagnosis. She was
own illness or experience her own death,” says
She adds, “The trumpet is not a quiet
being tested regularly, and it wasn’t until she got
Colson. “ ‘I didn’t get all these years of sobriety to
instrument; you have to be ready to be
hepatitis that she seroconverted,” Colson recounts.
go out stoned,’ she said to me. And she was true to
front, center and loud most of the time.
“I had already lost very dear friends here in San
that commitment as she died.
Bonnie’s trumpet playing was rich, her
Francisco, so I knew, more than some people in
“At the same time, Bonnie was very clear that
low register was soulful. Yet her nature
her life, what that meant. We talked a lot about the
she didn’t want to die,” continues Colson. “At a
was quieter than even the most muted
epidemic.”
prayer circle the week before she died, she said, ‘ If
trumpet part. So sometimes the trumpet
Instead of caving in to the disease, Johnson
you came here to pray that I would have less pain,
screamed for her, and sometimes it just
says Blackwolf chose to educate others about
I want those prayers. If you came here to pray that
didn’t suit her.”
HIV and AIDS.
a miracle would help me live longer, I want those
Kiera O ’ Hara, 50, who was the Baba
“She became a leader among Native people,
prayers. If you came here to pray that I die soon to
Yaga pianist, says, “Bonnie played an
working on tours with John Trudell and then as an
end my pain, I’d rather not have those prayers,
unusual instrument for a woman, and it
AIDS activist and advocate for the needs of In­
because I don’t want to go yet. And I don’t want
was a good instrument for her. It was
dian people who suffered with AIDS,” she says.
to go because I love being here with all of you.’ ”
forthright, but extremely soulful. It was
“[Blackwolf] was asked to speak at Indian and
her lifeline in terms of her expressing
women’s health conferences in many states as a
t around 9 am on Tuesday, Dec. 2, Blackwolf
her emotions. She had a great deal of
Native woman with AIDS. She was also out as a
died, four days short of her 43rd birthday.
feeling and pain to express.”
lesbian in the Indian community.”
Her body was kept at the home she
Baba Yaga, meanwhile, was mak­
Colson adds, “Her gift to all of us was her
shared with Johnson and Singer until Thursday,
ing an imprint.
truthfulness about her disease, about what the
allowing many people to visit.
“Lots of different people heard the
conditions were in her life that had placed her at
“Just before her body was to be taken by the
music we played in those years,” Colson
risk. She could tell that truth lovingly and hon­
funeral director, 35 people gathered around her
says. “A friend once stood in the crowd
estly and she did so for many, many people.”
bed,” says Johnson. “She was dressed in a white
at ArtQuake while we were playing. A
elk-skin dress with a breastplate and choker, lying
couple walking by stopped to listen.
lackwolf had many community involve­
on a beautiful Pendleton blanket, all of which she
The woman said, ‘Honey, that’s a
ments, friends say. She served on the Les­
had requested. A Blackfeet song was sung, then
Blackwolf at the Baba Yaga reunion in January
woman playing guitar.’ Her husband
bian Community Project board of directors
one by one, everyone in the room said a few words
and played a really loud instrument,” she laughs.
replied, ‘No, couldn’t be.’ She said, ‘Oh, yes it is.
for several years until her health prevented her
about who Bonnie was to them. She touched many
“Bonnie was certainly the first woman I or
And that’s a woman on piano, too.’ ‘Nah, oh,
from doing so.
people in many different circles of life.”
many others had seen play the trumpet,” Colson
maybe so.’ ‘On drums, too, and bass,’ and so on.
During the past couple of years, Blackwolf
Colson adds, “There were so many people, her
concurs.
Finally, ‘It’s a woman playing trumpet, I can’t
worked with Project Quest, a local nonprofit
people, who loved Bonnie. They came to see her
From that time on, Colson’s and Blackwolf’s
believe it.’ ”
HI V/AIDS self-empowerment and immune func­
as she was sick and they came after she died.
lives would become increasingly intertwined. That
She adds, “I am so happy and proud of the girls
tion enhancement program. (Johnson says Project
Bonnie’s last breaths were so peaceful and sweet.
won’t change, says Colson, despite the recent
and young women who saw us play and decided
Quest is dedicating a room to Blackwolf at its new
I felt her spirit fly up from her body as her breath
passing of Blackwolf, who died Dec. 2 in Portland
they wanted to do that, or wanted to try some other
facility.)
stopped.”
of AIDS complications.
dream they’d only dared dream.”
Music, however, remained a spiritual and
Colson, along with Peace H ouse’s Pat
emotional anchor.
Johnson requests remembrances honoring
Schwiebert, Blackwolf’s partner Nikki Johnson,
olson says after Baba Yaga disbanded
Last January, at Blackwolf’s urging, Baba
Blackwolf be sent to Project Quest, 1201 5W
and Blackwolf’s faithful dog Singer, were at her
Blackwolf moved to Oakland, then New
Yaga came together for a reunion concert.
Morrison St., Portland, OR 97205. For more
bedside at the time of death.
York City.
“Bonnie knew it was to be her last, and she
information, call Project Quest at 241-6448.
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