OUR 23
RD
YEAR
MULTICULTURAL NEWS FROM AN AMERICAN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE
SEPTEMBER 2009
A Commitment to Tradition and the Land
The Singing of Preston J. Arrow-weed
By Richard Heller
features of the site. The mine was going to use
cyanide to leach the low yield ore and would have left
He closes his eyes for a couple of seconds to focus,
huge piles of tailings over the landscape. The compa-
then begins to shake the gourd rattle. He sings in a
ny wanted to use NAFTA to dismantle U.S. environ-
voices that is clear but not extremely loud. Preston J.
mental law.
Arrow-weed is taking you on a journey that begins
Preston sings the Pipa Songs in Kamia (Imperial
with the first song of a series of between 100 to 200
Valley Kumeyaay) and the Lightning Songs in Kamia
that takes you through the night till dawn. Preston
and Quechan (which used to be called Yuma). The
has made a commitment to the two song series he
Lightning Songs deal with the travels of four mythic
sings, the Lightning Songs and the Pipa Songs. Each
figures across the landscape. They begin at Avikwame,
takes 6 to 8 hours to sing. Because the songs deal
with the landscape and the plants and animals on it
he has made a commitment to the environment as
well.
His activities include protests at Ward Valley where
nuclear waste was to be buried near an aquifer that
feeds into the Colorado River. He was also important
in bringing attention to the proposed open pit gold
mine that was going to be excavated in Indian Pass by
a Canadian firm, Glamis Gold Ltd. It was to be situat-
ed on a Native American sacred site.
Ancient trails and petroglyphs, in addition to
“sleeping circles” cleared in the desert pavement are
SEE Preston Arrow-weed, page 3
In this issue...
1 The singing of Preston Arrow-weed
The2Drum – Dream Drum
2 Native American Drug and Alcohol
Outreach Like most creative musicians and life and the whole universe. Its steady
3 Code Talker Day inventors Jimmie James is a dreamer. As strong beat is the pulse, or the heartbeat,
4 Teams Vs Diabetes a child he constructed his version of at the center of our world.
David Bejarano Chula Vista gadgets and toys that his parents could Perhaps no other people have
Police Chief not afford, some were useful replicas and attached a greater significance to the
5 Sovereignty and Border Security
some were total failures. His inventive spirit of the drum than the Indian tribes
Missing Children
instincts followed him throughout his of North America. The drum has played
6 FCC Affirms Net Neutrality
adult life. As a drummer he is keenly an inherent role in the lives of Native
7 Tortillas and Tecate Beer
aware that drums have been used not Americans for centuries. prior to battle,
Gracia Molina de Pick presents
only for their musical qualities, but also the beat of the drum aroused a sense of
book in Mexico City
as a means of communication, especially strength and solidarity. in gatherings of
8-9 Community Photos: 2010 Census
through signals. The talking drums of celebration, it created a sense of social
Pala Pow wow
Africa can imitate the inflections and and spiritual harmony. The Indian
10 World Beat Center
pitch variations of a spoken language Nations continue to express their deep
Good Karma Kitchen
and are used for communicating over spiritual awareness through ceremonial
11 Viejas Bowl and Outlet Center
great distances. Throughout Sri Lankan dances accompanied by the resonant
12 Drumming on the Washington DC Mall
history drums have been used for com- pulsation of the drum.
13 Moapa Travel Plaza
munication between the state and the Early this year Jimmie was dreaming
14 Las Vegas UpTown View
community, and Sri Lankan drums have of drums when the percussion gods
Inventor Jimmie James
15 Nevada Tourism Launches
a history stretching back over 2500 decided to communicate with him in the
Autumn Blitz
years. form of a unique and unusual image...
This remarkable invention made its
Frybread by Saynday
The drum is a deep and sacred part of He was seeing double He visualized a
debut last month. At The Motherland
16 Sycuan 20th Annual Pow Wow
Native American culture. The beat of the drum that had never been created
Music Store 2921, South La Cienega
www.indianvoices.net drum is in sync with the heartbeat of before. It was a double drum … a drum
Blvd., in Culver City
mother earth. It is the healing rhythm with two heads. He startled from his
According to Jimmie his invention is
that is heard when singing, dancing, or sleep and grabbed a pen and paper and
a new concept in sound for musical
★ LAS VEGAS ★
walking through the world. The round sketched out the image that he had envi-
COVERAGE INSIDE
form of the drum represents the circle of sioned. Thus was born The2Drum.
SEE The2Drum, page 2
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