Saturday, September 11, 2010

CONCOW MAIDU FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS/ 'Kuksu' by Eric Whollem/ STORIES IN THE STONE: CONCOW MAIDU LEGENDS FOUND IN THE ROCK FORMATIONS OF TABLE MOUNTAIN NEAR OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA/ Notes on Ishi, the Last of the Yahi Indians and Kroeber the Anthropologist According to Accounts by Frank Day/ The Lore of the Maidu Indians: the Kuksu Dream Religion/ A cinderella cyber stamp edition of the micronational Mooretown Provisional Post Office/ ARTIST STAMPS



Kuksu
Maidem Kodom
2010
by Eric Whollem
copyright by the artist

The First Man: Kuksu

Table Mountain above Oroville, California, is the legendary Garden
of Eden of the Concow Maidu. It was there that the first human couple
was created from mud. The first man was Kuksu and his bride was
Morningstar.


TABLE MOUNTAIN LEGENDS

Table Mountain is the old location of the hamlet of Hudli. The Flint
Mines with material for making stone tools was up on Table Mountain.
Also the war dance area could be found there. Numerous sites related to
old stories are set in the lava rock formations. 'The Bird Who Flew So
Fast He Could Not Be Heard' can be found on the high cliffs. In the
valley of Table Mountain are great monolithic lava stones that
represent Wonomi, the Earth Maker and also the Great Lizard, who is
named Usbuki. Usbuki is the warrior power. Near Usbuki is Henokano,
the Coyote, or Trickster.

Many of the ideas in the above paragraph were recorded by Coyote
Man, or Bob Rathbun, back in the 1970's and can be found on his
map of the Concow Maidu country. He wrote a book called 'Sun,
Moon, and Stars' and also 'The Destruction of the People.' These
books were popular in their day. I hope copies can still be found, as
they are real treasures of the Concow Maidu culture.

Bob Rathbun published many of Tom Epperson's stories. Tom
passed away in 1974; he was one of the greatest Maidu storytellers.
Brian Beavers was another important source for Rathbun.

                                                   *

And every school kid from modern Oroville has heard the story of
how the Sutter Buttes hear Marysville used to be the top of Table
Mountain. Some embellish this modern folk tale with the mention
of how a giant was involved in moving this vast amount of rock
so many miles. This is not a Concow Maidu legend, but my section
on 'Legends of Table Mountain' would not be complete without this
story.


THE OLD NAMES FOR OROVILLE

On Coyote Man's map Oroville is called Opatoni. Near the site of
Oroville is another Maidu village called Siltamona.

Oroville is the place where the Kuksu Dream Society was first
created by the Concow Maidu people.


A FEW NOTES ON ISHI

Later Oroville was the place where Ishi, the famous Yahi Indian
was found--supposedly the last uncivilized Native American.
He was found in a slaughterhouse near old Quincy Road. He
was covered with ash; which may have made him appear
unusual to the people who found him. However those people
were probably unfamiliar with normal Native American
customs of mourning.

CONCOW MAIDU FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS/ 'Kuksu' by Eric Whollem/ Legends of the Maidu Indians of Northern California: Notes on Grass Games, Language, and Tribal Designations/ A cinderella cyber stamp edition/ MYTHOGRAPHIC ARTIST STAMPS/ 'One Feather Postage' from the Chi Chi Te Printing House Ltd, a micronational artistamp edition




Kuksu
Maidem Kodom
2010
by Eric Whollem
copyright by the artist


'One Feather Postage' From Maidem Kodom 

When I first began to create this series of stamps to celebrate the
culture of the Concow Maidu, I followed suit with the practice of many
faux postage stamp creators and included a $1 denomination. The later
stamps in the series are denominated 'One Feather.'


THE CONCOW MAIDU LANGUAGE, GRASS GAMES, ETC.

'Maidem Kodom' means 'Land of the People' in the Maidu language.
Adrian Smith, former head of the Butte County Tribal Council, once
said to me back in the 1980's: "To know the language is to know the
culture." 

Today the Mooretown Rancheria near Oroville has had the last of
the native speakers teach courses in the local dialect, so as to help
preserve the continuity of traditions. Mooretown is the old name for
a logging town that once existed on Mooretown Ridge. The town of
Feather Falls came later, another logging town; it also has passed
away, having been dismantled by the logging company that owned
the land.

Currently the center of 'town' in Feather Falls is near the Gold
Flake Bar, which houses the post office, etc. Although the original
Mooretown Rancheria was up on Mooretown Ridge, the modern
Mooretown Rancheria is in the valley today.

The Berry Creek Maidu have their own establishment in the valley
today as well. The Berry Creek Maidu have their own tribal connections;
but have always interacted with the Feather Falls people in the sacred
communion of the Grass Games.

Martin, a Concow Maidu of Berry Creek, once invited me to the Grass
Games in Bald Rock. There were only three folks from Feather Falls
present: Ralph Martin, myself, and an elderly lady--or as is said in
the Concow Maidu language, 'essu'--'old woman.' At these Grass Games
everyone sings gaming songs in the traditonal language. I met Martin
(of Berry Creek) in the warehouse of the Pacific Coast Producers
Cannery in Oroville, where we both were employees. Martin knew
a lot about making paints from earth pigments; and he related to
me stories about the traditional uses of earth paint.


                                 ERIC WHOLLEM


The Maidu language has three main subdivisions: Concow Maidu
for Butte County--the West People. Mountain Maidu for the region
of Plumas County and north towards Susanville. And the Nisenan
Maidu of Nevada County to the south.

____________

Readers intersted in the Kuksu Dream Religion may want to read these posts:

A VIDEO ABOUT
KUKSU

ERIC WHOLLEM                              


My posts on the Maidu Indians can be accessed on this link:


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Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, micronation stamps. Mythographic art; mythology; Kuksu; Feather Falls.