...Now THAT's What I'm Talkin About...(article)

*update (added April 25, 2011)

Film Screening: Aakideh
Saturday, April 16, 1 pm & Tuesday, April 26, 7 pm
‘Aakideh’ is an Ojibwe word meaning brave or brave-hearted. Artist Carl Beam earned a reputation for being fearless, visionary and ultimately, unforgettable. From his early years growing up on Manitoulin Island to his turbulent years spent at a residential school, this documentary explores how these early experiences not only impacted Beam’s life but also his art. Location: Museum of Anthropology, Screening time: 65 minutes.



Only in a world this cool could a Cree guy (me), on Coast Salish territory (Vancouver) visit the Museum of Anthropology to learn about the life and work of an Ojibway/Anishnabe (Carl Beam) artist from a Mohawk man (Greg Hill). In a world where many people (it seems) prefer to think of Indian art (and indeed, Indians) as relics, artifacts or something belonging to the past, last night was the perfect example of how a person and their work can transcend time and space. This in my mind is one of the things good art is supposed to do. Carl Beam’s vibrant display of painting, collaged images and text, not to mention his work in other mediums including architecture, installation, pottery, broadcasting and curriculum development and the places he studied and lived the and choices he made, all seem to depict a LIFE that IS art. And though the artist has now passed from this world his work continues to resonate and speak for itself which is another item of criteria that I think validates it. His work is also a clear example of culture that is alive and vibrant and is completely appropriate in a contemporary context. But the work and many of the things Carl Beam did outside of the studio or art gallery deeply reflect his roots and values (which is key) as an Anishnabe person. Only an Anishnabe person could have created this work and only Carl Beam could have created it in this fashion - it is completely original and you will experience nothing like it any other place or at any other time. Dig it while you can.


©2011 Champsteen Publishing

Raining Again (The Pissing Song)

words and music by Larry Nicholson


well there’s whole list of grievance
baby and it’s ten miles long
when she kissed me on the cheek
I shoulda known that there was something wrong
there’s size 12 boots underneath her bed
my vagabond shoes are only tens instead
she’s pissing on my back and telling me that it’s raining again
that it’s raining again

I called up the DJ
said he’d play my favorite tune
stayed up all night drawing flies and staring at the moon
at the crack of dawn there’s nothing but dead air
signed off in the morning saying: laissez-fair!
they're pissing on my back and tell me that it’s raining again
that it’s raining again

they keep throwing sinkers
just like you throw a dog a bone
you scratch their back
but when it hits the fan you’re all alone

when the mortgage man winked
I put my name upon the dotted line
I got the keys to the mansion
I’m payin’ for my peace of mind
when the meltdown hit they said: you’re outta luck
I’m sleeping by the river in my pickup truck
they're pissing on my back and telling me that’s it’s raining again
that it’s raining again

preacher man said he loved me
said he’d take away my sin
for 10 hail marys
and all my money for the tin
St Peter shook his head and then he sent me back
now im reaching for a rifle straight up off the rack
they keep pissing on my back and tell me that’s it’s raining again
that it’s raining again


© 2010 Champsteen Publishing