Native North American Indian

01/19/2023

GRAHAM GREENE - Born June 22, 1952, on the Six Nations Reserve in Ohsweken, Ontario, Mr. Greene is a 68 year old FIRST NATIONS Canadian actor who belongs to the ONEIDA tribe. He has worked on stage, in film, and in TV productions in Canada, the U.K., and the U.S. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his 1990 performance in "Dances with Wolves". Other films you may have seen him in include Thunderheart, Maverick, Die Hard with a Vengeance, the Green Mile, and Wind River. Graham Greene graduated from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in 1974 & immediately began performing in professional theatre in Toronto and England, while also working as an audio technician for area rock bands. His TV debut was in 1979 and his screen debut in 1983. His acting career has now spanned over 4 decades & he remains as busy as ever. In addition to the Academy Award nomination for Dance with Wolves, he has been consistently recognized for his work, and also received nominations in 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2016. Graham Greene lives in Toronto, Canada, married since 1994, and has 1 adult daughter.
🔥 Visit our Native American store: nativeblood.shop/stores/bestselling

01/16/2023

Children on the Soboba Reservation, San Jacinto, California. 1915.

01/14/2023

“Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that one.”
--Black Elk, Oglala Lakota

01/14/2023

"The honor of the people lies in the moccasin tracks of the woman.
Walk the good road....
Be dutiful, respectful, gentle, and modest my daughter...
Be strong with the warm, strong heart of the earth.
No people goes down until their women are weak and dishonored, or dead upon the ground.
Be strong and sing the strength of the Great Powers within you, all around you."
-- Village Wise Man, SIOUX

01/13/2023

staying warm is his number one necessity, food is a fierce competitor for that position also...

01/13/2023

Native American women began quilting out of necessity during the late 19th century. Though women of different tribes make star quilts, the Lakota in particular are well-known for their quilting.
Because Indian men weren't allowed to leave the reservations to hunt, they could no longer obtain animal hides for making robes and clothing, so women turned to quilting to make bed coverings. They learned to quilt from missionaries, from the wives of government officials stationed on the reservations, and at boarding schools.
At first Indian women made quilts with square or geometric patterns. In time, the women created many different geometric patterns for quilting, with the most prevalent contemporary design integral to cultural and ceremonial life being the star quilt.
Indian women of many different tribes, including the Ojibway, made star quilts, but the tribe that has made the design its own is the Lakota. The star pattern of the quilts represents the morning star, a significant symbol in Lakota beliefs and ceremonial life and, although it may have derived from introduced Euro-American designs, it also has antecedents in earlier symbolic hide-painting tradititions.
Lakota women organized quilting societies that replaced the porcupine quill-working societies of the pre-reservation period. Being a member of a quilting society increased a woman's standing in her community. The star quilt in particular became an object of cultural and economic importance to the Lakota.
All young Indian women were expected to make at least one star quilt to take to their new husband's home when they married, they almost never used them to cover beds. Star quilts are used in ways that distinguish their meaning and role within Lakota Sioux life. They are employed as door coverings for dwellings or shelters at ceremonial events and are worn by healers in the yuwipi (curing) ceremonies. More importantly, star quilts have long been a critical element in giveaways and from birth to death, the life-cycle events of Sioux peoples.
In contemporary Lakota society, the female relatives of newborn babies make small star quilts for their new family members. When word comes that a Lakota is dying, a group of Sioux women may gather and make, in as little as four hours, a star quilt to be used at that person's memorial service. Lakota tribal officials give star quilts to prominent politicians to honor them and to establish a basis for reciprocity.
Selling star quilts to tourists and collectors also has become a significant way for Indian women to supplement their income. Individual quilt-makers have long sold their star quilts in places adjacent to reservations, like Rapid City, South Dakota. More Indian women are taking advantage of the internet to offer their wares to the public, as well.

01/12/2023

• If you have a place to go, it is a home. If you have someone to love, it is a family. If you have both, it is a blessing.

