Another cold morning, another odd mix of sun and clouds that would seem to herald a change in the weather . . . except the long-range forecast insists that we are due for fifteen days of no precipitation whatsoever.
It feels as though our natural world is trying desperately to conjure a storm, and is meeting with about as much success as our prayers now.
Meanwhile, the days tick onward toward official winter, and the dangers that surround us have encroached further in recent days. The pandemic is setting new and deadly records here daily now, even as much of the state refuses even the most basic armor in their own defense.
The problem with that is that strips the rest of us of defense, as well.
The political dangers continue apace, too, as colonialism and fascism perform on stages large and small. Back in January, we realized there would no help from national sources and resources, and so we spent the ensuing works preparing for a potentially long period of lockdown and the deprivations (and depredations) such a circumstance might bring. Now, we are preparing to do so once more, this time with an eye toward the possibility of having to navigate a very long and deadly winter without any real help (but always plenty of harm) from the agents of institutions of colonialism.
In our world, that means preparing to be as self-sufficient as possible — in an ordinary year, perhaps not so difficult, since our ways still include hunting and growing our own food.
We have not had an ordinary year for some time now.
We had planned to expand our gardens this year, the better to put food aside for the cold months, and to enable us to share widely with the community. But the drought intensified, holding the land in a death grip, and almost nothing grew. How could it, without water? Families who have supported themselves for generations, even centuries, on the strength of their crops harvested nothing this year; some, reading the writing on the wall, didn’t even bother to plant, knowing that it would be a waste of good resources.
Wings doesn’t hunt any longer, although several of our friends do. Area meatpacking services, particularly those that dress wild game, are backlogged with orders well into next year now, such has been the glut of orders from people hoping to put aside meat during the pandemic to be able to feed their families. We were fortunate, months ago, to be able to order a half-hog share, and even so, it took those months for them to have time to fill the order. We shall no doubt be tired of pork by spring, but we won’t go hungry.
The produce will be another matter entirely.
But food is not the only question of survival this winter. There are greater dangers at the door, very close now. This will be a year when resistance is sustenance, too, when it will be our task to fulfill visions and prophecy, to defend the dreams of the future and a world for generations yet unborn.
Today’s featured work embodies one of the oldest of traditional symbols of such defense, of both resistance and sustenance in one powerful tool. More, it’s functional for its intended purpose[s], although as a collector’s item in a thoroughly contemporary colonial world, most would likely prefer to hang it on a wall for display rather than put it to use. From its description in the Other Artists: Traditional Weapons gallery here on the site:
Traditional Bow and Arrow Set With Quiver
This traditional bow and arrow set, crafted entirely by hand by Daniel Marcus (Taos Pueblo), is fully functional as a Native weapon and a stunning work of art. Bow and arrows alike are carved and whittled carefully from local wood, shaped and balanced for use. The bow string is made the old way, of dried sinew, and each arrow is wrapped tightly in sinew to hold the points. Arrowheads are made of razor-sharp metal. The quiver is truly a collector’s item: Buckskin, tanned entirely by hand to a soft white color and buttery-soft texture, it’s made with natural fringes of twisted buckskin accented with old bronze beads. Length 41 inches (dimensions approximate).
Wood, metal, feathers, sinew, buckskin, metal beads
$850 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Requires special handling; extra shipping charges apply
Daniel is Wings’s brother-in-law. He’s a brilliant artist and craftsman in his own right, immersed in traditional practices and able to render their accoutrements in stunningly beautiful, realistic, fully functional form. Bow, arrows, and quiver are all made the old way, by hand; even the abundant fringe is cut, beaded, and knotted by hand.
And yes, it is a functional work, but for most folks, the ability to use it for its inherent purposes will never present itself. It still works to defend and sustain: It’s a work animated by the power of an old traditional spirit, one of self-sufficiency and adaptation to the conditions around us — one of survival, and of thriving.
And that is what our world calls us to now: the work of surviving and thriving in the face of circumstances that seek the opposite. We are called now to be brave and to be strong, to fulfill visions and prophecy, to defend the dreams of the future and birth a world for generations yet unborn.
Works like this remind us that it has been done before, and reassure us that we can do it, too.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
