Whisper of Art
~ Stephanie Deplanque ~
In this issue, we will take you on a historical quest with one beautiful book, a masterpiece filled with real document copies, amazing to go through for both adults and children. The first time I opened it, I felt like a 6 year old on a treasure quest. As for the DVD, well, get ready to spend hours in front of your screen for this great documentary retracing history and stories from tribes all over the American continent. You will certainly learn a lot watching it, and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did!
One Book The Native American Experience Jay Wertz When I first opened this book I couldn’t have been more surprised and thrilled. Not only is the book absolutely beautiful (now exposed on a cupboard in my living-room for everyone’s eyes to see) but it is also full of information. The book covers Native American migration from the Ice Age to the 21st century, passing through all major subjects like the effects of the English and French colonization or the Russian influence; Lewis and Clark expedition & the American Indian Affairs Office creation; the Civil War and the different tribes. Although the book is only 64 pages long, it is jam-packed with copies of official and rare documents that are simply amazing to discover: newspaper extracts, Navajo secret code used during WWII, a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to Dakota warriors in which he granted them presidential pardon. Even after having gone through this book many times, you will always discover something new and exciting, or simply be pleased to look at some of the documents again. It feels like having a piece of a museum at home!
"500 Nations tries to crystallize the sweeping events that reshaped North America - one of the largest and most pivotal stories in human history - a story we feel is widely unknown. Often painful, sometimes shocking, but in the end it is simply about understanding." ~ Kevin Costner The series opens with the tragic events that occurred at Wounded Knee in 1890, and is followed by an episode on the ancestors, from creation to the Mayans, passing through the history of Mexico and the arrival of Colombus and Cortez on the American continent; listening to the real story of Pocahontas and then learning about the Inuit people. Footage also covers the French and Indian wars, slavery, and so much more. The film documents the Indian removal and ends finishing with the struggle faced today by Native American people to keep their tradition and culture alive. Many famous artists have joined Kevin Costner to present this TV mini-series. Among them are Eric Schweig, Wes Studi, Tantoo Cardinal, Graham Greene. A beautiful journey; enjoyable and educational. I would like to see 500 Nations shown in schools so that young people would learn more. These eight episodes will stay with you for a long, long time.
One DVD
500 Nations
Being used to 'white written history' like most of us, this was a surprise. As you watch the first episode of the television mini-series, you will discover much. You will discover a new face to history and to American Indians, one that begins long before the first white people set foot on the American continent.
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