American Indian Movement

These very interesting large format advertising cards were sent by a European Postcrosser who was in Minneapolis over the summer doing work in the historical archives. They celebrate a book of AIM photos at a local art gallery reception; AIM was a Native American political and legal awakening in the late 1960s and early 1970s that began in Minneapolis and spread all over Indian Country. Many of their ideas & tactics drew from other Civil Rights efforts, but not all favored their more militant approach which essentially ended at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. However the organization is still active and more information can be found on their webpage: http://www.aimovement.org/

Brazil

My wonderful penpal Joao found more cards of indigenous peoples in Brazil over the summer, but the envelope was buried on my desk so I am late in posting them! He says native cards are hard to find there, so I consider myself very fortunate to have such a kind friend. I don't read Portuguese but fortunately Wikipedia can translate for us

"Danca dos Tapuias" The term tapuias was given to tribal people in the interior who did not speak the more coastal Tupi language. The Dutch artist for these paintings, Albert Eckhout, lived in the early 1600s and made several illustrations of early colonial South American native life.

"Indios Cacando Passaros" It seems that cacando translates to hunting and perhaps passeros is birds. These tribal people live in the region of the Rio Aripuana and the Roosevelt River in the northern Mato Grosso.

British Columbia, Canada

I was very lucky to exchange cards with a Postcrosser from Canada who lives in British Columbia, home of the Haida nation. Northwest Coast native people have a rich tradition of wood carving that included their homes, furniture, bowls, boxes and several kinds of poles that honored ancestors as well as personal achievements. Many of those old poles were placed in Stanley Park and some remain at Native village sites. Here are 2 wonderful cards from Val