This 1914 poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox inspired Rachel Carson to write Silent Spring, her 1962 call-to-arms that launched today's environmental movement. Maria Popova, creator of Brain Pickings, a blog I highly recommend for its unique way of finding "ideas" from different literary and historical sources that compliment each other's themes, asked her friend Amanda Palmer to record the poem for Brain Pickings. Palmer brought in her friend Jherek Bischoff  to add music. The result is a powerful reminder that Ms. Wilcox's "Protest" still has much to say and that we still have much to do.

I was having a slow day in the Miccossukee Embassy today when I started sifting through a box of stuff we salvaged from Nokosee's and my last home deep in the Everglades; before our devastating rout with Army Rangers at the Battle at Rendezvous Point (see Book Two). Nokosee took the candid shot of me when I was reading an essay by Hermann Hesse about trees.  How apropos I thought at the time: I love books and love reading them in trees, something I've been doing since I was a kid. It also reminded me of my other posts about my relationship with trees: Join me up in my tree, Gumbo Limbo Music, A Cinematic Ode to Trees,  Finding that Anchoring Tree. 

Even a girl on the run can have a slow day at the embassy. Apparently we have a following because Nokosee found Anastasia (not her real name) out on the Tamiami Trail last night trying to flag someone down to help her. Her Jeep had a flat tire and as Nokosee was changing it, they got to talking and it turns out she's read my books and is a big fan. She said she'd love to meet me and, after some duplicitous BS to confuse the FBI or anyone else looking for Nokosee and me, he shows up with her at the Embassy. Turns out she's a hairdresser and asked if I'd like a new doo. After she described what she had in mind, I said, "Why not?"
​
It took forever because she cuts scallops (she calls them "Mermaid scales") into the hair with a razor and then paints them different colors. You can see how I let my hair grow out on the sides since I've been doing sanctuary at the Miccosukee Embassy but you can still see a bit of my spear tats. It wouldn't be a complete makeover without a new "love paint" theme which I applied. That Purple Heart medal belonged to my father-in-law Busimanolotome Osceola, founder of the New Seminole. I only wear it as "headware" when "going out" but it's always with me as a fond memory of a great man and someone I will love forever. It's one of the few things we could find of his presence on this earth following our devastating losses against Army Rangers at the battle Rendezvous Point deep in the Everglades. I think he would have liked the look but as Nokosee said, he probably would have gone with a camo pattern which would have come in handy in the Everglades. Maybe next time. 

BTW, Haalie loves it!

Then good for them. 

Apparently Seminole Chief Osceola's 1838 beheading and later public display of his head wasn't undignified enough. Now a sculpture Osceola purportedly posed for by an "European artist" shortly before his death is up for grabs on Craig's List.  This would be a great project for the New Seminole to "acquire" for our tribe but, alas, since our devastating lost in the Everglades (see my last book), we are now "only dust in the wind" and couldn't possibly pull off such an exploit. Maybe the old Seminoles will pick it up for their new casino expansion. They can afford it. 

If you follow this blog and have read my books you know my main man Nokosee is the Micco (Chief) of the New Seminole. And that Nokosee means "Bear." So, it was interesting to see this New York Times multimedia piece: Dance in British Columbia: Evoking the Wild Grizzly Bear's Spirit. Laura Grizzlypaws, a member of the St’át’imc tribe of British Columbia, opens the video with a reminder that "many of the teachings of how we live come from the grizzly bear." That's very true for me since my bear Nokosee has taught me much about the world and how to live in and with it. Some may have a problem with anyone dancing around in a bear skin but we are reminded by Laura that her dance is one of honor-- like ours was when buried Nokosee's dad, Busimanolotome Osceola, the founder of the New Seminole. On that sad day, Nokosee wore the skinned pelt of his beloved gator Haalpatee. And I wore Busi's Purple Heart medal.