Art Blog/Eric Whollem: Sep 15, 2010

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

CONCOW MAIDU FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS/ 'Pano Maidem' by Eric Whollem/ 'THE BEAR DOCTOR'/ Traditional shamanic lore of the Native Americans of Butte County, California/ A cinderella cyber stamp from Maidem Kodom/ ARTIST STAMPS

Pano Maidem

Maidem Kodom

2010

by Eric Whollem

Pano the Bear

These faux postage stamps feature a painting that I created with

gouache and parafin and plastic emulsion resist on paper.

'Pano Maidem' means Bear Man in the Concow Maidu dialect. The

black bear is very sacred to the Maidu; and today in Janesville,

California, the Maidu have an intertribal gathering each year for

what is called 'The Bear Dance.'

I once visited the roundhouse in Janesville with Adrian Smith, the

head of the Butte County Tribal Council, back in the 1970's. He was

'Bear,' or lead dancer at one of the Bear Dances. From time to time

different people are chosen as lead dancer.

There are different Bear Doctors in Maidu tradition. The Grizzly

Doctors were greatly feared, but the Black Bear Doctors were

healers. Adrian told me that 'everyone is a doctor.' That is to say

everyone has a special 'power' or abiltiy. Almost everyone is a

dreamer. 'Netdim' means dreaming. The dream is the sacred unity

from which cultural continuity extends. The inititates of the Dream

Society are shamans, or doctors; but the more advanced doctors

are called Yeponi.

Kuksu is the name of the Dream Society, or traditional religious

organization of the Concow Maidu. Moki is the head priest of the

Kuksu Dream Lodge. The Kuksu idea began in Oroville, California

but subsequently spread to other Native American groups across

the state: the Wintun, the Cato, the Pomo, and the Miwok.

______________

Readers interested in my posts on Shamanism might be interested in the following:

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

To read what I have to say about the Maidu Indians view this link:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/maidu%20indians

Those interested in Dreaming may want to see:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogpspot.com/search/label/dreaming

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, micronation stamps. Shamanism; mythographic art; mythology; Maidu Indians; dreaming.

CONCOW MAIDU FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS/ An earth painting made from natural earth, ash, and charcoal/ 'Voice of the Turtle' by Eric Whollem/ THE MAIDU CREATION STORY/ A cinderella cyber stamp edition from the micronation of Maidem Kodom

Voice of the Turtle

Maidem Kodom

2010

by Eric Whollem

Voice of the Turtle: an Earth Painting of Ultrama

Ultrama is the Turtle from the Concow Maidu story of creation.

Legend has it that Ultrama dove to the bottom of the sea to bring

up mud, which was used to make the world.

According to Tom Epperson, Maidu storyteller, the realm in which

Ultrama acted was called Kodomyeponi, which I translate as The

World of Shamans. 'Kodom' means 'land;' and 'yeponi' means

'shaman' or 'doctor.'

Maidem Kodom is my own name for the 'Country of the Maidu.'

A video about my earth paints.

The painting on the stamp above was made from natural earth

pigments, charcoal and ash, gathered and processed by myself.

I showed this painting at a Pow Wow in Oroville, California back

in the 1980's when I conducted a workshop on making paints from

earth gathered in nature. Later the work was exhibited at Pacific

Western Traders in Folsom, California.

_______________

Readers interested in Earth Paints should see my posts on the subject:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/earth%20paints

A video about the Concow Maidu

To view my articles on Maidu Indians see this link:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/maidu%20indians

BELOW IS A VIDEO

SHOWING MORE STAMPS OF

MAIDEM KODOM

SPIRIT ANIMALS OF THE CONCOW MAIDU

Those interested in my other Stamp creations may view my posts here:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/artist%20stamps

Artist stamps, artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps, fantasy stamps, faux postage, mail art, micronation stamps. Earth paints; mythology.

'A SHORT HISTORY OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL STAMPS'/ Concow Maidu Faux Postage Stamps/ 'Ultrama' by Eric Whollem/. . . The story of how Turtle created the world from mud from the bottom of the sea/ A cinderella stamp from the micronation of Maidem Kodom. . . & the 'Mooretown Provisional Post Office'/ Detail from the mixed media painting, 'Garden of the Turtle'/ Gouache and earth paints on paper/ A CYBERSTAMP EDITION/ California Native American Creation Myth

Ultrama

Maidem Kodom

2010

by Eric Whollem

The Concow Maidu Story of Creation on a Faux Postage Stamp

A SHORT HISTORY OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL STAMPS

Quite a few Native American tribal stamps have been created by

Indian Nations. Some of them are reservation hunting permit stamps.

Such items are attractive to stamp collectors. Duck Stamps, issued by

the US government have a huge following among collectors. And as

for cinderella faux postage stamps, there are societies and clubs
dedicated to their study.

The first Native American tribal stamps were issued by the Rosebud
Sioux in the 1950's. These were hunting permit stamps.

The Crow Creek Sioux have issued a number of Duck Hunting stamps.
A link at the bottom of my post takes you to the history of these stamps.
There is an amusing story of the Crow Creek people having had a lack
of interest in helping stamp collectors purchase their stamps, which were
issued for a practical purpose. Stamp collectors have been made to wait
until after hunting season is over to get copies of the stamps, which were
made for hunters, not collectors. [See the Arago link below, where you can
read an informative article by Jeanette Cantrell Rudy.]

