Pictures of Resistance

This came across my desk this morning and it looks fascinating: The Holocaust Center is partnering with Hillel at the University of Washington to bring to Seattle “Pictures of Resistance: The Wartime Photography of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman” featuring photography from the only known Jewish partisan photographer during the Holocaust.

Remember Daniel Craig in the movie “Defiance”? He played Tuvia Bielski, the commander of the Bielski Partisan group. Tuvia’s granddaughter, Sharon Rennert, will be in Seattle sharing personal stories and footage from her upcoming documentary.

PICTURES OF RESISTANCE: The Wartime Photographs of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman
Exhibit - January 13 -February 17, 2011
Teacher Workshop - January 14
Hillel, University of Washington, Seattle
Sponsored by the Holocaust Center in partnership with Hillel
More information – www.wsherc.org/programs.

Special Guest! January 13 & 14
Sharon Rennert, granddaughter of Jewish partisan commander Tuvia Bielski.

TEACHER WORKSHOP - January 14, 2011. 8:30am - 3:00pm.
Presentations by: Mitch Braff, "Women in the Partisans," and Sharon Rennert, "In Our Hands: A Personal Story of the Bielski Partisans." Clock hours available. $10 registration fee. Space is limited – More info and to register – www.wsherc.org/programs.

Please note: the Historical Society is not affiliated with this event--we're just spreading the word! The image featured on this post is courtesy of the Washington Holocaust Education Resource Center.

Twilight (yes, THAT Twilight) in the Northwest

Love them or hate them, the Twilight series of novels and movies has brought attention to Washington’s coastline and the small towns of Forks and LaPush. But what we don’t often think about is the attention that it has brought to the Quileute tribe, featured prominently in this story.

For those of you who’ve never read the series, it features a character named Jacob Black. Jacob is a Quileute who has the ability to transform, along with many other tribal members, into a werewolf.

Of her character, Stephenie Mayer says on her website:

“Lots of people give me more credit than I deserve; they think I knew Jacob was a werewolf from the very beginning. This is not the case. Twilight was supposed to be a stand alone novel, remember. There was no thought of werewolves in my mind as I wrote it. The Quileute (Quill-yoot) legends Jacob tells Bella in chapter six of Twilight are all genuine Quileute stories that I learned when I was researching the tribe (which is a real tribe with a truly fascinating and mystical history). All actual Quileute legends, except for the vampire myth about the 'cold ones.' I latched onto the wolf story (the actual Quileute legend claims that the tribe descended from wolves transformed by a sorcerer) because it fit with my sketchy knowledge of vampires and werewolves always being at each others' throats (ha ha, pun intended).” (Read the rest here)

But what are the actual stories behind the wolves of Twilight? From the WSHS permanent collection, two animal totem masks and a ceremonial drum are on loan to the Seattle Art Museum, as part of a new exhibition examining the Hollywood-style fiction of the wolf as a Native American animal totem in the movie Twilight.

The History Museum is lending both a wolf- and bird-head masks used by the Quileute tribe in dance ceremonies, dating to the late 19th century in the southwest corner of the Clallam County region of Washington State. Comparisons between the film’s use of the wolf as a mythological creature with the real cultural associations the animal has for the Quileute tribe are graphically depicted with the help of masks like these. The Seattle Art Museum’s exhibition, Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves, runs from August 14, 2010 – August 14, 2011.

So if you (or someone you know) is on Team Jacob, consider checking out this exhibition to find out the real story.

More information about native culture and the Behind the Scenes exhibit can be found on the web at the following places:

• History of the Quileute Nation
  
• Raven Tales of the Quileute Nation
  
• SAM Exhibition Info
  
• And of course, Stephenie Meyer’s own site
  

To learn more about Native culture, visit the History Museum’s In the Spirit: Contemporary Northwest Native Arts Exhibition on display through September 19. A corresponding festival with salmon bake, performances, art sale, and more, is August 7 and 8, 10 AM-5 PM daily at the History Museum in downtown Tacoma. Check out http://www.washingtonhistory.org/artsfestival/ for details about the “In the Spirit” celebration.

- Gwen

WASHINGTON STATE HISTORY MUSEUM EVALUATES SASQUATCH EVIDENCE

Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch Opens January 23

Explore the Sasquatch mystery in Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch, on view January 23 through June 27 at the Washington State History Museum.

