Big Sale at Quileute Nation Store!

Posted By Tai

Big deals happening at the Quileute Nation store:

The Quileute Nation and the Quileute Store are excited to announce a liquidation sale on Quileute Days Gear. Prices on 2009 Quileute Days t-shirts are cut more than 50% while supplies last (prices exclude shipping and handling). Quileute Days is the annual festival celebrating Quileute culture and heritage, held in Late July.

We are also thrilled to be presenting for sale 2010 Quileute Days t-shirts! The shirt’s back design portrays a traditional Quileute dancer designed by Quileute local artist and carver, Dave Jackson, Jr. Quantities and sizes are limited, so be sure to check out our new offerings today!

So click the image below and go to the official Quileute Nation store and help support the Quileute Nation!

My Visit To See The Quileute Dancers At The Seattle Art Museum

Posted By Tai

Quileute Members "Paddle" In..

It’s a rare event when anything Twilight comes my way. You’d think living in Seattle, only 3 hours from Forks, Washington, that my life would be swamped with Twilight related activities. This is just not true.

Aside from attending the Seattle Twilight Convention in January of this year, my Twilight experience has been pretty limited. Oh, there had been an appearance by Nikki Reed and Elizabeth Reaser for the Twilight Saga: Eclipse premiere in June, however I didn’t get see them when they appeared at Nordstroms, as I was ill at the time. But this time, I rose up very early the morning of the premiere and could say I was among the first in Seattle to see the movie (except for all those who saw the midnight showing, but I don’t count them.)

Being without wheels, it’s been impossible for me to actually visit Forks, La Push or any of the Quileutes in person. So everything I know about the subjects have been from books, magazines or the internet.

So when I heard the news about this exhibition, I was very excited. A huge Quileute contingency coming to my city.

I admit I was on the fence about it. The weather channel had predicted the heat to reach the high 90′s, and I wasn’t particularly eager to venture out.

However, I  had misunderstood an article in the Seattle Times about the event and was under the impression that the exhibit was to be free, since there was a lot of talk about it being “open” to the public, but unfortunately it was only the dancing part that was free. Still, I wasn’t the only one given the wrong impression. A lot of people at the exhibition thought the exhibition itself was supposed to be, and should have been free to the public, as this was the grand opening. Still, the chance to see 50 Quileute dancers performing songs and dances that detailed their tribal history was too good to pass up.

So because of this, I woke myself up early and braved the heat to get there by 11 o’clock. I didn’t want to miss getting a seat.

The best thing about the Seattle Art Museum is that it’s air-conditioned. I could have stayed there all day with temperatures rising outside.

Inside, there was a large hall with lots of people and chairs and there were also a lot of Quileute members walking around, so I figured I was in the right place.

The museum had a small group of chairs available, and most of the ones in front were reserved so I grabbed one as close the front as I could get. As I waited, I got a chance to chat with some lovely older ladies. Two of the women were sitting directly behind me and when I heard the word “Twilight,” my ears immediately perked up.

“I don’t see what the fuss is all about. I haven’t even read the books yet.” One woman was complaining.

“I went to Forks,” the other women chimed in, “There was nothing going on. There were a few things featuring Twilight, but mostly it was a ghost town!”

I smiled to myself, wondering if I should tell them that I write for a Twilight blog and am a bit fanatical about the book.

I didn’t have to, as the woman beside me turned around and informed the two that she not only LOVED the books, but that her daughter did too and that it had brought them together. Just then, I turned and agreed with her about what a fantastic read the series was.  The first woman turned red-faced and apologized, but I laughed and told her not to worry, reading the books was not a requirement, neither was loving them. However, the woman next to me and I did spend the next few minutes trying to convert the ill-informed women. We all laughed and the second woman promised to read the books.

At this point the room had been completely filled and after noon had rolled around, we’d all started to wonder what was going on. Nothing was happening.

It was about 12:40 that someone from SAM (Seattle Art Museum) quietly informed everyone that the blessing ceremony was upstairs and that that was what had started at noon, not the dancing. Everyone rolled their eyes inexasperation. There had been no announcement prior to this.

