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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2010)
Smoke Signals 7 JUNE 1,2010 'Trickster7 publication includes Thorsgard family story By Ron Karten SmiJte StgintU thifuriler Virginia-baaed cartoonist Matt Dembecki accompanied his wife to the library one day in 2007, and while she wandered off to look up her books, he ran across an an thology of trickster stories on the shelves where he was browsing. "It had neat little spot illustra tions," he said, "and the stories were kind of neat. I thought,'! could do some experimental art with something like these.'" And so began the idea for the book Trickster," a set of stories illustrated in the stylo of graphic novels. Dembecki reached out to Native American storytellers and all his favorite artists from across the country. One of the stories came from Tribal member and Tribal Cultural Protection Coordinator Eirik Thorsgard, whose family has been a Native story collector for generations. "I contacted my family to see if it would be appropriate and they agreed," said Thorsgard. "I gave him a story entitled, 'When Coyote Decided to Get Married.' " "I wanted the stories to be au thentic," said Dembecki. "It was critical to get buy-in from storytell ers. I spent two years finding the storytellers. I went to colleges and agencies. People would refer me to others." When he had the storytellers signed up, he said, "I wanted to include them every step of the way. There are a lot of cultural issues I want to be sensitive to, but not patronizing of. What I did, when I received a story, I came up with short list of potential artists that I thought would do a good job with that story. 'The strength of the book is the various styles: cartoony, photoreal- ATTENTION TRIBAL MEMBERS COMMITTEE AND SPECIAL EVENT BOARD VACANCIES The following Committees and Special Event Boards have vacant positions. Veterans' Special Event Board 1 Vacancy Powwow Special Event Board ' 1 Vacancy Rodeo Special Event Board 1 Vacancy Please send completed applications to Dakota Whitecloud, Tribal Council Relations Coordinator, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347. . JUNE 5TH & 6TH, 2010 13th ANNUAL. HONORING ALL VETERANS HELD AT THE VA BASEBALL FIELD V.A. SORCC (FORMERLT THE VETERANS DOMiaUAMT) 8495 CRATER LAKE HWY. WHITE CITY, OREGON PUBLIC WELCOME FREE ADMISSION ABSOLUTELY NO DRUCS ALCOHOL OR WEAPONS ALLOWED MCs: Bob Tom & David West Arena Director: Lynn Schonchln Head Man: Abbey Summers Head Woman: Vickie Butler Host Northern Drum: Steiger Butte Host Southern Drum: White Hawk Singers North West Gourd Drum: Jononaal Contract Drum: West Coast Boyi Saturday Gourd Dancing 10:30 AM Grand Entries at 1:00 & 6:00 PM Sunday Gourd Dancing 10:30 AM Grand Entry at 1:00 PM Host Lodging :7r:, White City S41IM-MM LaQUINTA http:A911.l4.um iNNt tuiTIt FOR MORE INFORMATION MaxMcHatton S41-840-256S www.reguevalleyvctenmiMwwow.ert ist ic, impressionistic. It really interesting, I ake4 the storyteller to piek among those I thought woulJ be best. So again, I had the buy-in Dembecki ha pub lished many book over the year. His work today in head ing in the direction of "nature comic and nature parable." Hi current effort, "Xoc," i a story about a great white shark' journey from t ho west coast to Hawaii, and the shark' experi ence natural and man-made on the way. Thorsgard' family ia keeper of what he estimate are about 10 to 12 stories, and over the year he ha been intending to write each of them down. One thing or another ha kept that from happening. Originally, these stories were maintained by traditional story keepers, Thorsgard said. "A lot of times, they would work with a lot of different families. It's kind of fallen away from that now, but in the past, it wan certain people' job to tell stories." When Dembecki approached him. he had the iropetu to get thi one written down. "It' really a story teaching not to lie and to be true to your heart," Thorsgard said. "And it aho a story of how lying ha impact across a greater group of people than only yourself." Among the artist that Dem becki presented to Thorsgard wa Virginia-based Rand Arrington. Thorsgard called him "a phenom enal artist. I really appreciated hi style of art." "I always thought traditional stories should be illustrated," said Thorsgard. "It make them more accessible. And a great teaching tool for kids." Trickster" include 21 stories and 22 artists. On one story, said Dembecki, two artists worked to gether. Golden, Colo. -based Fulcrum Publishing, a specialist in Native American and western America books, is bringing out 8,000 first edition copies this month. Trick ster" is widely available now at chains and independent bookstores throughout the country. Matins IfiiainnKB trl i' i i 1 WW-. !7i Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal member Jan Michael Reibach gifts Tribal member Veronica Gaston a rattle after performing her Indian naming ceremony at the cultural area on the Tribal campus on Tuesday, May 1 8. Gaston asked Reibach to perform the ceremony and to name her; her Indian name is Laughing Deer. For performing the ceremony, Gaston gifted Reibach a small statue of a painted wolf playing a flute and a necklace she made out of .22 shells she found on the Reservation. Gaston is the daughter of Tribal member Oren George Pichette, who has walked on, granddaughter of Jasper Lillard andTribal member Blanche Lillard, who has walked on, and niece of Tribal Elders Norma Billings and Philip Warren. I, ii ' SawhmOniailMliaiCnur