Tribal stamps were first issued in the 1950's, but the first stamps with
images instead of mere text appered in 1989--with the Crow Creek
People. These stamps show flying birds.

In my links below you can find examples of fantasy Native American
tribal stamps, such as those from the Republic of Timucua. These are
called 'micronation stamps' by collectors. There are quite a few
micronations online. It is creative genre, not always geared just to stamps.

Developers of a micronation go to various lengths to invent a history and
culture for their imaginary land. This genre of creativity is found in
organizations like the Society For Creative Anachronism, whose
members try to recreate the Middle Ages.

Also you can find a link to authentic tribal stamps from a dealer who
specializes in them for collectors. (This is Jaffe Stamps, who acquired the
Brookman Stamp Company, & has a complete online catalog of known
Indian Reservation Stamps).

These authentic tribal stamps and the fantasy issues mentioned above
are all classified as 'cinderella stamps' by stamp collectors. A cinderella is
any sort of non-postage stamp, including Christmas seals, revenue stamps,
and Duck Hunting Permit Stamps, as well as faux postage stamps or
micronation stamps. The stamps from Timucua are 'faux postage stamps,'
as they are purely artistic creations.

Asskosskoss

Maidem Kodom

2010

by Eric Whollem

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

My own issues from Maidem Kodom and the Mooretown Provisional Post
Office are all micronational stamps--faux postage stamps that are
educational and informative . . . ana a way of sharing with the world my art
that relates to Concow Maidu culture.

Voice of the Turtle

Maidem Kodom

2010

by Eric Whollem

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

NOTES ON MY MAIDEM KODOM STAMPS

My art for many of these designs was in part made from natural earth
pigments--and sometimes in conjuction with opaque watercolors.

The brief synopsis of the story of Ultrama, the Turtle is found in the

margins of this Turtle stamp I created for an idealized Maidu postal service,

which I have dubbed 'The Mooretown Provisional Post Office.'

As you see here I have included Spirit of the Deer Man and, Asskosskoss
the Jay among the images on my artist stamps.

Sumi Maidem Kakini

Maidem Kodom

2010

by Eric Whollem

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Actually I began creating faux postage stamps up in Feather Falls back

in 1999. Subsequently I have created quite a few imaginary stamp issuing

countries--from Amphitritonia to Undinia. My Maidem Kodom stamps

are special because they reflect the language and customs of a real

culture, at least as interpreted by myself. I apologize for any grammatical

or informational errors which may appear in my work and writings.

Netdim Kakinim

Maidem Kodom

2010

by Eric Whollem

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

A PARALLEL OF CONCOW MAIDU LEGEND WITH HINDU SCRIPTURE

Tom Epperson, a Maidu storyteller, has given us the most comprehensive

account of the original Concow Maidu cultural legends. A link at the bottom

of this post takes you to an original recording of Mr. Epperson singing a

version of the Maidu Creation Story.

The Maidu account of Creation is similar to that found in India, where the

first incarnation of Vishnu was Kurma, the Tortoise.

There is another Hindu Myth that recalls the Maidu Creation Story--the legend

of Bhu. In this story Bhu, the Earth Goddess, is held captive at the bottom of

the sea. Narasimha, the Manlion, (the third incarnation of Vishnu) rescues her

from the clutches of Makara, the Sea King. This story is found in the Puranas.

'Bhu' means earth in the sense of dense matter. In this her story parallels

the Maidu legend where mud is brought up from the bottom of the sea by

Ultrama the Turtle.

CONCOW MAIDU CULTURE VIDEO BY WHOLLEM

ANOTHER ANCIENT STORY OF CREATON SET AT THE OCEAN FLOOR

Interestingly enough, in the Gnostic Gospels found at Nat Hammadi in Egypt

there is an account of Genesis wherein the Garden of Eden is at the bottom

of the sea. The story relates that Adam was created as a reflection on the

water. Here we have the oceanic element, but Adam is a mental creation,

rather than a physical creation from clay or mud.

Thus the Maidu Creation Story has various parallels in different parts of the

world. Some story elements are similar. But the Maidu story is unique. . . and

quite different from other legends found among tribal groups in early California.

_____________________

Those wanting to read a similar post that talks about Indian Reservation Stamps see:
http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/2010/09/concow-maidu-culture-indian-reservation.html
Read about Artistamps on Wikipedia for information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistamps

To understand the concept of the Micronation of Maidem Kodom see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronations.

For a site that gives us a Creation song by Tom Epperson, go to this link:

http://honeylakemaidu.org/creation.html

To see the CROW CREEK Sioux Hunting Stamps go
to this link:
http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=187106

For look at the fantasy stamps of The Republic of Timucua take a peek at this link:

http://micronations.wikia.com/wiki/Native_American_Tribal_Republic_of_Timucua

Readers interested in a site with a of a comlete list of authentic Tribal Stamps should see this link:

http://brookmanstamps.com/IndianReservation.htm

My own online posts of my faux postage stamps can be found on this link:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/artist%20stamps

BELOW IS A SAMPLE

ARTISTAMP

VIDEO

FROM MY ARCHIVES

(See Eric Whollem's

Youtube Channel)