Since there was only 15 minutes left, I decided to stay put. By the time I got up there, I reasoned, it would be too late. Later, I was glad of my decision, as the place filled up fairly quickly.  There were a lot of people saving seats, which I hate. Be there or don’t be there, that’s my point of view but don’t spread your bags and newspapers over large portions of available seating, just because your friends decided to get themselves a latte just before the performance.

So, I sat there for about an hour, contemplating the large display of white cars with lights shooting out of them (I’m not kidding). Apparently, it was some sort of art display, but as one was hanging perilously over my head, I was a little uneasy. I wasn’t alone, there was a group of women seated below them and they complained to each other about their fear of being squashed by one if they broke free from their harnesses.

Just then, the Quileutes returned in all their glorious regalia. There was a long line of beautifully clad men and women, some carrying babies wearing the cutest robes and hats I have ever seen. There was a long series of what sounded like howls to me as the group “paddled” themselves in, a long line of black and red robes.

They weren’t what I was expecting, I must say. I think I had been under the impression that the men would all be about seven feet tall and muscled. They weren’t. Instead, they were a very proud, very attractive group who were prepared to share a very secret part of who they were with the rest of the world.

The Chief of the La Push tribe stands center.

There were several introductions from different tribes. There was a presentation from the Duwamish tribe chief Cecile Hansen.

Speaking of chiefs, we were also honored by the presence of the chief of the La Push, Quileute tribe, who also brought along members of his family.

Family seemed to be the theme of the night as several members of the tribe were introduced along with their families.

There were several other notable speakers from the Quileute Nation such as Jackie Jacobs, the Quileute tribal publicist and Anna Counsell-Geyer, the tribal council chairperson.

Then the dancing began. The sad part was that I didn’t have a program so I couldn’t quite tell you all of the names of the dances, although one detailed the history of the Wolves in Quileute culture.

I recall one of them being about an Elk and Whale and several dances about Wolves, which were meant to tell the history and the symbolism of the Quileute tribe.

There was a wonderful moment where the presenter told the story of an Elk who was so much in love with himself that he was very rude to all those around him. Several members of the animal community tried to reason with him, only to be pushed away as the Elk told each one of them “I’m so beautiful, so handsome, I don’t have to listen to anyone.”
Then, a little small lark, who had been overlooked by all the animals begged to be chosen to speak to the Elk. The animals tried to ignore the bird, but finally gave in. The bird approached the vain Elk and told him the other animals thought he was very rude, and needed to change.

The Elk simply replied “Why should I have to change? I’m so handsome, so beautiful…” The bird tried to warn him several times, but was ignored. Having no other choice, the bird flew high into the air, and up the Elks nose. This caused the Elk to sneeze over and over again, until finally, worn out, he agreed to change.

Next, there were a series of other dances that told the stories of the Quileute tribe. At one point, there was something called a “friendship dance” where all the members of

Quileute tribe members "paddling in"

the tribe asked audience members to dance. Several people joined them and the group did a slow dance in a circle around the stage.

Surprisingly there was very little mention about Twilight or it’s impact on their community. I suppose they wanted to keep the focus on the true spirit of the Quileute people and not their recent entry into pop culture.

Although there were several moments where people were allowed to take pictures, there were many moments where they were not. I learned this the hard way. It was when special family dances or dances which included the beautiful headpieces the dancers wore appeared that the taking of photographs were forbidden. I understood this and took no pictures out of respect.
But there came a moment when the announcer told everyone that they could now take their pictures and videos at which point everyone in the audience pulled out their cameras, including me and began snapping away.
However, after a while I noticed an older member of the tribe eyeballing me. As she kept watching me and I was getting a bit nervous. She then bounded to her feet  and stomped over towards me. I was seated on the center aisle so maybe that’s why I was the focus of her attention. She then made her way towards me and began to yell at me for taking photos.

I have to admit I was stunned. I reminded her that the announcer had just told everyone that photos were allowed. While she glowered at me, everyone else was quickly snapping their photos and looking at me. I was pretty embarrassed at this point.
The old woman seemed a bit confused and told me “Well, not this you can’t!” And stomped back to her seat. I had to laugh at the whole incident and kept taking pictures.

Despite this little scene, I had a fantastic time.

