Flute And Drum Circle, Workshops, Camp Out In The Border Ranges NP Saturday And Sunday 28-29 March 2009

Hi beautiful beings,

I am excited to welcome you to a Flute and Drum Circle and camp out at the end of this month in the amazing Border Ranges National Park.

View from Blackbutt Lookout towards Mount Warning, early morning after rain.

A favorite place of mine has always been the Border rangers since I moved to this area over 10 years ago. I recently visited there in early January for a camp out and sacred ceremony with two special friends. After one of the busiest years endings mostly due to a last minute rush on flute orders, and flute stock preparations for, and also attending my 3 late December and January festivals, I was totally exhausted and in some serious need of a nature get away. Coincidentally as I was preparing to go my friend called and told me he and another friend were interested to go also. I noticed after returning home late the next day that it felt like I had been gone for many days such was the effect this ancient world rainforest and it's endangered wildlife energy had on me. I'm sure our healing ceremony had something to do with that too. I decided then this would be the place for the next flute gathering such is it's immense beauty, wildlife and flora, creeks, and not to mention the bush walks etc. The camp ground where we will be is Forrest Tops on the Tweed Valley Scenic Drive, a gravel road that stretches 45 km from Barkers Vale just off the Kyogle Murwillumbah Rd to Sheep Station Creek near Wiangree North of Kyogle. We have great amenities at Forrest Tops such as a large open walled cabin with benches a fireplace and sit down tables, toilet and lovely shady and flat grassy spaces for us to camp and for the workshops on the Saturday.

The flute and drum circle will be held on the Sunday the 29th March at 1.30pm, Please come along early and we will share a communal lunch, so please bring something to contribute, meat or veg but veg preferred.

We welcome all, whether you play the flute or medicine drum or not is not really important. Knowing that you are all welcomed to come, enjoy and experience being part of this group and gathering is what is important. Bring along indigenous percussion instruments and flutes if you have them. Bring any other things you may need such as drinking water, chair, blanket and cushions, cameras, etc. I look forward to sharing a special afternoon with you. I will also give a free group lesson just before the circle if any one wants me to share a few playing tips. I'll have a few nice flutes for sale as usual so please ask me before hand if you are interested in seeing flutes on the day and I can bring keys that suit your taste.

Now this circle, in keeping with the pattern of always doing something different and nowhere near identical to the last, has a very special surprise. We are blessed to be joined by Morning Star, a special friend of mine who's journey for most of her life has been learning and teaching the crafting of sacred medicine tools and their customs handed down to her from many traditional indigenous peoples throughout the world. She now teaches and tours through the UK, Europe and USA and as she does she learns more amazing knowledge and is devoted to keeping it alive. I surport her work and dedication and her depth of understanding when it comes to Animal Medicine often suprises me. Morning Star has been creating from roadkill, from leather and making medicine tools for over 35 years and teaching this skill for 17 years. She has spent the last 5 years on the road, sharing these skills with others. She traveled with the 7 foot Alaskan Grandmother Drum from Alaska to Guatemala in 2006/7 and returned to the USA in May 2008, traveling 8,000 miles overland promoting her new book - 'Making Medicine Tools & Ceremonial Art' and teaching workshops in 6 US states, plus traveling with 3 snake head medicine items to the planetary gateways in 2008. She is preparing to leave OZ again late April for Philadelphia to further promote her work overseas. This is a rare opportunity to learn from Australian Medicine Woman and Earth Mother 'Morning Star' before she leaves OZ. she has expressed her desire to join us and I am very happy to welcome her to come and share with us. For more info visit her website www.animalspiritmedicine.webs.com
Morning Star will have copies of her book for sale as well as some of her amazingly crafted smudge fans, medicine rattles, pouches and other interesting things from her journey.

