Posts Tagged ‘arts’
Land of the Indians: Part II
Written by C.C. Thomas
Saturday, 23 February 2008 14:20
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Editor's Note: This is the conclusion of the two part story on Iron Thunderhorse, Grand Sachem of the Thunder Clan of ACQTC

The Contributions of Iron Thunderhorse

Iron Thunderhorse suffers from corneal dystrophy and cataracts which renders him legally blind. However, that doesn’t stop him from being committed to both his people and their heritage.

He’s a sculptor, a carver, and a linguist. Copies of his artwork have been on display at museums across the country. In addition to that work, he has written hundreds of articles and has been published in Ancient American, New England Journal Antiquities Association, and Wild West. He’s also the artist of several of his own books including Return of the Thunderbeings and has contributed to the Wild Wolf Celebrity Cookbook. He’s been nominated for an American Medal of Honor and is listed in the Who’s Who section of The Reference Encyclopedia of the American Indians and on the Honor Roll of the Great Algonquians in Evan Pritchard’s book Algonquin Eagle Song. Within the past few years, he also arranged a gathering of the tribal members on Quinnipiac soil, for the first time in 300 years.

What makes this even more remarkable is that the bulk of his work was completed while in prison. Thunderhorse was convicted in 1977 for kidnapping and sentenced to 99 years.

There are many who feel that his continued imprisonment is racially and politically motivated. Adam Roufberg is the founder of NP International and Free Range Thought. He is also the developer of the website www.saveironthunderhorse.com. The site is devoted to a singular cause: the freedom of Iron Thunderhorse.

In a phone interview, Roughberg stated that he feels the imprisonment is both racially and politically motivated due to Thunderhorse’s stint in Vietnam where he served both as a Green Beret and as a Special Agent. “There are two specific things that need to be addressed,” said Roughberg. “The first is the continued acts of racism, attempts to separate the people from their cultural leader. Secondly, our nation-any nation-begins and ends with its cultural leader. This continued genocide is such that an entire culture is suffering.” Recently, Roughberg hosted a radio broadcast to bring Thunderhorse’s story into public view. The archived show can be heard at the website listed above. When asked why he continues to stay involved, Roughberg said, “I feel it’s a social injustice and I want do what I can to rectify the situation.”

Thunderhorse’s situation is so grave because he alone continues to serve as the Grand Sachem of his people, a people now separated from their cultural and linguistic leader. “In spite of everything, he still managed to write a book trying to get all of the recorded language gathered and trying to make it so that the future generations can have this heritage,” said Roughberg. “He’s the last speaker and the last one who knows the language. He’s like a national treasure. Without him, it would all be lost. I don’t think there’s anyone else in the world who could do what he’s done.”

A fund has been established to help Iron Thunderhorse with his continued legal battles in Texas. All monies sent will be used to for the legal defense fund. Tax-deductible contributions can be made payable to ACQTC, Inc., marked for “ISL Legal Fund” and mailed to the International Support League, ACQTC National Office, 201 Church Street, Milltown, IN 47145.

Thunderhorse’s artwork and some of his books are for sale. For those interested, please call Ruth Little Owl Thunderhorse at 812-633-4932 or write to ACQTC Headwoman, Thunder Clan National Office, 201 Church Street, Milltown, IN 47145.

 
Land of the Indians: Part I
Written by C.C. Thomas
Saturday, 16 February 2008 04:19
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An interview with the Headwoman of the Quinnipiac Tribe

Ruth Little Owl Thunderhorse of Milltown, Indiana is the Headwoman of the Quinnipiac tribe of the Algonquian Confederacy; it’s a title bestowed upon her by her husband, Iron Thunderhorse.

A Grand Sachem, Iron Thunderhorse is of the Algonquian Confederacy of the Quinnipiac Tribal Council. It’s a position which was bestowed upon him at birth. Ruth Thunderhorse elaborates, “His mother was a Quinnipiac and her great aunt was the last matriarch of the Quinnipiac people. She lived to be over 100 years old and she taught Iron when he was a child. His birth was foretold. (There were a lot of omens and other signs that let the people know he was special.) As he grew, they found out he had this incredible mind, a child prodigy. They started teaching him the arts, crafts and traditions of his people.”

The service Iron Thunderhorse provides to society is invaluable: “Native American tradition wasn’t written down on paper,” said Mrs. Thunderhorse. “It’s been handed down in different ways, some of it mnemonically. It’s been handed down so that the culture bearer of a tribe can see these things and it calls to mind the history and ancient stories. The culture bearer is chosen at an early age so that the history can be taught. This is how it is all handed down to the next generation, from one generation to the next, faithfully.” Indeed, without his contributions, much of the dialects and graphical systems of his peoples would be extinct.

“Iron Thunderhorse is the last speaker, the last person who has taught the language and he’s the last person who has been handed down the culture and tradition. He’s the culture bearer of the Quinnipiac nation.” To further that purpose, a website has been created to gather together those people who have been scattered across the country but still share a common heritage. The website also shows much of Iron Thunderhorse’s art and writings and can be viewed at www.acqtc.com.

The last of his kind, Iron Thunderhorse is the only Culture Bearer left to his people. It’s been a lifetime of study and discipline and responsibility…much of it done despite the fact that he is blind and has spent much of his life behind bars.

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two part series on the life of Native American, Iron Thunderhorse. Part II will be published next week.