120 First Nations hand drums warming up before I recorded them at the Stikine Valley Gospel Music Festival (a few days ago). For many of the Tahltan people this was a return to the drum – even today a part of their culture that is not accepted in many mainstream churches. Read More
We left the Alaskan Highway just south of Toc and travel along a 25-mile dirt road that snakes its way into the bush. We are heading to the Tetlin community, home for 120 Athabaskan people.
Our next stop was Whitehorse, where we met an amazing 91 year old lady, Annie Smith (Kwanlin Dün) who made these moccasins ……. Read More
So where is Tahltan country, I hear you ask? Its in a remote and beautiful part of northern BC with the north/western border running parallel to the Alaskan/Canadian border, including part of Yukon Territory. The south/eastern border includes the upper Nass tributaries and western half of the Stikine plateau, including the sacred headwaters of the Stikine, Nass and Skeena rivers.
We traveled up from Vancouver, a team representing many different nations, a trailer full of supplies and gifts of food and utilities for the First Nations communities we were going to meet In a car convoy, it took over 18 hours to get to our first stop – Stikine Canyon about 30 mins from Dease Lake BC!
We are enjoying a fish supper at the mouth of the Fraser river in Vancouver – tomorrow we head north as we have been invited on a trip to Northern British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska by Grand Chief Lynda Prince of the Carrier Sekai Nation. Our first stop is at a music festival with the Tahltan people where we will be recording 120 First Nations drums!
A wonderful Easter present as more maize arrives for the village of Mnase. Due to the continued famine the prices for a sack of maize was still very high but Seth managed to negotiate for 124 sacks. He says “When the big truck of maize slowly entered the village, I could hear shouting all over the place. Martin, it was a very big surprise for all the villagers.” So thankful to all those who helped make this happen.
A wonderful couple of days recording drums and chanting with Carol Kiger-Rice and Joseph and Martha Manzo. Joseph is from the Pueblo people and Martha is Inuit. We were @ Lower Warehouse studios thanks to my good friend Joel DeWitt who was engineering.
Every recording situation comes with it’s own unique struggles and this time it was discovering how to capture this beautiful drum without some natural squeaks and booms – always a creative process, I learn something new with every experience!
I have been asked “Can we still give to the Tanzania relief fund?” Yes, we are planning to send more out in a few weeks. If we don’t get a truck full we will be sending smaller amounts out to the people most in need.
In the UK you can give via https://my.give.net/tanzaniarelief and outside the Uk via Paypal – using the email voicesfromthenations@nullhotmail.com
We are excited to announce that 141 sacks of maize were delivered to Mnase village, giving 6500 people around 2.5kg each – enough for a meal a day for a few days. They are very thankful. Read More
So thankful to all our friends out in cyber world. The first truck load of maize is heading to the village of Mnase in the next couple of days. Sadly news from the area is not good and people are dying in some of the villages around Mnase. So lets keep telling the story and dream that we can help more villages in the area.
Seth writes :- “Two hours after sending you email tonight,The local radio reported that several People died at the Villages nar Mnase, Mlebe, Chahnumba and Kikombo, the Villages you know and visited. The problem is worse, and seem will take Very long Time before People having harvest, PLEASE What I ask on behalf of this Dying Communities, if you may have, some people you know from any other part of the World please Ask some food support”.
Dear friends – the Gogo people of Mnase village in central Tanzania are again bracing themselves for food shortages due to another severe drought, which damaged food crops, resulting in a much reduced harvest. We have learned that there is already hunger in the villages and the cost of a bag of maize has already doubled in price, and it is expected that the situation will get worse. The next harvest season will be March – if the rains are sufficient. Voices from the Nations have been partnering with the Wagogo people of central Tanzania for the last 12 years. (Check out the “Sing to the Well” CD and DVD). We are looking at sending money to buy maize before the prices soar – and we need your help – if 500 people gave £10 each we would be able to send roughly 150 sacks of maize to Mnase village. We so appreciate your help – Asante sana.
Thanks Seth Gidiony – just got sent some pictures from Mnase village showing the dispensary storm damage and then repairs being made to the broken windows. So thankful to all who bought the CD Sing to the Well project. Finances still help with continued community support.
