Blowout Sale at the Quileuete Nation Store

This just in from the Quileute Nation:

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.

Attendees of past festivals include Tinsel Korey (Emily) in 2009, and Gil Birmingham (Billy Black) in 2010.

Supplies are limited, so hurry to http://www.quileute-store.com to purchase your t-shirt now! The shirts can be found under the link for “Quileute Days Gear.”One of the four styles of shirts is pictured to the left.

While at the Quileute Store, also be sure to check out other authentic Quileute and “Twilight Saga” inspired merchandise!

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!

source

'Twilight' leads Quileute tribe to help museum tell its true story

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.

Read more at The Seattle Times

Source Via Source

Quileute Myths, Legends, And Stories!

Quileute Stories

Native American cultures spread out across the Great Plains of North America recite stories. These stories are as old as humankind and are passed down generation to generation around camp fires. They survive in our Contemporary living rooms during holidays and additional gatherings, when we take part in family customs and share family stories in very much the same way that the Quileute storytellers learned their stories by hearing the Quileute stories of their tribe. Even though the stories of the Quileute might be published in books, they cannot be attributed to a specific author, nor can they be frozen in time, place, form, or content. They’re not the work of an single imagination; they’re folklore, anonymous, Ever changing, propagating the hearts, minds, and mouths of countless tellers.

Quileute Legend

It’s as well interesting to note the wide range of tales in Quileutes.com’s collection. A myth, such as the “Quileute Creation Legend”, is a creation story, fundamentally religious in its content, explaining the beginning of the earth and its creatures in a fashion similar to the book of Genesis. Myths, such as “The Origin of Elks” or “The Beaver’s Tail” narrate deeds or outcomes, frequently stunning in nature, comparable to “The Legend of Johnny Appleseed.” With plenty embellishment, stories could be regarded as a tall tale. Occasionally these stories may look silly or childish. Indeed, they’re frequently recited to children. But scholars remind us that folklore can be a powerful influence on the way we see ourselves and interpret the world around us. Joseph Campbell, the noted folklorist, explored religious mythologies of the world. His books uncover the commonality of seemingly disparate opinions, all of them exhibiting the human being aspiring towards spirituality

Quileute Religion in Legend

Numerous Native American tales are of religious origin and satisfy a spiritual need. It might be hard for non-Native readers to see religious belief in these Quileute tales as they’re immensely unlike the stories told in the Bible and other teachings of the Christian religion. Readers may find a deeper appreciation of Quileute stories by comparing them with stories from their own spiritual background.

Preserving Quileute Tradition

Stories are crucial in instructing moral values and tribal history. For each story had a genuine reason for it. The Quileutes didn’t have schoolhouses, so they had to tell stories to teach their children. Stories like “How the Deer Received Antlers” or “The Lazy Boy Who Became a Whaler ” warn the listener against boastfulness and arrogance. In “Duskeah,” the sinner dies, burnt up in a camp fire. This is a consequence of her causing harm to children, and the listener learns a Quileute version of the Hindu concept of karma- what goes around, comes back around.

Author: Brian Stiff of www.Quileutes.com

People.info via Black_Pack

Seattle Art Museum to host Quileute legend exhibit

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 Twilight series, 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."

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."

Article written by Amanda Bell, Twilight Examiner

Photo credit: Kimberley French, Summit Entertainment

Source

Gil Birmingham Presented with Quileute Flag

Source via Source via Source

Seattle Art Museum to host Quileute legend exhibit

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 Twilight series, 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."

Twilight Examiner

Want To Read Some REAL Quileute History??

WITH THE SUCCESS of the "Twilight" series, the Quileute Nation and inhabitants of LaPush have found themselves thrust into the spotlight.

While many movie fans may have trouble distinguishing fact from fiction, the history of the Quileute Nation just might be equally as interesting as any movie script.

By the 1870s, Dan Pullen, born in Maine in 1842, was said to be the richest man in Clallam County. He claimed to hold the title to more than 1,500 acres.

It was questionable whether Pullen actually held the deed to all the property he claimed to own.

Another problem was a large part of Pullen's "property" was also claimed by the Quileute.

It was about this time when A.J. "Salvation" Smith and family arrived at LaPush.

The Smith family had spent some time at Neah Bay.

There they had endured a bout of typhoid and lost a child to the disease.

At LaPush, Pullen helped them get settled.

Alanson Smith was Salvation's oldest son, a serious young man who got along well with people.

The younger Smith soon got a job as teacher at the Indian School. Since the nearest agent was at Neah Bay, he also acted as doctor and dentist and settled disputes between the Quileute and white settlers.

While Smith was of a mild-mannered nature, his younger sister, Harriet, who was 18, had a fiery temper, and Pullen liked what he saw.

Soon she married Pullen, who was almost twice her age.

At this time Pullen was also fighting with the Washington Fur Co., which had pulled out of LaPush and left Pullen to carry on under his own name. He filed suit against the company.

Smith soon found himself in the middle of a mess between the Quileute and his brother-in-law.

For years, Pullen had kept the Quileute subdued with violence or threats of violence, and the tribe had taken just about enough.