I too will be sharing my skills as a flute maker with a new workshop I have created to make flutes affordable and easy to craft for those who don't want to do my intensive beginners course over 2 days at a greater cost. The flutes will be carved and in the old Grandfather style which is one of may favorite styles and feels for the Native American Flute. This style has been very popular and I am always short of them because of that. So I look forward to introducing new people to this amazing flute and healing tool through this workshop then we can share and enjoy the afternoon together with the others present and you may want to be part of both workshops. These workshops will be the day prior to the Flute Circle and separate to but sponsored by the flute circle. The flute circle is a donation only gathering whereas the workshops are pay to participate. All the details for the workshops will be in a word doc that I will mail out to the flute circle email data base, if you want a copy then please email me here (email address at top of page). On the Saturday evening after dinner we will have a sing along and ceremony which all are welcome to join. It is fine for people to arrive and camp from the Friday evening onwards even if you are not taking part in the workshops as there is so much to see and do besides relax. You may even decide to camp elsewhere in the park then move to Forrest Tops for Saturday night. I'll be camping from Friday arvo and I'm sure others will also.

Some more pics of the sights around the park below. This park was made world heritage listed by the Keeting Labour Government which means it will never again be logged, prior to that many parts were sadly logged, however as it is such high and rugged country much of it was off limits to loggers. This NP is habitat to many endangered species. There is a place called the lost world between the boarder rangers and Lamington NP and it is virgin old growth Rain Forrest, one of the last large pockets left in NNSW, there are many parts of the park that are also virgin RF. There are Red Cedar, Antarctic Beech, Teak, Rosewood and numerous other species of trees which are many thousands of years old. Bushwalks take you right past them. The leaf shapes of the under vegitation, the vines and the moss growing on everything make you feel like you are in an ancient world, not to mention the cool brese and the clouds swirling meters overhead bring thier own enchantment.

Mt Warning from the Pinnacle Lookout.

Bar Mountain (Centre) from the Pinnacle Lookout.

The very Sacred Brindle Creek in the Border Rangers NP, walking distance from our camp at Forrest Tops. Pic Paul Daley.

Flute in nature, another NP flute and healing journey at Yuriguir NP.

Morning Star starting the web on a Medicine Drum, MBS Syd. 2008.

Morning Star making the cross handle and the tightening mechanism of the Medicine Drum.

Matt and Morning Star at the Sydney MBS 2008, sharing stand space together.

We must pay the required fees to NSW NPWS, It's $5.00 per night plus a onnce only cost to take a veichle into the park of $9.00. See the NPWS website for details about the park. The map is not the greatest but these directions will help, it does show clearly where Forrest Tops is and you can see the road, I suggest all people to make a printout from Google Maps that way you will not get lost, Directions are simple. I will send you the details of the best route from where you are so please let me know where you are coming from when you reply. The roads are good but expect well maintained dirt roads all the way to the camp ground once you leave the main road, the way via Kyogle is nearly mostly bitumen though. Details about the Border Ranges

Wet weather arrangements will see us move to a nearby camp ground with more cabins, Sheep Station Creek. Rain, Hail or shine we will have no problems just pack what you need to suit the conditions. If you are coming please put all your contact details including your Mobile No. in the reply email, so I can contact you if there is a last minute change. It always is great to know exactly how many people intend to come so please give us some notice.

All in all we should be well taken care of with the conditions and it's a really beautiful time of year to be up there. I look forward to seeing you when you arrive. Please contact me if you have any questions at all. Matt - 02 66 33 3314 Mobile: 0429 832 071 or email me here.