What struck me most about the Quileute tribe is their deep commitment to their culture, their songs and their family. It all seemed  to weave together a tapestry of songs and imagery that spoke volumes about the importance of their heritage and about letting people know who they really were. This was illustrated when after every song or story, the family of the tribal member who either wrote or passed each song or story down were brought up onto the stage and were introduced individually.

I think what the Quileute’s wanted people to learn most from this event was that their tribe was far more than some reference in a popular novel or movie, but an actual living, breathing community of people who take great pride in who they really are..

So, all in all, it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, even if I didn’t get one of the black Quileute bags they were handing out!

I have not had a chance to visit the exhibit yet, but I will tell you all about it when I do. If you have the chance, try to visit the exhibit yourself, it will teach you first hand about the Quileute tribe.

There are a few articles related to this event. One is called “Real Wolves“, presented by KUOW.org, and the other is by the Penninsula Daily News..

Here are a few photos I took of the event. The rest are included in our gallery. I also took a few video pieces that I strung together and posted on YouTube.

Quileutes at SAM: Dances With the Real Wolves

Posted By Tai

Tomorrow, August 14, starting at noon, look for an extraordinary gathering, when Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves opens at the the Seattle Art Museum. About 150 Quileute tribal members (including 50 dancers), nearly half the residents of the tiny reservation on the far Olympic Peninsula shore, will cometo greet the show and its first visitors. They’ll start with a blessing and continue, from 1 to 3, with drumming and dances.

Curator Barbara Brothertonassumed they’d want to keep the blessing ceremony private: “No, they said, ‘Let everyone come!’” That gives an idea how eager the Quileutes are to share their real story after enduring a century-and-a-half of outright suppression and mass-cultural dilution of their legacy, then a two-year invasion of gawking Twilight fans. (Author Stephanie Meyer cleverly exploited the Quileutes’ own origin tale—as wolves turned into human—to portray them as sexy shirtless werewolves battling the sexy shirted vampires of Forks.)

*Wolves are also prominent in this rich though small show—just two galleries, filled with pieces uncovered in collections from La Push to the National Park and Smithsonian archives. There might have been much more, but a feuding homesteader torched the Quileutes’ beachfront village in 1888, destroying most of their treasures. But there are still gorgeous, eye-opening pieces here (link to slideshow, below). Plus vivid drawings done by Quileute children in 1904-09,recording their threatened arts and dances. And a video of today’s kids proclaiming their tribal pride and (apparently successfully) calling grey whales to shore. Photos of Tyler Hobucket, who danced in the wolf clan’s last full six-day initiation ceremonies circa 1949, stand beside a mannequin bearing his full regalia. His son should be at tomorrow’s ceremony.

As Brotherton and I previewed the show this morning, Quileute representative Jackie Jacobs arrived for a peek. “I’m moved to tears,” she declared. “I think when the elders see this, there will be a sense of gratitude and calm.”

Tyler Hobucket’s wolf-dance regalia. Photo: ES

Source

Quileute Nation Members on Museum Display Opening

Posted By Tai

QUILEUTE RESERVATION, La Push, Clallam County

Wolves that once roamed the wild Olympics, the stories say, were the first Quileute ancestors, transfigured by Kwati, a shape shifter and transformer as old and familiar here as the mist that rolls in from the Pacific.

That creation story, and much more of the Quileute culture, will be shared in a new exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum beginning Saturday.

The goal of the exhibit is simple: It’s a chance for the tribe to set the record straight after its international exposure in the vampire-themed “Twilight” books and films, in which Quileute tribal members are depicted as teen werewolves provoked into snarling fits of temper.

The works are fiction, of course. And while some members of the tribe have taken their Hollywood persona mostly in good-humored stride, some elders at Quileute are not amused. At their urging, the tribal council passed a resolution authorizing Barbara Brotherton, curator of Native American art at SAM, to work with the tribe to create the exhibit, to show the world a bit of the real Quileute culture.

“We are a lot different from Hollywood, I’ll tell you that,” said Christian Penn, 81, known as “Jiggs” on the reservation. With his carved wooden staff, he recently presided with a quiet pride over the tribe’s weekly Wednesday drum-circle gathering at the Quileute community center, where comfort food and traditional song and dance are on offer to anyone.

“We are from the wolf clan, we carry it down from generation to generation, it lifts our spirit up, and it’s been with us for years and years,” Penn said.