Who or what is Sasquatch? Why are sightings in Washington the highest in the nation?

This exploration of the Sasquatch story focuses on the Pacific Northwest environment which has created a rich setting for the traditional beliefs that have grown up around this being. The relationship of Northwesterners to the land, particularly its deep forests and imposing mountains, has led explorers and travelers further into the depths of our region.

How have scientists attempted to explain and investigate the Sasquatch phenomenon? Physical evidence collected in the field by anthropologist Dr. Grover Krantz will be on display. Discovery Channel expert and Bigfoot author, Dr. Jeffery Meldrum of Idaho State University has contributed to the exhibit recently gathered field evidence including special foot and hand casts.

Supposed hoaxes and popular cultural interpretations of Bigfoot are featured in the exhibit including memorabilia from the Sasquatch Music Festival, Bigfoot Ale, Sasquatch Press, and the Seattle SuperSonics Squatch Collection.

Worldwide and across time, tales of larger-than-life creatures have been told. Tribal artifacts and artwork will convey Native cultural beliefs. On loan from the Maryhill Museum of Art is a prehistoric, ape-like Stone Head found in the Columbia Basin. Created especially for the exhibit is a full size mural of the legendary Dzoonokwa or “Basket Women” of the forests. Carved masks by Native artists are featured in the gallery. From werewolves to wild men, stories of beings both animal and man have been told across time. Some of these legends are explored in the exhibit. Also featured is artwork by cryptid illustrator Rick Spears.

Join the History Museum to discover the unique Northwest connection to Sasquatch. To support this special exhibition, we are hosting a number of programs that connect to the Sasquatch story.

SASQUATCH Programs for 2010
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE!
January 21, 2010
6:30 pm
BEHIND THE HAIRY CURTAIN: SASQUATCH SNEAK PEEK
Are you a Squatch Watcher? Do you yearn to know the truth behind the tales of Sasquatch? Then join us for this special “Behind the Scenes” walk-through with the curators of Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch. You’ll be amazed by prehistoric stone heads, native masks, footprint casts, and the world map of Sasquatch-like beings. Are you a believer?

GHOSTS OF THE GREAT HALL: ICONS OF WASHINGTON
February 6 < 1–3 PM February 18 < 6:30 PM
Tours commence every half hour
Interact with iconic Washingtonians in this program that brings historical figures to life. Meet Ronald Debs Ginther, an artist who painted life during the Great Depression; rock out with Jimi Hendrix; search for Sasquatch with Dr. Grover Krantz; and work on a railroad with Anna Lind, a logging camp cook for Northern Pacific Railroad. This program is FREE with Museum admission.

GHOSTS OF THE GREAT HALL: UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
March 6 < 1-3 PM
Tours commence every half hour

Uncover some of Washington's unsolved mysteries with characters from the past. Hunt for lost treasure with D. B. Cooper, a Washington skyjacker who disappeared with his loot; hear a ghost story from Percy Buck, sole survivor of the Andelana shipwreck; search for Sasquatch with Dr. Grover Krantz, and question William H. Gilstrap, the Historical Society's first curator and secretary who was locked away during the "Great Tozier Heist." This program is FREE with Museum admission.

SASQUATCH DAY
June 5 < Times TBD
Bob Gimlin & Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum

Of special interest is the appearance in western Washington of two giants of the story of Sasquatch: Bob Gimlin and Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum.

One of the most famous pieces of Sasquatch evidence is the Patterson-Gimlin film made in northern California. This film features a female Bigfoot striding next to a sandy creek. Scientists world-wide have studied this film and remain divided upon its authenticity, however, the filmmakers Bob Gimlin and the late Roger Patterson have stood by their photographic evidence. Expedition partner and outfitter Bob Gimlin will join us for an audience discussion about his experience on the Bluff Creek expedition and the famous encounter on the trail, made immortal in the 24 feet of film images Patterson recorded.

Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum of Idaho State University and author of Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science will also be discussing his collected evidence. Dr. Meldrum is frequently seen on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and the National Geographic Channel among others. His book is the companion volume to the highly successful Discovery Channel documentary of the same name. A professor of anatomy and anthropology, his work encompasses the evaluation of hominid footprints, including those attributed to Sasquatch, both in the lab and the field. The exhibit features casts made by Dr. Meldrum in Eastern Washington.

A BIG thank you to illustrator Rick Spears for the pictures accompanying this blog post.