Geronimo's Cadillac (Short biography)

Geronimo was seen as the last great defender of the Native American way of Life but by others he was seen as a stubborn holdout who was violently driven by revenge and was putting the lives of others in danger. Is one opinion right or are they both right depending on how you look at the situation? Balancing current views of right and wrong with the historical context.

Geronimo and his associates at the 101 Ranch taking a drive in a  Locomobile Model C. (Geronimo is wearing the top hat). 

There is a description of this picture from a letter (artifacts/sources).
This photograph was taken on June 11, 1905, at the Miller brothers 101 Ranch in Oklahoma. The Indian in the full head dress to the left of Geronimo is Edward Le Clair Sr. (a Ponca Indian). Geronimo greatly admired his beaded vest that later on that day it was given to him. When Geronimo died 4 years later he was buried in this vest. There are three other photographs of Geronimo from that day that are very misleading.

One of these photographs shows Geronimo with several mounted Army soldiers. At this time, he was still imprisoned at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and guards had to accompany him.

Another photograph shows him standing beside a dead buffalo, which he had supposedly just killed.  The picture shows a number of arrows sticking out of the dead animal. They advertised this event as the last buffalo Geronimo killed. This is extremely ironic since buffalo were not found in the region that Geronimo lived and he had not killed this animal. Range hands had put the buffalo in a bow and arrow range and since the arrows were not fatal, one of the cowboys finally shot the animal in the head.

The third photograph shows Geronimo skinning the dead buffalo.


This photograph served as the inspiration for the noteworthy song by Michael Martin Murphey as the title track of his debut album, Geronimo's Cadillac in 1972. This song has become an unofficial anthem for the American Indian Movement in the 1970s. This song has been redone multiple times.

The life and times of Geronimo:
He was born in June of 1829.
He was a naturally-gifted hunter.
By the time he was 17 years old, he lead four successful raiding operations.
He continued the tradition of the Apaches who resisted the white colonization of their territory in the Southwest. Mexico put a bounty on Apache scalps- up to 25$ for a child's scalp.
He met and married a woman named Alope. They had 3 children together.
During a trading trip, tragedy stuck their camp. When Geronimo returned, he found his mother, wife, and children were all dead. To honour tradition, he burned the belongings of his family and headed out into the wilderness to grieve.
He and 200 other men, hunted down the Mexican soldiers who killed his family. This went on for 10 years as he tried to have revenge on the Mexican government.
He was caught in 1877 and was sent to live on a reservation.
For four long years he struggled with life on the reservation and escaped in September 1881.
Over the next five years, he and a small band of followers engaged in what was the last Indian wars with the U.S.
At one time he had almost 1/4 of the Army's forces (almost 5,000 troops) trying to hunt him down.
After years of war, he surrendered to U.S. troops in 1886.
While he became a celebrity, he spent the last 2 decades of his life as a prisoner of war.
He published his biography in 1905.
He died in February of 1909, when thrown from a horse on his way home. He spent one night in the cold and was found by a friend the next day. Unfortunately, his health was declining and he passed away 6 days later with his nephew by his side.

On his death bed he said" I should never have surrendered" and "I should have fought until I was the last man alive". 

Was this man wrong to want revenge for his family's death?
Does it matter what his motives were for all the fighting?
Was he mad with revenge or was he fighting for the all First Nations in the United States?
Should he have had others fight with him or was this a fight he should of done alone?
Should he have surrendered when he did or sooner or not at all?
Can we judge this event based on current believes about right and wrong?
What about historical context? What else was happening within the U.S?



Source:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/05/05/geronimos-cadillac%E2%80%94er-locomobile-32429
http://www.biography.com/people/geronimo-9309607

Hurricane Sandy- Regardless of your location we all have a weather fascinationThe

The sheer size of Hurricane Sandy shows how far-reaching her effects will be felt. 

Much like the common fascination people have with outer space, we also have a fascination with weather. Unlike, space where we see the infinite space/wondering about what else might be out there-- weather has an element of practicality surrounding it. We must know what is going on with the weather to prepare in advance for it. Weather also affects so many aspects of our lives. We build houses close to water (building on the beach) so terms like storm surge and flooding are real concerns. We also need to know where/when to drive (police advisories). We also need to look at how weather affects even our clothing choices. We need to dress appropriately for the weather conditions. We can also look at preparations for emergencies.

We can also look at hurricanes from a historical approach- I find the idea of naming storms interesting. It gives people a way to identify (location, time period, and intensity).