Expect a weekend of relaxation, learning, achievement and of course lots of love

See you there

Matt

My Trip To America. Part 6 - A day in Taipei

Arriving in Taipei, Taiwan at 5.30 am with no sleep and 12 hours of jet lag after my flight from LA. I stumbled to the information counter running on pure adrenalin and quite dehydrated and malnourished from the minimal food and beverage served on the flight. The lady behind the desk was really helpful. They offered free tours of the city for the passengers who were in transit and as my flight would be leaving at 8.30 PM I had plenty of time for a day tour of the city but was keen to be my own guide and director. "Good Morning, Where can I buy professional Chinese Flutes and other musical instruments?" A quick search and she had a few places and wrote them on a piece of paper and then marked the subway stations on a map for me. Great start I thought. I then made my way around the airport to the bus terminal to board a bus to the city. About 40 Min's later I boarded a bus bound for a main subway station near the city. And off I went on my search for some nice Chinese flutes, particularly the Xiao which my friend Sahayak recently introduced me to. I board a train and make my way to a part of the city that I was told to go on the map by the lady. A long walk from the station I find the street and walk up and down the street twice and there is nothing but shops selling wedding dresses so after finding a nice fruit shop on a side street and buying huge mangoes and smearing them allover my bearded face in an attempt to sufficiently nourish myself, I decide to head back to the station but find myself curious about this interesting building on the opposite side of the street. I go to explore and find out what it is, I assume it's a temple. But it's actually an art gallery and museum.

Gates to Museum

From gates you then walk to the entrance, amazing building inside and out.

Inside I find a pottery and art exhibition, but with limited time I rush myself through feeling that it would be great to have more time to spare and do it more slowly. I snap a few pics of the pottery.

Pottery display.


Big and small Blow Fish.

Interesting cracked Pot

Nice piece, a house in the Chinese style.

By now its really warming into a humid day that feels like a sauna. So I head back off to the station where I somehow lose the details of where the other shops are located. Well time is ticking away now and its 11.30, frustration and disparity tempt me to feed them but I refuse and with a positive attitude and intuitive guidance of the Great Spirits powerful homing device, I decide to head a few stops back up the line to find a big famous and expensive department store I am told by a lady at the Museum sell musical instruments, maybe someone can steer me in the right direction there. I find myself there a half hour later. I ask at the information desk. No sorry Sir we don't sell flutes here. OK well where might I find professional quality Xiao please. The lady says please wait and very kindly calls someone on the phone and comes back to me with a positive response, not far away apparently and draws me a map. Great this is exhausting and realising my huge mistake of wearing Levi Jeans and a thick hemp T Shirt which is literally stuck to me now in the highly humid weather of Asia, I again set off on the search. I locate the rough area and walk into a camera shop for help with the directions, the man shakes his head with confusion and walks outside, I follow then he smiles and points to a doorway to a building. Upon approaching I see a sign with all these lovely instruments and flutes on it. Feeling relief as I am now in the right place and moments from looking at some real Xiao's I proceed up the lift and open a door into a bright Air conditioned room. I greet a Man a d a lady both with warm smiles and friendly personalities. It turns out I have found the best maker of Xiao, Shakuhachi, Chinese Gourd Flutes, and many other Chinese flutes and wind instruments Lin Ku-Jen. Lin is the Director of The Chin Yuan Chinese Orchestra.The lady I mentioned Lydia is a teacher at the shop which is also the location of Lin's workshop where he makes the flutes. Lydia I believe plays in the Orchestra also.

I am very impressed by the quality of his flutes and stay for some time talking and playing the flutes.They are very welcoming and honoured to have another flute maker present from another part of the world. I ask to have him finish a flute I chose that needs only fine tuning and signing and he happily does then plays a song with Lydia who is more than happy to demonstrate for the camera some of her playing. See the YouTube video here that I made of Lin and Lydia playing together. Coming soon.

visit the channel to see more flute videos.

Matt and Lin meet, Lin passionately demonstrates his love and skill for the end blown Xiao and and other Asian flutes he makes like the Sahkuhachi and many others.

Lin Playing the super long Xiao, way too big for me!

Quite impressed in the presence of another master.

Lydia, Matt and Lin

Lydia Plays the Pipa and shows the skills she has acquired in some thirty years of study with this instrument. More Info on the Pipa and all the Chinese Stringed instruments here.

Chinese Gourd flute.

