Looking Back...

Chief Rising Sun, entertained at my birthday party in 1944. He participated in my father's production of The Sun Dance at the Broadway Theater in New York City in April, 1938. This opera was co-composed by Zitkala-Sa and William Hanson. I still have a Ute drum used in the production of the opera. My father sang the role of Ohiya in the 1914 production at Brigham Young University.

Chief Rising Sun

I guess you could say that my birthday parties have been going downhill ever since. 

Utah-Arizona - a few favorite shots

 (above) Cottonwood Canyon Road, east of Bryce Canyon, Utah

 The Betatakin Ruin, Navajo National Monument, Arizona

 A view of Keet Seel, Navajo National Monument, AZ, a spectacular, well preserved Anasazi ruin and an interesting hike.

 Grinding stones at Keet Seel

 Lower Calf Creek Falls, a nice place to cool off and have a picnic in Escalante country

 Hell's Backbone, an exciting scenic drive in the Escalante region

 Desert Storm in central Utah

The Grand Gallery, Horseshoe Unit, Canyonlands National Park-a fantastic panel of pictographs and petroglyphs said one of the finest examples of "Anasazi" art so far discovered. The hike to this fairly remote location is fun and interesting.

Our Elected Federal Officials Are Violating The Constitution

Our federal government officials are sworn to uphold the Constitution and to work to protect the people. But their current actions and inaction violate the Constitution. The failure of the Government to take the normal steps to pay the obligations of the United States, previously approved by legislation, puts the country and the people in immediate jeopardy of severe losses and injuries. Millions of innocent people may suffer as a result of our elected officials' collective violations of their sworn duty. Before the U.S. suffers a possibly disabling reduction in it's credit standing, the President should assure the public and the financial community that America's debts will continue to be paid in full and on time. While it is true that we owe too much money, the answer does not lie in refusing to pay our just debts and carrying out the legislation which is already on the books. If our expenses are to be reduced that should be done through future legislation -- not by refusing to pay what we owe.

Location:Cambridge

Should Wade Have Another Go At The Presidency?

Driving east from Kolda is not much fun...

The Casamance is a sorry story of missed opportunity. Long ago, just after independence in the early 1960s there were experimental gardens and a lot of hope in this region. People were enthusiastic. A Chinese agricultural team near Sedhiou established a magnificent garden of fruit trees and vegetables; they also produced a great deal of rice in a local rice field using methods and tools available to the people of the area. The roads in the Casamance were not paved but they were in good shape and one could travel from Ziguinchor to Sedhiou to Kolda to Tambacounda at speeds around 100 km. an hour. Try that now! It isn't just the roads that have suffered in the Casamance. There is a paucity of development throughout the region. Five decades have been largely wasted in a region that might have become the breadbasket of Senegal.

Maybe it's the politics. If the region were truly developed, perhaps the southern part of Senegal - and some of its people - would gain in power at the expense of some in the north. Maybe that is not involved, I don't know. But it seems strange to me that a region with such potential has been so long and to such a degree neglected. It's a shame.

Various places our Intercultural Dimensions program visited in Senegal

 APROFES Theater group in Kaolack

 Garden in Kolda assisted by a Peace Corps Volunteer (on left).

 Janet at the market in Kolda before visiting the village of Temento Samba

 Dancing at Temento Samba

 The Chief, Samba Mballo gave us his home during our visit.

 Solar power for this home in Temento

 pounding couscous at Temento

 preparing dinner at Temento Samba

 Fields adjoining the village

 Pape, who coached successful men's and women's soccor teams now turns to basketball.

Vocalist who sings with the balafonist at Sedhiou

 M. Mané, master balafonist at Sediou

 Fatou Diemé at Diedhioucounda

 El Hadji Abdoulaye Biaye giving us a lesson about the Region of Sedhiou

 Garden at Diedhioucounda

 We took a pirogue ride on the Casamance River to the Ile du Diable. (They say, it's best not to step onto the land).

 Computer room at the "Fort" in Sedhiou. (I hope it's being used by the people in Sedhiou.)

 Dinner at Diedhioucounda

 Cakes were baked for us in the solar oven at Diedhioucounda

 Tea in the afternoon at Diedhioucounda

 The Kankouran marches about in Sedhiou in front of our compound.

 Some of the women of Diedhioucounda

 On the road east of Kolda-maybe some work should be done here instead of building the new airport!

 We always enjoy visiting the artists' retreat, Sobo Badé at Toubab Dialaw.

 On the road outside Dakar

In the market at Kolda

Urban Farming

Check out this interesting site concerning urban farming

Sabo Badé - Artists' Space

 Sculptures by Gérard Chenet at Toubab Dialaw, Senegal

 The buildings and their settings, conceived and executed by Chenet are themselves works of art

The Mandinka Kancouran in Sedhiou

Here we see the Kancouran who protects young men who are being initiated from evil spirits (among the Mandinka).

Location:Sabo Badé

Kaolack, Kolda, Temento Samba

Roof design at the cultural center (Alliance Franco-Senegalaise) in Kaolack


Rope shop in the Kolda market:



Janet marketing in Kolda in preparation for our visit to the Pulaar village Temento Samba.

Location:Sabo Badé, Senegal

Sedhiou

Computer room at a community center in Sedhiou.


Our host in Sedhiou baked two cakes for us in the family's solar oven-delicious.


A Balant singer accompanied the master balafonist for our entertainment.

- Posted from my iPad

Location:Sabo Badé, Senegal

Once More in Sedhiou

We visited the cultural center and it's library. (below)









Home grown veggies are served with rice and fish at our host's home in
Sedhiou.



Pape, who coaches soccer and basketball, having led successful men's and women's teams for Sedhiou now begins the basketball season.

Location:Sedhiou, Senegal