In these times

Fearless and Asymmetrical Mandalas (For William Blake) / Mandala #27:  Total Eclipse in Fossil, WA

(Faber-Castell colored pencil on Bristol board. Drawn by am between July 2017 and October 2017)

October 3, 2017:  From my porch, looking toward the foothills that lead to the Cascade Mountains.

October 13, 2017: Early snow in the foothills.

(Tentative lyrics from YouTube comment by Hige)

[5x - Chorus] Hanawena ha wen hey Hanawena ha wen hey yo wa It's one man rich and another man poor. Why we ain't satisfied, why we gotta' have more? Why the suicide rates on the rez so high? Why? I tell you the truth, but you see only lies. Why is being a good father at all time so low? Why is it so bullsh... Why? I don't know. Why she blame him and he blame her? It's useless. Ask yourself this question: why you making excuses? Why do parents gotta bury their kids? Why we text and drive and not caring how scary it is? Why is it so hard to forgive and leave the past behind? And if you did, that's divine. Why don't you help your brother when you see him fall? Why don't we act like god and try to see it all? Why do we call them black and white and asians and use labels? Now that's racism. [4x - Chorus] Hanawena ha wen hey wa Hanawena ha wen hey yo wa wa Why is the reminiscence (?), people locked up for life? Why some people can't say something nice? Why do we always gotta' question what all of it means and why won't you follow your dreams? Tell me why that night when you took my dad, why you let me see my grandpa cry? And tell me why, why did you choose to hide, even though you were born to fly? And tell me why, and why don't we turn from all the hate? Why don't we learn from all mistakes? Why do I keep on wrecking these fat beats(?)? And teachers don't make more than professional athletes. And why? Hée why? Hée why? Hée why? Hée why? Hée why? [4x - Chorus] Hanawena ha wen hey wa Hanawena ha wen hey yo wa wa

“When I’m invited to a nonnative school, it’s an amazing opportunity to share music and culture with them,” he says. “I feel like I have a responsibility to educate about Native people, and the history of the United States, and basic things like breaking stereotypes of Native people. Like, ‘Hey, I’m drug- and alcohol-free, believe it.’ I invite all of them to my reservation because they’ve been taught not to go to the rez, [or they’ll] get killed.”

“When it’s all-Native it’s great too,” Supaman continues, “because you get to share your accomplishments with them. You get to say, ‘Hey, I’m a fancy dancer. I embrace the culture and I embrace this other culture, which is hip-hop.’ We have the opportunity to share our heart and tell them that it’s good to stand up for these rights; it’s good to be drug- and alcohol-free, and embrace culture… I want to show Native youth that it’s okay to embrace other cultures, so long as you don’t forget who you are and where you come from.”

Read more about Supaman here.