01/12/2023

History of the Jingle Dress Dance
The Jingle Dress Dance began with the Mille Lacs Band of the Ojibwe Tribe in the early 1900s and became prevalent in the 1920s in Wisconsin and Minnesota (Great Lakes region) in the US and in Ontario, Canada.
The story is that the dress was first seen in a dream. A medicine man’s granddaughter grew sick, and as the man slept his Indian spirit guides came to him and told him to make a Jingle Dress for the little girl. They said if the child danced in it, the dress would heal her. The Jingle Dress was made, and the tribe came together to watch the child dance. At first, the child was too sick to dance alone so her tribe carried her, but after some time, the little girl was able to dance alone, cured of her sickness.
The dance has since been not only a ritual of healing but also one of pride.
What Do Jingle Dresses Look Like?
Jingle Dresses, also known as Prayer Dresses, are believed to bring healing to those who are sick. As mentioned above, the dance gets its name from the rows of ziibaaska’iganan (metal cones) sewed to the dress. These cones are traditionally made from rolled s***f can lids and hung from the dress with ribbon close to one another, so they make a melodic sound as the girls and women dance. Traditionally, the dress is adorned with 365 visible jingles, or cones. Nowadays, these cones are often machine-made.
The dresses come in every color imaginable, from yellow to bright blue, to deep red, and accented with sparkles and even neon-colored fabrics. They are often made with shiny and sparkly materials and decorated with fringes, embroidery, beading, and more.
They usually have three-quarter length to full-length sleeves and come down to mid-calf or the ankle. They are secured at the waist with a thick belt, often made of brown leather. On their feet, the dancer wears decorative moccasins embellished with the same kind of detail found on their dresses.
What are the steps for the Jingle Dance?
As the ziibaaska’iganan hit one another it sounds like rain falling, so it’s important for the dancer to be light on their feet, to move in time with the drum and stop when the beat stops. They keep their foot movements low to the ground while dancing, kicking their heels and bouncing on their toes to the music. Typically, this dance is done in a zigzag pattern, said to represent one’s journey through life—or so the story goes. Often, they keep their hands on their hips, and if they are dancing with a feathered fan (full of neutral colors, like eagle feathers) as the more modern Jingle Dress Dancers do, they will raise it into the air as they dance to receive healing.
The traditional Indian dance involves low, soft-footed steps, as could be performed by those who were sick, while the modern competitive dancers push the boundaries some as they try to out-dance their competitors. The manner in which the dance has evolved has built firmly on its origin story.
What are the songs and music for Jingle Dance?
The music for this style of dancing has a foundation of a solid drumbeat, and of course, the metal cones make a loud jingling (hence the name) as the women move, which contributes to the music you’ll hear at a Jingle Dress Dance. Jingle Dancers will usually dance to Northern drum groups. Special songs for Jingle Dance include a Side Step or Crow Hop.

