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Poetry Uncategorized

Buffalo Chips

Hau, Hau, Mitakuyapi, Hello, Hello, My People, not that i own any people, you know you, if your one or not, or want to be one of my cyberspace friends.  Miye Tatanka Ohitika, that is Dakota for Strong Buffalo, a family name passed on to me, it was my Uncle Wesley LaBlanc’s, his Mother, my Grandmother, Grace Wanna, had a dream when pregnant with her only boy, a huge herd of buffalo were travelling over the hills of north eastern South Dakota, when the last buffalo, stopped and turned around, and said, “Tatanka Ohitika”, she asked the elders and they said, Strong Buffalo, actually, it was Brave so much, it is Strong, also, can be interpreted as Fearless.  My Uncle was a strong man and i proudly carry that name.  I am a Dakota, that is of the isanti or knife bands,  think, i have all four bands in my bloodline, not sure, I have mainly Wahpeton and Sisseton blood, i live in St Paul, Minnesota the eastern door of the Great Sioux Nation.  I see it is springtime, flowers are coming up out the earth, trees have buds ready to burst, birds are singing and chirping love and happy songs, flying all about, courting and gesturing, reminds me that we are of the birds, us, Dakota, the Creator told us to look to the natural world to make our ways and we have the same spirituality as birds, the magpie help the winged ones and two-legged win the great race to run the earth… but, that is another story, so, don’t be alarmed if you see me flying around greeting all my relatives returning to the northern plains and waving my feathers in proudful joy as the ice goes away…I love the springtime

Categories
Poetry poetry music video

Walking Down Franklin Avenue – TiWakan

TiWakan performs this Friday April 7 at The Cedar Cultural Center with Roma di Luna and the Prairie Fire Lady Choir, a benefit for No DAPL. Here’s a video of my poem “Walking Down Franklin Avenue”, which we shot while I was walking down Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis last fall.  More videos at our Oyate Hotanin YouTube channel.  Subscribe if you like!

 

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Events & Performances

The Buffalo Show premieres April 25 at BLB Theater!

Exciting News!

Oyate Hotanin & Pangea World Theater present The Buffalo Show, hosted by myself,  Strong Buffalo, Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota, and my trusty sidekick, The Custard Kid – premieres Tuesday April 25 at The Bryant Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis.  With special guest videos by Native comedian Tonia Jo Hall aka “Auntie Beachress”, puppeteer & Dakota language artist Redwing Thomas, and a live appearance by Lakota curator Heidi Inman, (Slideshow: In Progress Exhibit “Honoring the Protectors” – No DAPL)  7pm. Tickets $10/ $8 advance, available at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater.  Buffalo Show episodes videotaped for later broadcast on our Oyate Hotanin YouTube Channel.