Unfortunately, in any storm situation there can be a loss of human life and also damage to property.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/25/why-hurricanes-have-names_n_936928.html
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/us/sandy-bounty-ship/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Military History- In the wake of Hurricane Sandy

The Sentinels (guards) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia maintain their vigil even as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the Eastern Seaboard. The Old Guard has guarded the tomb every minute of every day since April 6, 1948. This is a great honour in the United States. 
Today, there will be no exception. 

Follow-up on bridging the gaps and making history appealing to the masses

A comment on my blog yesterday got me thinking about how many television shows incorporate and use history and historical elements. We are surrounded by history but yet not everyone notices the historical elements- you can train your mind to be on the outlook for aspects of it. I seem to use/take many events and find the historical implications/context as an important aspect.

Television channels include Spike, Discovery, The History Channel, and National Geographic are prime examples **showcasing some interesting shows, documentaries, movies, and they have extremely useful websites as well.

Media has really opened our eyes to the importance of history and how we deal with history on a daily basis. For example, the internet has allowed us to search and find old editions of magazines or magazine articles and newspapers.

The comment on my blog also brought up the idea of making history hands-on. Being able to feel, hear, see, smell, and even taste history make's history come alive. History is more than dates and historical figures but is also about experiences. Becoming a tourist in your community- getting out and walking an old cemetery or church or even a museum allows history to become more concrete and allows you to be a detective/explorer using all your senses to explore history.

Bridging the gap- making history appealing to the masses

History can be interesting, fun, wide-ranging appeal if varying approaches are taken. History is not just about dates.

History can take a wide variety of forms and you can approach it from a lot of different topics and this will allow you to provide a connection with history.

- Do you like politics? Than maybe studying the history of political elections or looking at a political figure would interest you.
-Do you love crime shows? Than maybe studying crime, crime patterns, or a specific criminal would spark your interests in crime and bridge the gap with history.
-Do you like women (feminism) or family stories? Maybe you could look at the history of family? How has family changed over time? Or look at a specific event from the perspective of women and family.

You can study why our country is the way it is? For example, look at political relations (why do we get along with certain countries more than others), government and elections, justice system, health care, education.
Use current events/media for ideas and look for connections with the past to link up with the present.

History is not useless facts- they provide context for other areas of your life. Like reading the newspaper (history is useful background information).

History provides connections to yourself (places your life in context), your family (how did you come to live in area and why), and your community.

History isn't just reading in a book but it is also about experiences- act like a tourist in your own town. What can you explore for a low cost and learn something important about your community?

Another area you could study with family heirlooms and artefacts --research a special piece (your grandmother's china or photographs).

Look at form and function of events, people, and also things.

The discovery of a new planet

How close is close? Are we really alone out there?

Astronomers have found a new planet, the closest outside of our solar system (known as exoplanets) - a mere four light years away or 25 trillion miles away!

Since the discovery of the first exoplanet in the early 1990's more than 800 have been discovered but this is the closet to Earth. This is a relatively new aspect of science/astronomy since it has only been studied for approx. 22 years and the fact that more than 800 exoplanets have been discovered or approx. 36 exoplanet discovery's per year. This demonstrates that exoplanets is an area that is being researched by a wide variety of scientists throughout the world.

Scientists have determined that it is too close to the sun to support life since the surface temperature is estimated at 1,200 degrees Celsius. This planet is roughly the same size of Earth and orbits one of the suns in Alpa Centauri.

It is a landmark discovery because the planet is of a relatively low mass and our closest neighbour.

However, previous studies have shown that if there is one planet orbiting a sun there is normally others within the same system.
This leads astronomers to further research moving forward.

One discovery can lead to many other research opportunities in the future.

Yet again, man is looking out beyond Earth to see what else is out there. Space exploration is continuing and a growing field.

So let's all keep looking and reaching for the stars- anything is possible.

Source:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2012/10/17/20288431.html

Mohawk woman to become a Catholic Saint

Kateri Tekakwitha is to become the first aboriginal person in North America to become a Catholic Saint

A Mohawk woman is set to rise to sainthood in a ceremony that will take place at the Vatican's Saint Peter Basilica in Rome on Sunday October 21st, 2012 --300 years after her death. Several members of the Mohawk First Nation community located near Montreal Quebec are planning to attend the ceremony.

This event marks the importance of the celebration for the survivors of Canada's residential school system (long-lasting legacy of a system riddled with physical and emotional abuse). Former students  credit Tekakwitha's spirit with giving them strength to endure the horrific situation and trauma. This  was common place with approx. 150,000 children were removed from their homes and their families and forced to attend government-run schools since the late 19th century.
.The Life and Times of Kateri Tekakwitha

She was born in 1656 in Ossernon, which is now Auriesville in New York. According to records, she suffered from smallpox at the age of 4. The smallpox left her partially blind and scarred.