01/11/2023

01/10/2023

16 home based natural hair straighteners
Most of us long to have shiny, smooth and straight hair. Straight strands are in trend, these days. Of course, permanent hair straightening gives you the expected results for one year. But, after one year, you will end up with even more bad conditioned hair with split and hardened ends. Well, there are some ingredients in your kitchen, which can straighten your hair, naturally and permanently. Natural remedies cause no damage to your hair. So, get ready to have shiny, healthy and straight hair at home without spending a huge amount of money from your pocket.
1. Lemon Juice & Coconut Milk
Lemon juice and coconut milk are great ingredients for straightening your hair naturally. If mixed with lemon juice, coconut milk will work as a cream conditioner and help to straighten the hair. All you have got to do is mix coconut milk and lemon juice and apply the cream. Wash your hair with lukewarm water after a few minutes. If you repeat this home remedy twice a week, you will clearly notice the difference.
2. Milk & Honey
Milk and honey also works as a natural straightener. Take a cup of milk and add 2 tablespoons of honey to it. Add some freshly mashed strawberries in this mix. Put it onto your hair. Keep it at least for 2 hours. Rinse thoroughly with a mild shampoo.
3. Eggs & Olive Oil
Take 2 eggs and add olive oil and mix them together. Massage your scalp with this mix. Keep it for like 1 hour or so. This will not only soften and condition your hair, but will also straighten your hair, naturally.
4. Castor Oil
Take castor oil and heat it. While the oil is still warm, apply it on your scalp and massage it. Wrap your hair with warm towel (soaked in warm water). Wash off after 30 minutes. Castor oil helps in straightening the hair, naturally.
5. Rice Flour & Egg Mask
Take an egg white and add 5 tablespoons of rice flour along with 1 cup of fuller’s earth. Mix it and apply it onto your hair. Comb your hair and leave it for an hour. Then, rinse thoroughly with shampoo. Apply this hair mask once in a week, for a few months.
6. Banana Hair Mask
Take 2 overripe bananas, mash them up with a fork and put 2 tablespoons each of honey, natural yogurt and olive oil in mashed bananas. Mix it till you make a fine paste. Apply this hair mask on your hair and wrap it with a shower cap. Wash after ½ an hour. All the ingredients in this hair mask will make your hair healthy, shiny, and straight.
7. Aloe Vera Gel Mask
Aloe vera is a wonderful herb for your hair. All you have to do is take ½ cup each of warm oil and aloe gel. Put them together and apply it like a hair mask. It looks like a hair mask but works as a conditioner. Wash off after 30-40 minutes. This will make your hair really shiny and straight.
8. Milk Hair Mask
Fill some amount of milk in a spray bottle. Comb hair after shampoo. Spray milk on your hair and rinse after 30 minutes. Spray your favourite perfume on the comb and then, comb your wet hair with this. This will vanish the smell of milk, but do not use too much perfume as it contains alcohol, which will dry your strands.
9. Celery
Take a bunch of celery and extract the juice of it. Store it in a bottle and leave it overnight. Apply this juice from root to tips of hair, the next morning. Comb your hair and cover them for half an hour. Wash and allow them to dry.
10. Banana & Papaya Hair Mask
Take banana and papaya in equal proportion and mash them well. Add 1 tablespoon of honey in it and mix it all, once again. Apply the hair mask on your strands. Let it dry completely. Wash off and see the difference in your hair.
11. Eggs
Take eggs and whip them till they turn smooth. Apply it on your hair and scalp. Leave it for 20-30 minutes. Wash off your hair using a mild shampoo.
Note: You can also mix yogurt if the smell of eggs irritates you.
12. Vinegar
Vinegar also contributes in straightening of hair. After washing your hair, add a few drops of vinegar in water-filled mug and rinse your strands with this water. Finally rinse with clean water. This will make your strands straight, adding an extra sleeky shine.
13. Soybean Oil
Mix 1 tablespoon of soybean oil and 2 tablespoons of castor oil. Heat the mix. When the oil mixture becomes cool, apply it onto the scalp and hair (from root to tips). Massage and leave it for 30 minutes. Then, rinse your hair using a mild shampoo.
14. Olive Oil & Rosemary Leaves
Take ½ cup of olive oil and heat it. Put ½ cup of dried rosemary leaves in the hot olive oil. Strain the mixt and allow it to cool down. Massage on the scalp with this oil. Leave it for ½ hour. Then, wash off with mild shampoo. Wrap your hair with warm towel and let them dry naturally.
15. Milk & Egg Face Mask
Take 1 egg and beat it. Add 2 cups of milk in it and beat the mixture, one more time. Apply this mix on your strands and leave it for 15 minutes. Then, wrap your hair with a bath cap or a plastic bag. After 30 more minutes shampoo your hair and apply a good conditioner.
16. Almond Oil
Even your regular conditioners can do wonders, if applied with a proper technique. Make your regular and ordinary conditioner a little greasy by adding 3-4 drops of sweet almond oil to it. Apply this conditioner like you always do and your hair will not only appear to be gorgeous, but also got straight, if repeated thrice a week.