San Juan Silver Stage | November 2021 Volume 25, No. 11
CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
as the region’s Premier Lifestyles Publication since 1996
This issue
When you see this icon, click on it or on the STORY LINK next to it for a downloadable, printable version of the story. Many of our readers like to read a printed page. Since we are no longer producing a print issue of the Silver Stage, we’ve found a way for you to still have, hold, and read a paper page.
First Americans – Art and artifacts tell their story
Sego Canyon, Utah, petroglyph, © Kathryn R. Burke; Tiglet totems Stanley Park, Vancouver, Washington, © Kathryn R. Burke; Mesa Verde petroglyph, © Laurie Casselberry.
By Kathryn R. Burke. Since we don’t have a time machine — yet—we can’t physically go back in time and see history in the making. But, we can still observe it, because those who made history left behind a wealth of artifacts for us to examine. Whether we find these items in situ, or visit them in museums and private collections, we can follow their owners’ past history in the present time. [Story]
Ute Indians
By Steven G. Baker. Eons before the Gold Rush of the 1870s, Colorado’s western slope was home to the Ute Indians. The valley of the Uncompahgre River was the traditional homeland of the Uncompahgre Band. (Uncompahgre is the Ute word for warm, flowing water.) Spanish descriptions from the 1760s feature Ute legends about their ancestors, who had an ancient spiritual relationship with Ouray’s copious hot springs. [Story]
Ute Museum Exhibit
New Temporary Exhibit. Nov. 2021-Jan. 2022
Merciless Indian Savages by Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute)
By Carly Jones, Education Director, Ute Indian Museum. The Ute Indian Museum is happy to announce the opening of a new art exhibit featuring the work of Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe). “Merciless Indian Savages.” It’s a provocative show and an Indigenous exploration of what American democracy means for Indian Country. [Story]
Thanksgiving—Creative Celebrations
By Kathryn R. Burke. Thanksgiving 2021 looked a little different this year. Covid was still with us, and many of feared to travel of gather, even in small groups. Public or community meals were mostly restricted, or relegated to take-out meals cooked, and often delivered, by volunteers. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a joyous time, celebrating abundance. This year…well, we just had to get creative when it came to celebrating this, the only true American holiday., . [Story]
Thanksgiving History
First Thanksgiving at Plymouth
By Kathryn R. Burke. As traditions go, this one has more than one story about how, where, and when it got started. Wherever it began, the first celebration was likely a century before the Mayflower dropped anchor off the east coast. It is also interesting to note that during times of conflict—and our society has been continually marred by them—people continue to celebrate our one and only true American holiday: Thanksgiving Day. [Story]
Partners Builds Relationships
Courtesy photo.
What is a partner? Who is a partner? How does the Partner Program work? We hear the term bandied about as a general term, but to be part of the Partners Youth Mentoring Program, which serves Montrose, Ouray, and Delta Counties—the term has a specific connotation. [Story]
Julia Reid
Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder
Winter’s Edge. Oil and cold was by Julia Reid.
“Art is so subjective. The viewer has his or her own filters as to what they see and what it means uniquely to them. That’s why art is an important part of our world. It shows us directions we might not otherwise have gone to without help of artists and their artistic interpretations of the world we see.” [Story]
Jenny McIntyre
She paints motion with ribbons of color
Her art creates a welcome release of anxiety—something we all suffer from right now with so many changes in today’s world. Jenny’s paintings are timeless. And show us that beauty endures regardless of temporary upheavals and setbacks. Whatever seems wrong in your world today is insignificant in comparison to what built these canyons and how they have endured over the ages. [Story]
Cristin Johnson
Discovering a Clear Seeing Place in a Natural World
SuperMoon, Mountains and Mandalas. Mixed media by Cristin Johnson
Standing back, looking at these paintings, I feel drawn into a place of peace, cloaked in serenity…safe. In a world that has been traumatized by a plethora of fright and fear, Cristin’s paintings provide respite. It’s a heady experience, and I want to stay there. It’s hard to move away. How does she do this? Create a safe haven on canvas? [Story]