Xiao and Transverse Chinese style flutes.

Chinese String Instruments.

Stock of Xiao and Shakuhachi made by Lin

If you are considering buying a Xiao or any other Chinese instruments Please contact me for Lin's contact details, I certainly recommend the high quality of his instruments and his expertise in this field. Visit Lin's Website here.

More Info on the various Chinese flutes.

Lin's son then takes me to a near by vegan reaturant called love where I buy beautifully prepared vegan food that strangely for me is made from tofu to resemble all different kinds of meat. Isn't that why I became vegan! So hungry I hardly care, I load up on protein before jumping in a taxi to Taiwan's tool shop district to buy woodworking tools to bring back to Australia. I make it back to the Airport just in time. What a great day. Looking forward to a rest on the plane, before I arrive in Australia at 7 am, wow no darkness since I left LA. Thanks China Airlines for the Taipei stop over experience. Thanks Lin and Lydia for your friendliness and sharing your knowledge and music with me.

My Trip To America Part 5 - Apprentice to Guillermo

I had, since embarking on my flute making journey some years ago, decided that it would be great to spend time with Native makers as well as non Native makers. Earlier this year I met a Native American Man Named Dallen, a friend of Guillermo's, and another man at one of my shows in Sydney, Daniel who both recommended Guillermo. I felt Great Spirit was trying to tell me something as this was seeming coincidental. Then when in the states attending the INAFA convention, I mentioned to my friend Anne, who connected me with Guillermo personally. I called him up and mentioned my experience as a flute maker and my vision, he then welcomed me to visit his workshop outside of Orange County in California and asked if I wanted to apprentice as he had a lot of work to get through, as shows he was doing fortnightly were depleting his stock. Well I jumped at the offer.

I arrived to be greeted by Nash who was one of his many previous apprentices and waited a few days for Guillermo and Chris and his two daughters to return from Washington where they had been doing a high level Art Show Spokane.

After helping them unload their veichle, we got right down to work refinishing most of his stock that had been handled. A light sand and a touch up. Then rested for the next day.
Of some blanks that were ready I started turning them on the lathe to Guillermos specs, then we continued by preparing some Hi D flutes as the had nearly sold out and Guillermo likes to gift them to children who want one But who's parents cant part with the cash.

The property was in a valley which was particularly beautiful besides having abundant bird life and a creek running behind the workshop but had recently been burnt in a bush fire.

Guillermo is a Tarnscan Indian and was born in Mexico but has lived in California since he was 1 year old. He is an amazing multi talented craftsman and artist. Guillermo's flute making journey began over 20 years ago as he re-connected with his native Tarnscan heritage and began making flutes of wood and clay. Guillermo was fortunate to apprentice under master flute maker and player, Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, who unlocked the secrets to these Pre-Hispanic, (Pre-Columbus) instruments for him. Xavier Guillermo, Xavier, and other artists lived together on a rural farm turned into an large art studio. He learned to carve there from another teacher who's name I forgotten.

Guillermo's style of flute making is very unique but has many influences form Mayan and Aztec art.

Guillermo has appeared in two PBS documentaries including his latest effort "Cross Roads", with Robert Tree Cody. He has also played his instruments on 2 NAMMY nominated CD's and his flutes have been heard on 15 other artist' releases. He now collaborates with Hiroki Okano of Japan, and Nigel Shaw of England, collectively known as Bamboo Cedar Oak, and have recorded two albums together. Songs Of Our Grandfathers and their first release self titled bamboo cedar Oak.

Nashteveewa, or Nash for short, is a previous apprentice that Guillermo taught to make all the old Pre Hispanic clay flutes that he used to make, before handing the craft on to Nash. Guillermo now focuses on mainly Northern and some Central American style wooden flutes and drums.

Before firing.
Amazing work Nash. thankyou for the connection and look forward to reconnecting soon.

The Kiln after firing. Nashes clay flutes and ocarinas are some of the highest quality and I highly recomend them. He is also a beautiful and gentle soul with amazing energy.