Unfortunately, she was ostracised for wanting to devote her life to God. She proceeded to leave her community and travelled to the Catholic mission of St. Francis Xavier in Sault-Saint-Louis in Quebec. She received her First Holy Communion in 1677. Kateri was so devout and made a vow of virginity. She devoted her life to Jesus for her entire life.


When she died she was serving the Catholic Church in Kahnawake, Quebec at the age of 24 (1680). She died after years of self-flagellation and ailing health.

According to people who witnessed her death almost 300 years claimed that her scars disappeared soon after her death and her face was beautiful.

She was than called "Lily of the Mohawks".

She was named "vulnerable" by the church in 1943 and blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

How does someone become a saint?
The Catholic Church has 4 important steps that must occur prior to becoming a saint:

1. The subject must have been a worthy follower of God and washed away of all sins. A Bishop must review the person's life and they become a "Servant of God".
2. To become a "vulnerable" one must of lived their life in virtue of the church and testimonies showing their lives are presented to officials in the Vatican review them.
3. Blessed by a pope which shows substantial evidence that a miracle was preformed on their behalf. In her case, she is credited with curing a boy of flesh-eating disease.
4. A second miracle must be accredited to them, so that they are deemed "blessed". However, this can be waived by the Pope. 

To this day, she remains the first Native American to be blessed by the Catholic Church.

Marked on her tomb are the words "a lady of quality"-- may we all stop and think about what these words mean in our current world situation. 

She has become a symbol of hope for Aboriginals throughout Canada. 

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/10/14/kateri-tekakwitha-saint-catholic-churc.html

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in October.

Thanksgiving in Canada is a time to give thanks for a good harvest while Thanksgiving in the United States is a tradition of remembering the Pilgrims and the settling in the New World. 

Since Canada is further north (location) the harvest takes place earlier. The Europeans also had festivals of thanks and harvests in the month of October.

There are many historical stories surrounding Thanksgiving which contribute to our present day celebrations.

The first Canadian Thanksgiving took place in Newfoundland in 1578 (a formal ceremony hosted by the British explorer, Martin Frobisher to give thanks for surviving the long journey in which he tried to find a northern passage to the Orient). He was later knighted and there is a northern bay in Canada named in his honour (Frobisher Bay).

Other settlers arrived and continued this tradition. 

French settlers arrived with Samuel de Champlain and held large feasts of thanks. This was called "The Order of Good Cheer". They even shared with their First Nation neighbours.

After the Seven Years War that ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax Nova Scotia held a special day of Thanksgiving.

During the American Revolution, many Americans who were loyal to Britain came to Canada where they brought their customs and traditions to Canada including the pumpkin pie and cornucopia. 

Cornucopia is a curved goat's horn filled with fruits and grains by farm workers. This tradition began in Europe and the tradition has carried on.

Later on in 1879, Parliament declared Nov. 6th as a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday in Canada.

Over the years, many dates were used for Thanksgiving- the most popular being the 3rd Monday in October.

Following World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred. 

Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day (still celebrated on November 11th).

Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed..."A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed  ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.

Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in Canada, except in PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

In 1941,  the United States Congress set the National Holiday of Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November.  In general, Thanksgiving is a much larger holiday in the United States than Canada. There is no Black Friday in Canada. Much of the food is similar such as turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. You may also include regional foods such as the French-Canadian meat pie called tortiere. Another popular choice is 

Turducken which gives you the best of all worlds (turkey, duck, and chicken baked together). Some of the contemporary Thanksgiving traditions in Canada include parades, customary 'family feast' and 'turkey'. It is a time for sharing, loving and family reunions. The central idea behind the celebration is to be thankful for the past harvest and praying for the coming year. 

Sources:

http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/thanksgiving/canada/

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/2614-canadian-thanksgiving

http://video.about.com/gocanada/What-Is-the-History-of-Canadian-Thanksgiving-.htm

http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/symbols_facts&lists/thanksgiving.html

http://www.thanksgiving-day.org/celebration-canada.html

http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatravelplanner/a/thanksgiving.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_4443682_celebrate-canadian-thanksgiving.html

http://www.globaltvbc.com/holidays/6442498292/story.html

Queen Mary 2 Cruise Ship

The Queen Mary 2 Cruise Ship- September 25th, 2012

Look at the height above the water

Looking down at the Queen Mary 2

The Queen Mary 2 leaving the port

Front shot

Front shot- sheer height