But what about werewolves? “Twilight”? He had a ready answer: “I’ve got mixed feelings about that,” Penn said. “They got that vampire thing all mixed up with the wolf clan. No way!” And with a rap of his cane on the floor for emphasis, that was simply that.

A runaway sensation in the wider world, the “Twilight” saga has had little impact on some here. When asked about the movies and books, David Hudson, the tribe’s traditional chief, wrinkles his brow as if at a faraway noise.

Fun with “Twilight”

To be sure, many on this reservation have had a lot of fun with the “Twilight” buzz.

“Oh, I loved the books, and I’ve seen all the movies,” said Beverly Loudon, a Quileute elder whose handle on the reservation is “Quileute Bella.”

She staffed the tribe’s table at a three-day “Twilight” convention in Seattle last January and says she loves all the attention the saga has brought the tribe: “It’s good to know our little tribe is known all over.”

Her brother Roger Jackson has carved several wolf masks and continues the practice of the wolf dance. He was glad to see more than a dozen wolf masks come out at a recent gathering, as the tribe’s culture revives.

He carries many wolf stories: of the orca whales, which will transform themselves as wolves to come visit the Quileute wolves ashore, then transform again back to orcas, the wolves of the sea. And he remembers his father telling him about lying down to rest once while hunting and awakening to find a wolf watching him.

Source

Rick Mora Talks The Shift!

Posted By Tai

Some of you may or may not know that Rick Mora played a part in Twilight as a Jacob’s Grandfather in the flashback scene. Hear what he has to say about The Shift!!

Here’s another video from the Be The Shift event. He talks about playing Jacob Black’s Great Grandfather Ephriam:

The Quileutes Come To Seattle

Posted By Tai

Woo-Hoo!

If you happen to be in the Seattle, Washington area on August 14th, and you want to learn more about the culture that inspired the Quileute Legends in the Twilightseries, the Seattle Art Museum has the exhibit for you.

Starting August 14th, according to Seattle PI, the Seattle Art Museum will host a Behind the Scenes: the Real Story of Quileute Wolves exhibit.

According to the exhibit’s listing on SAM’s website, “The wolf is central to the cultural beliefs of the Quileute Native Peoples of coastal Washington, and wolf imagery is prominent in their art forms. According to oral traditions, the first Quileute were changed from wolves by the Transformer, Kwati; those ancestral beginnings figure significantly in the Quileute world view, even today . . . This exhibition consisting of about 30 objects seeks to provide a public platform for the display and interpretation of art works that represent Quileute wolf mythology specifically, and also the larger sphere of their beliefs about spirituality and transformation.”

The exhibit will open “with a performance by a Quileute song and dance group . . . [and] Brotherton said she hopes ‘Twilight’ fans will visit the exhibit, and that teachers will capitalize on the craze in the classroom.”

From SAM website:

The wolf is central to the cultural beliefs of the Quileute Native Peoples of coastal Washington, and wolf imagery is prominent in their art forms. According to oral traditions, the first Quileute were changed from wolves by the Transformer, Kwa-ti; those ancestral beginnings figure significantly in the Quileute worldview, even today.

In 2008, the Quileute were thrust into the public spotlight with the release of the popular film Twilight that depicts the Quileute as werewolves opposite a coven of vampires with which they have an ancient treaty. The notoriety has created more scrutiny of and interest in this small Native nation residing on a one-square mile reservation in La Push, Washington.

In collaboration with the Quileute people, this exhibition focuses on the ceremonies and art works pertaining to the wolf (and other beliefs), and includes 30 objects, many never before exhibited, on loan from the National Museum of the American Indian, the American Museum of Natural History, the Washington State Historical Society and the Olympic National Park. This is the first exhibition on historic Quileute art and seeks to provide an authentic, first-person account of the “real Quileute wolves.”

Source

Eclipses & The Real Quileute Tribe!

Posted By Tai

With “Eclipse” in theaters now, the 750-member Quileute Nation in La Push, Clallam County, is reveling in the “Twilight” spotlight, attempting to capitalize on the blockbuster’s massive financial pull and welcoming new interest in the tribe’s culture.

The leader of the Quileute Nation in Clallam County first began hearing her tribe had a role in a popular series called the “Twilight Saga” from fans clamoring to know more about the place where a vampire tale of teenage love unfolds.