More info and pictures of Nashtevewa's different Flutes and ocarinas

Me turning on the lathe.

Some C and Low B Flutes I made with wood gifted to me by Guillermo.
Thank You for your gift. You know I have dreamed of using this wood. Canary Wood, Purple Heart, Paduk, Peruvian Walnut, Wenge, Juniper and Figured Maple.

A batch of drum beaters we made together, I did the sticks on the lathe and helped sew up the heads now Guillermo packs them with buffalo hair and then we wrap them together. Not many do it like this. guillermo's Drums and beaters are some of the best in the world.

Some Lod Drones I made at Guillermo's with gifted wood. Thanks again. I loved the great workshop too.

Flutes I made before I left Australia to sell in the States. Two Queensland Maple and a Australian Rosewood in the centre Inlaid with a mixture Malachite, Chrisicola, Azurite and Calcite. The lower one is inlaid with Sacred Pipestone.

A Dm flute I was working on to gift to a freind.

My worn out hands, the colour is from the oils in the timber and the redness from friction burns from sanding on the lathe. I shrared a few tricks with guillermo like, cork sanding blocks for plane sanding on the lathe ( strangely not available in the states so we made our own) and also showed him a new flute mount system for th head stock (drive) end of the lathe. I loved the fact that he was not so rigid, something he says he's learned over the years. So we were able to teach eachother. We are all teachers and students in life.

The workshop, love the carved condor trusses. Climate controlled workshop inside, dusty and dirty tools under the lean to outsude at end of building.

Guillermo working on the lathe.

Another family of flutes birthing. Getting ready to glue.

Me carving a Peruvian walnut flute.

Blanks I made for Guillermo while he was away.

Guillermo proudly showing two Hawk Little John flutes given to him by Hawk.

One of Guillermo's inlaid drones. A silver set stone is set into the timber.

Guillermo's lovely combination drone. A wonderful masterpiece and totally unique in terms of design. Scott August reviews this flute.

Loon Flutes and Drones.

Loon Flutes.

Horse flute at top left. And a few more of mine below.

Guillermo's Dragon Flute, this Dragon came to him in a dream and the next day he started making the flute. He exhibits this in his showroom, which was also my quarters up on a mezanine in the same room.

Me and Guillermo on my last Day. Thanks Guillermo for all you shared with me and for welcoming me with open arms, I loved spending time with you and your family in your worlds.
I am glad I was able to satisfy your high standards which I have been strongly influenced by. I wish you many more successes and happiness in life. Love you Man. Look forward to reconnecting soon.

If anyone wishes to know more about or wants to buy a Guillermo Martinez Flute then See this Link, or contact me via the email on this page and I'll put directly in contact with him.

My Trip To America. Part 2. Pipestone MN, Pipe Keepers Organisation, and Making My Pipe

Journey to Pipestone

Well the synchronicity kicked in when without any further travel plans only just a few vague ideas a new friend Grizzly, a flute maker and tattooist from England asks me as a fellow traveler would, "so where are you headed after this" "Well I said, I was thinking about visiting this guy Bud Jonson of the Keepers in Pipestone Minnesota" "Well were going that way towards the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and we'd be happy to give you a lift" "great" Well just like that along out of the blue a plan starts to fall into place. I try to get my laptop connected to the Internet to make connection by email with Bud, but have all sorts of problems and as time's running out as I'll be leaving with Grizzly and family tomorrow morning I decide to call Bud and leave him a message to return my call. The following day we all, that's Grizzly, his wife, their daughter and best friend Peter Night Eagle whom is a great flute performer from the UK, set out from Eau Claire Wisconsin on interstate 90 heading west into Minnesota, about 500 miles later and 30 miles from where I was to jump out and hitch hike to pipestone my phone rings and it's Bud saying "so you want to come and make a pipe huh, jump out at Brandon and I'll come and pick you up" It was a Monday and Bud had not intended visiting the office where my message was waiting for him but something had made him need to go in hence the call. With this luck I start to think things are out of my hands just like with the CD and Great spirit is firmly pulling the strings. You gotta love syncronicity like that.

