Tuesday, March 20, 2012

DREAM STAMPS OF GHOST BEAR/ Faux Postage Stamps by Eric Whollem/ CONCOW MAIDU CULTURAL CONCEPTS: THE BASIS OF VIRTUAL STAMPS

GHOST BEAR
Maidem Kodom
2010
by Eric Whollem
virtual stamp
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

DREAM STAMPS OF GHOST BEAR

Ghost Bear is featured on these fantasy stamp issues from
Maidem Kodom, which is my own fanciful name for a Maidu
Indian postal authority. Such a postal service does not, of
course exist; for these are examples of faux postage stamps, or
artist stamps, or artistamps as they are called.

I used to dream of a small she bear with whom I would fly in
my dreams. We would travel to caves. The walls of these caves
were covered with paintings done with earth paints. These
dreams occured when I lived at Chi Chi Te, or Black Earth
Village, in Feather Falls, which is an area in the Sierra Nevada
Mountains of Northern California.

Dreaming is highly respected by the Concow Maidu Indians.
It is the basis of their traditional religion, called Kuksu. See
my link below to learn more about Kuksu:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/kuksu


GHOST BEAR
Maidem Kodom
2010
by Eric Whollem
virtual stamp
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

The black bear is a medicine animal of the Maidu. In the old
days the healing shamans would often dress in bear robes when
they cured people of their sicknesses.

See my posts about the MAIDU INDIANS:

GHOST BEAR
Maidem Kodom
Mooretown Provisional Postage
2010
by Eric Whollem
virtual stamp sheet
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Mooretown Ridge is the place where one can find Feather Falls, which
is both the designation of a town and a waterfall. The town today is
centered near the Gold Flake Bar on Lumpkin Road. Mooretown was
originally the name of a logging company town, now gone.

For many years there was another small logging town called
Feather Falls up at the end of Lumpkin Road. Now this is gone.
Camp Eighteen was another logging town going  up towards
Fall River, also now a part of the past.

The Mooretown Rancheria used to be located at Chi Chi Te on
Lumpkin Road. But Chi Chi Te went back into private ownership
a number of years ago. But there is a modern 'Mooretown Rancheria'
now down in the valley in Oroville, which is a contemporary Maidu
rancheria with a large and progressive Casino.

See my posts about FEATHER FALLS:


NOTES ABOUT MOORETOWN PROVISIONAL POSTAGE

My fantasy stamps include the historical name of Mooretown, which
I have taken the artistic liberty of using  for my Maidu faux postage
postal system: Mooretown Provisional Postage. This is a fictional
postal system, of course. I am in no way connected officially with the
Mooretown Rancheria. These stamps are purely artistic fantasy.

Provisional Postage is defined by stamp collectors as postage used
where and when there is no mail delivery and local people take up the
burden of mail delivery. There is a history of  real provisional postal issues;
however these stamps are virtual, or imaginary stamps.

_____________________________

Readers interested in seeing more of my MAIDEM KODOM STAMPS should check out:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


SUMI MAIDEM KAKINI
by Eric Whollem


BELOW IS A VIDEO
THAT PRESENTS A FEW OF
MY MAIDU FANTASY STAMPS

SPIRIT ANIMALS OF THE CONCOW MAIDU