In the summer of 1882, Obi, a Quileute doctor and man of influence, went to Pullen's house to complain that Pullen's pigs had eaten his potatoes.

When Pullen went to inspect the damage, Obi and his wife got Pullen in their house and worked him over good -- but another Quileute, Kla-kish-ka, rescued Pullen. Obi went to jail.

Finally, on Feb. 18, 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed an executive order that gave the Quileute a square mile at the mouth of the river, with authority for the small reservation vested in the Neah Bay agent.

Much of Dan Pullen's property, including his store building and his own pretentious two-story house, lay inside this mile.

It was his contention that his homesteader rights precluded this decision.

Pullen had few sympathizers, but found an attorney to take his case.

Later that September, almost the entire Quileute tribe traveled to Puyallup to pick hops.

While they were gone, their entire village of 26 houses was burned to the ground.

Many believed Pullen and two other men deliberately set the fire.

Although Pullen denied it, he immediately leveled the area, planted grass and put up barbed-wire fence.

Finally in 1891, the courts decided the Quileute claim took precedence over the settlers.

Pullen launched another suit to challenge the decision, his one-time fortune disappearing in endless court costs and attorney fees.

Harriet Pullen decided to move on after the court decision -- and headed for Alaska and the gold rush.

Smith went on to raise four children of his own, and a foster son. He served as postmaster and justice of the peace. He died in 1938.

The richest man in Clallam County, Pullen, died around 1910, his fortune gone.

And the Quileute? They are enjoying a little stardom.


Source: PeninsulaDailyNews.com
Via Black_Pack

Gil Birmingham to Be Honored at La Push Quileute Days Festival

Gil Birmingham will be honored at the annual Quileute Days Festival in La Push. You can see the entire schedule of events here. The event is open to the public and admission is free.


According to the press release:

“In honor of actor Gil Birmingham’s portrayal of tribal chairman Billy Black and his telling of the legends of the Quileute tribe in the block-buster film Twilight Saga Eclipse, the Quileute Nation has invited him to participate in Quileute Days, Saturday, July 16 at the Akalat Center Grounds. Quileute Days will run Friday through Sunday and will include traditional tribal games, softball games, a parade, vendors and more. The annual event is free to the public.

“We are delighted to welcome Gil to La Push and Quileute Days,” tribal spokeswoman Jackie Jacobs said. “It is an honor to have him join us in this very special celebration of Quileute culture and traditions. How wonderful to have Gil Birmingham, who portrays Council Chairman Billy Black in ‘Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ meet the true Chairwoman Anna Rose Councell-Geyer and the other members of the Quileute Tribal Council.”

On Saturday, Birmingham will join in the festival parade at noon, hold a 3 p.m. autograph session — a $20 contribution is required — and will make a 4 p.m. guest appearance at the Talent Showcase.

“I am truly honored to be invited to the Quileute Nation this weekend as they celebrate their culture and traditions,” said Gil Birmingham (Comanche) from his home in Los Angeles, CA. “In the three Twilight Saga films, I attempted to portray Billy Black and Quileute tribal members with honor and respect. The entire premise of the Twilight books and movies is based on Quileute tribal legends which are deeply rooted in the ancient cultural traditions. It was important to me that the legends, as well as an honest portrayal of modern day Native Americans, come through in the film Eclipse.”

The theme of Quileute Days this year is “History through Our Traditions,” focusing on education about the authentic Quileute history, legends and culture. Stick games — a traditional betting game — will begin at 6 p.m. Friday and at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Also, there will be a Jacob Black and Bella Swan look-alike contest.”

Source via Twilight Lexicon

The REAL story of the Quileute wolves

I'm glad to see this being made a reality.  These stories are important to the Quileute People.

SEATTLE – Two cultural projects about indigenous cultures in Washington state are sharing $85,000 in grants awarded by Humanities Washington.
Funds to were awarded to 13 Washington organizations “working to nurture creativity, promote dialogue and spark critical thinking.”
The Seattle Art Museum received $10,000 to produce “Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves.” The presentation “provides the Quileute Nation a rare public forum to clarify the misconceptions of Quileute culture and wolf mythology promulgated by the ‘Twilight’ series.”
Humanities Washington is a statewide organization dedicated to “improving life for individuals and their communities through interdisciplinary cultural education programs.”

Source via Source

The impact of the Twilight series on the Quileute people

SEATTLE (AP) — The leader of the Quileute Nation in northwest Washington first began hearing her tribe had a role in the popular "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 beanie hats 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 emerge from a small house 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 to 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.

To top it off, several members of the Quileute nation attended the movie's premiere in Los Angeles last week, said Jackie Jacobs, the tribe's spokeswoman for all things Twilight. Some also attended the premiere of "New Moon."

source via black_pack

“Authentic” Quileute Nation Blog Now Online!

The Quileute Nation Blog just went up so if you’d like to read about what’s going on at La Push or watch videos concerning the Quileute Nation, check out their Blog at http://authenticquileutenation.blogspot.com/. It’s still new (as in it went up today) so you might not find a lot of information right now, but you can always bookmark it and return another time to read the blog!

source