Some fans sent e-mails. The most dedicated among them made trips to the remote reservation that is home to the series’ heartthrob werewolf, Jacob Black.

“The interest in our tribe was a surprise, a good surprise,” tribal Chairwoman Anna Rose Counsell-Geyer said. “I thought to myself, people are going to actually get to know the Quileute and we are going to be recognized as a people. The real Quileute.”

That was a couple of years ago. With “Eclipse,” the series’ third movie in theaters now, the 750-member Quileute Nation is reveling in the “Twilight” spotlight, attempting to capitalize on the blockbuster’s massive financial pull and welcoming new interest in the tribe’s culture.
At their Oceanside Resort, the tribe is opening a cabin decorated in a wolf theme, a shout out to Jacob and the Quileute’s own origin story, which begins with a transformation from wolves to people.

At a Quileute store in the reservation town of La Push, handmade beanies with “Jacob” stitched on them sell for nearly $35. There’s also a “Jacob’s Java” espresso stand.

“This is historical. This is going to be imprinted on people’s lives for generations to come,” Counsell-Geyer said.

Central to the “Twilight Saga” is a love triangle among human teenager Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattison) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner).

The Quileute’s homeland — the place where they have lived and hunted for centuries — serves as the backdrop to author Stephenie Meyer’s saga, with the stunning imagery of rocks and cliffs rising along the Pacific Ocean.

Four hours west of Seattle, the Quileute reservation is on the far and remote side of the rain-soaked Olympic Peninsula. The reservation’s boundaries are confined within a square mile.

In the movies and books, the tribe’s folklore is meshed into the role of the Wolf Pack, a group of young Quileute men who shapeshift into wolves. Jacob and other Wolf Pack members guard the reservation from vampires.

For Chris Eyre, a Cheyenne and Arapaho filmmaker, the key aspect of the “Twilight” series is that it shows Native Americans in a contemporary light.

Eyre directed the well-received 1998 film “Smoke Signals,” which focused on a coming of age story of two teenagers living on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation in Idaho.

Like “Smoke Signals,” the “Twilight” saga marks a departure from Hollywood’s long tradition of portraying Native Americans as a people from the past.

In the saga’s second chapter, “New Moon,” Jacob talks about going to school on the reservation and rides motorcycles.

In “Eclipse,” Jacob’s friends are shown in their opening scene shirtless and wearing shorts — a now-signature look for the Wolf Pack. They laugh and tease Jacob about his crush on Bella.

“I think as long as the werewolves aren’t wearing loincloths, it is a good step forward,” Eyre said from Los Angeles, where he is finishing an episode of the NBC show “Friday Night Lights.”

“It’s so important to have Native people in contemporary roles … that’s where I think we’re lacking. We want to see Native people in 2010. I think we’re tired of seeing Native people in 1860,” he said.

When the first movie was filming in Oregon, a group of tribal members visited the set and met with Lautner, who interviewed them.

“One thing they do that I noticed is they don’t need to be told what to do. If the trash is getting full, they empty it out. They’re always helping each other. They’re always there for each other. So I just want to make sure I can bring that part of Jacob alive,” Lautner told MTV in 2008.
In that interview, Lautner said he was part Native American.

Read rest of article here….

More Gil Birmingham Photos From Trip To La Push

Posted By Tai

Here is a photo from Gil Birmingham’s trip to La Push, Washington from his Facebook page, accepting an official Quileute Flag from Tribal Chairwoman Anna Rose Councell-Geyer:

Pictures Of Gil Birmingham In La Push

Posted By Tai

Here is an awesome pics posted from the Facebook pages of  Quileute Nation & Gil Birmingham as he poses in front of the La Push sign. He posted having had an awesome time:

I love this one!

This truck should be familiar:

Chairwoman Anna Rose Councell-Geyer, Gil Birmingham and Tribal Spokesperson Jackie Jacobs.

Learn The Quileute Alphabet

Posted By Tai

In honor of Quileute Days, I found this video posted on their MySpace page and thought it might be fun, sorry, no translation for whatever Jacob said in New Moon:

Learn the Quileute Alphabet in this Step by Step Tutorial

Quileute Nation of LaPush, WA | MySpace Video