Various Indian Peoples (VIP)
Publishing Co. began back in 1987 in Fayetteville Arkansas with Alfred Houser (brother of Alan Houser
- noted Apache sculptor from Sante Fe) and Rick Eby - our audio
engineer. We three realized that something needed to be done to
save our vanishing American Indian languages.
Speakers were dying and taking the voices of the people
with them. We decided not to charge for our services, but to work cooperatively with Indian nations in producing their
language programs. We would get paid when the programs were sold
through our catalog. A percentage of every language program
is returned to the people who helped make the programs possible.
Today, these Caddo, Muskogee (Creek), Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Sauk & Fox and Delaware
language programs are endorsed and approved by each nation as a valid and
accurate learning tool. The Cherokee and Choctaw programs are being used in schools and libraries all over the country. They are also available to people all over the world through our distributors, catalog and our web-site.
In
the summer of 1988 Alfred and I traveled throughout Oklahoma
recording and building language programs. Not once did we charge the tribes for
our services unless they asked for us to do something special for
them. For one, the Choctaw Nation asked us to help them develop a K-3 language program and the
Western Delaware language program was another. Alfred died in the
summer of 1990, the same summer Sam Hider, my Cherokee friend and
teacher also died. It was not a good summer.
Each year, we try to get to as
many powwows and gatherings as we can as it is always a great
time to meet the people we have been dealing with over the
internet and over the phone. Some of our customers and dealers
have been with us since we began - over 11 years ago. This is a
customer letter we recently received that says it all. This is the reason we do what we do.
Getting out to the powwows,
schools, libraries and festivals gives us the chance to promote
the use of the languages through my storytelling. There are
always a lot of Cherokee words and after hearing a
few stories, many people can tell me the names of the animals and
even some of the phrases. Storytelling works!
Storytelling has become a big
part of my life. It enables me to tell people about the
Cherokee - their history and culture. I can speak the
language to them - teach them words and phrases - as I am telling the
traditional Cherokee legends and stories. If nothing more, it
raises awareness of the true Cherokee story - that there is much
more than the Trail of Tears - much more!
Some of these legends have been told and retold for thousands of
years - some are being shaped and refitted into our contemporary
world. Stories from above - the sky and the birds, on the earth -
the rivers, streams and animal stories, and out of the earth -
stories of the plants and herbs. These stories become the essence
of "why" the world is the way it is and teaches us the
pulse and rhythms of Mother Earth and how to live in harmony.
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Lari and I were honored to be part of the first group of Cherokees to return to Zaragosa. This was where Cherokees fled to fromTexas in 1839. Sequoyah came here in 1842. He later died here and was buried near here. The gravesite is shown in the picture on the right. You can hear the full story on www.cherokeediscovery.com. |
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I was the spokesperson for the Cherokee Honor Society in 1999. The society was founded to recognize Cherokee and Cherokee descendants who have achieved a place of honor and stature in their chosen field. Each was awarded the Cherokee Medal of Honor. When we move to Oklahoma later this year, I hope to once again be part of that organization. In 1999, we awarded Medals of Honor to...... |
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Wes Studie |
Rita Coolidge |
J.D. Loudermilk |
Jim Halsey, |
and Tom Allard. |
Also awarded our highest award was Barbara McAlister, Valerie Redhorse and several local celebrities.
Other winners last year were James Earl Jones, Crystal Gayle, Robert Conley, Leo Feathers, Cherokee mystery writer Jean Hager, Cherokee Master Artist Virginia Stroud, Cherokee Doll Maker Lorene Drywater, Poet Robin Coffee, Carl Barnes "The Corn Man," Dr. Jerald Walker and Francene Geers-Sampson. We are currently talking to Willie Nelson, James Garner, and Tina Turner to see if we coordinate our schedules so they can be here to receive the award.
 James Earl Jones, part Cherokee, Choctaw, African-American and Irish, narrated "Black Indians." |
 
Crystal Gayle, Leo Feathers,
and Western Writer Robert Conley. |
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Meeting and working with people like Steve Heape and Gayle Ross, Wilson and Loretta Vann and Robert Conley, Rita Coolidge and Valerie Red Horse is one of the highlights of what Lari and I do. Steve was the producer of the "Circle of Life" video series: "How to Trace Your American Indian Heritage," "Native Healing in the 21st Century", and the award winning "Tales of Wonder."; Visit Steve's site at
Rich
Heape Films and you can
listen to one of my stories.
The award winning video "Black Indians" by Rich-Heape Films with James Earl Jones as narrator is available through our web-site. This is a story that should have been told years ago. "Tales of Wonder II", "How to Trace Your Native American Heritage", "Nativce American Healing in the 21st Century" and "Walela - Live in Concert" are also available. Just give us a call. "Tales of Wonder I & II are combined on one DVD. Also in DVD format is "Black Indians" and "Hot to Trace Your Native American Heritage."
Our mission is to record and promote the use of as many
American Indian languages as we can. At present, working with
tribes and nations all over the country, we are able to provide
access to 15 American Indian languages. All of these language
programs are in our catalog and are currently available. We'll
look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for taking the time to
visit our site.
