#24 - Moving past "Indian 101", Frenzied Culturalism & Cultural Profiteering - Guest: Ben Pease

12/11/20 • 101 min

In this new episode, the Tribal Research Specialist (TRS) team talk with Ben Pease (Apsáalooke/Tsétsêhéstâhese), renowned artist from Lodge Grass, MT. The episode starts with a song from the TRC archives. The song is sung by Pat Kennedy (1925-2004), well-known singer throughout the United States and Canada, spiritual healer and traditionalist. Many of his songs are still sang today.
Ben Pease grew up on the Crow Indian Reservation town of Lodge Grass, MT, and graduated High School at Hardin High School. Ben subsequently attended Minot State University on a football scholarship and was awarded the Twyman Art Scholarship. At MSU he studied under Walter Piehl, a protege of world-renowned artist Fritz Scholder. After meeting his Wife at Minot State University and having their first son, Ben and his family moved to Bozeman, MT. Pease left football behind and continued his pursuit of art & creativity at Montana State University where he studied under Rollin Beamish & Sara Mast.
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The episode continues with a discussion on the social implications of pan-indianism and how the pressure to maintain an "Indian cool factor" can detract from the inner workings of Tribal life. Additional discussions center on the controversies of the emergent copyrighting of cultural products.

Ben’s work has gained national & international attention. His work has been featured in scores of magazines, books, online publications, and social media networks like Western Art Collector Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, Mountain Living Magazine, Big Sky Journal, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, Montana Women’s Magazine, National Geographic, University of North Carolina Press, and even various international periodicals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Stuttgart, & Frankfurt.
The second half of the episode starts with an Owl Dance song from and unknown artist, again from the TRS archives. The discussion continues with an examination of the inter-tribal effects of our own cultural impositions we place on each other. The results are evaluated as a "frenzied culturalism", imagined as individual racing frantically to satisfy an indigenous image. The discussion shifts to way we can move ourselves out of "Indian 101" an into a new era of advancement that represents our Tribal reality.
Guest: Ben Pease
Website: https://www.benpeasevisions.com/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BenPeaseVisions/
Hosts: Aaron Brien, Shandin Pete

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#23 - New Show, Same Content, IRB's, Ethnography and 90's Powwow Songs! Welcome Back Loyal Listeners!

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In this new episode, the newly formed enterprise, Tribal Research Specialist (TRS), provides a brief introduction to our services and vision. As usually, the episode starts with a song. In this case, the song comes from a private reel-to-reel collection. The song was unmarked and unattributed to the artists. The TRS discusses the possible origin of the song and asks listeners to provide what they may know.
The episode continues with a discussion concerning issues surrounding the encroachment of Institutional Review Board protocol in Tribal community research. Further, the discussion focuses on Tribal Nations advancements and how this progress has required adaptations that have not always reflected Tribal values. This aligns with many other issues that can arise when Tribal people and our unique traditions and philosophies are subjugated by Federal and societal pressures.

The second half of the episode revisits the same song while still maintaining the discussion surrounding ethnographic approached to Tribal Phenomenon used by Tribal researchers. The sharing of knowledge is discusses as straying from the spirit of generosity. This is not to ignore the fact that IRB's were and are intended to protect Tribal people from exploitation, yet how far do we have to go to emulate a process that does not align with the realities of Tribal life.
Additionally, the TRC discussion veers into thoughts of 90's powwow music as an example of shifting ideologies and values related to sharing.
Have answers? Suggestions? Agree? Disagree? Join the conversation at one of our social media sites. Your input is valuable to advance our understanding.

Hosts: Aaron Brien, Shandin Pete

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#25 - Leadership and Virtue: Carryover from the past

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In this new episode, the Tribal Research Specialist (TRS) team discuss some important details related to traditional leadership in Indian country. The episode starts with an old Salish War Dance Song from sang by Paul Finley in 1950. The Salish name for the war dance is “Swenš ” and this was same name as that given to the Salish war dance that predated the more recent "Grass Dance". Paul Antoine noted that around 1873 a party of Salish that he was with, was on its way to the Plains where they up with some Crows and it was there that they first saw the grass dance. He also noted that previously the Crow had a war dance similar to the Salish.

The discussion focuses on the details of Crow chieftainship, including the merit and character needed to be considered to ascend to leadership. Challenged are the stereotypes and romantic ideas that we hold about the realities of our ancestors and how these pitfalls can propagate falsehoods or misunderstandings about past tribal life. The question posed is are we truly striving to live up to the ideals and values that our ancestors held?
The second half of the episode starts with a Salish War "Snqaqaa" (Going to war) sang by Paul Finley 1950 near Arlee. When raiders are prepared to depart camp and night arrived, these men would go from teepee to teepee, singing one of these raiding songs. In the buffalo hunting days these songs were gained as gift from the supernatural and each man would have one or more of them.

The discussion continues with an examination of morality and virtues in todays tribal communities. We continue to discuss if tribal life and the common notions of virtue hold true in Indian country. The considerations of virtues life honesty and bravery are pondered in this unfinished discussion. Important questions remain, such as "Does tribal ceremonial practice foster greater personal and tribal virtue?"
Join the discussion and let us know your thoughts.
Listen in to Host Aaron Brien on the Extreme History Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-on-past-indigenous-archaeology-crow-war-shields/id1532514949?i=1000505227864
Hosts: Aaron Brien, Shandin Pete
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Twitter: @tribalresearchspecialist
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Website: www.tribalresearchspecialist.com

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Tribal Research Specialist: The Podcast - #24 - Moving past "Indian 101", Frenzied Culturalism & Cultural Profiteering - Guest: Ben Pease

Transcript

Shandin Pete00:00:44.100

You're now tuned in to this week's episode of Tribal Research Specialist to the podcast, a podcast about tribal people, our communities and discussions on research traditions, we aim to uncover the true meaning of research methodological approaches that are currently operating in tribal life with implications for tribal communities, and avenues for knowledge production.

Shandin Pete00:01:58.709

Do you think that