Richard Chrisjohn, my grampa

I tell people all the time, my grandfather was a renown woodcarver. I say it, and think, perhaps people don't believe it. Maybe it's my own skeptical nature which makes me wonder if they don't believe me? Truly, he was more then just a wood carver, he was a visionary, an educator, a mentor, an activist, an artist, our Oneida Chief and more importantly my family's patriarch.

Sometimes I forget who he was in the eyes of the world, because to me he was just Gramp. I remember seeing his "followers" come up to him at pow wows and watching him carve or listening to him talk. Everyone seemed to know him. He was interesting, and the more I think about it, I realize, he deserved the accolades.

You may ask, what brought on my ramblings about my grandfather?

I visited the NYS museum today with my parents and my niece and nephew. We walked through the museum. My nephew ooo'ed and my niece repeatedly asked to go to the carousel (completely my fault, I should have never told her there was one there). Finally, we made it to the Native Peoples of New York. The kids really loved it, especially the long house. As, we walked down the little ramp there against the wall was my grandfather's water drum and Condolence Cane! How special it was to see my grandfather's woodwork there in the museum, where thousands of people will see it, to be able to turn to a stranger and say "My grampa made that."?

photo curtesy of the Iroquois Museum

Gramp instilled in his children, the desire and importance to perpetuate the Iroquois culture. By his example we all strive to educate ourselves, our children and everyone who is interested that our rich cultural heritage is thriving and will continue to do so beyond the seventh generation. Sure he may have profited by selling his art to museums and collectors, but his carvings, jewelry and other artwork will be on display for ever.

He will forever be an inspiration for me and my family to continue in his footsteps.

Sky Woman Fell

Every culture has a creation story. The Iroquois people believe the first person on this earth was a woman who fell from the "Sky World" we call Sky Woman. Here is the first part of the creation story in a poem I wrote:

Sky-Woman fell from the sky.
Faster and faster descending,
belly full with child,
she fell.

Birds gathered
with outstretched wings
and caught Sky-Woman,
she who brought the world to life.

Turtle lifted his giant head
from the stillness
of the deep-blue water encompassed globe
and offered his strong shell to house a new world.

Muskrat selflessly dove
into the deepest darkest depths of the ocean
and scraped the very bottom
with the tippy tip of his tiny claw,
giving his life for creation.

The other animals placed the speck on Turtle’s back.

Sky-Woman danced in a circle.
Larger and larger the land grew.
Creating the Earth,
she danced.

"Copyright 2005 by Jessica Wyant"