Bud Johnson and The Keepers Of The sacred Pipe Organisation (Keepers)

Well bud is a real character and certainly not your average guy or Indian elder and you'll see why more as you read this story. He has a great sense of story telling and could make the most boring story sound so exciting that you would be riveted to you seat waiting to hear how it ends. I might also add he has a freindly and infectious peosonality and quirky humor and also quite a colourful usage of profanity that is used so innocently. Bud is 63 years old and is one of the founders and the current President of the Keepers of the Sacred Pipe organisation in Pipestone Minnesota which is just near the western border of the state.

Big pipe monument out the front of the Keepers Depot, which used to be the old railway station.

Bud off to the office to BS with the staff, the term BSing is their lingo for chatting about stuff, or for Bud telling a detailed 10 minute story without interruptions.

Pipestone Minnesota, particularly the National Park which is known as one of America's National Monuments, is where the sacred Pipestone has been hand quarried by Native American peoples for countless generations and for many thousands of years and is now a national park being run by Indians working for the national trust department of the Federal and State Governments. Various native quarries have permits and their own quarries, and that is controlled by the Native run department. Bud used to be part of that department before he quit to start the keepers. Only hand tools and no machinery is allowed to quarry the stone, in keeping in line with old traditional and sacred values in this now heavily mechanised world. There is a huge waiting list for those who want to get a quarry that may become available. Some do from time to time mainly because the holder has become trashed from the hard back breaking work of breaking through 15-20 feet of Quartzite, one or the hardest rocks there is, just to expose a 10 inch layer of Pipestone, also known to scientists as Catlinite, so you see for the $5-7 per pound they get for it wholesale they really have to work for it and not all of the layer of Pipestone is useable for pipes due to fractures and less dense layers. It is often said that the Pipestone sold is for free, you are paying for it to be dug. These people make a living from this work and Bud's Brother In law Travis has a pit pictured down the page. In his mid 40's, Travis told me he's just about had enough. Travis is Lakota and makes pipes from the stone and sells them wholesale to the National monument and to the Pipe keepers shop's. It's when you speak to those who actually dig this stuff that you realise what goes into it and just how hard and laboursome that is.


Keepers of the sacred Pipe Organisation was set up to protect the quarries from being taken over by the certain Lakota Interests, that have attempted to through the courts over the years, As I understand it, they wanted to claim rights to it and the land exclusively. Bud an Ojibwe elder, whose people originate from country within Minnesota, believes that all Indian Tribes and all people should have access to the Pipestone and that the creator put it there all people and it has been that way since it was first discovered there thousands of years ago. Bud is a peaceful Pipestone worrier, standing for what he believes to be right and protecting the rights of other tribal pipe carvers. Bud has fought for many years of his life to see this sacred resource not be Hijacked by any particular greedy interests that would want to own it or restrict it's use to their own people. Now without going too deeply into the messy politics It was very evident to me that there is a huge amount of dissent among mostly all Native American Tribal Nations and it is not too often that different Nations agree on any issue. This lack of unity as a race has prevented them from achieving victories for their rights as a race of people and that certainly has been exploited by the European settlers of America who have long used the divide and conquer technique, and you could say very successfully to claim power. There is also this thing that some Lakota's believe they are the true Indians, why I don't really know? But I have considered it may be because they were the last tribe to fall to the white settlers of North America like in the infamous battle at wounded knee (well it was actually a cold blooded execution by the American Military of mostly women and children as most worriers had alredy lost thier lives) and others that only took place just 120 years ago in the1890's. I really tried to stay impartial to the conflicts and difference of beliefs, seeing a bigger picture and relating to what has happened around the world and at home, I certainly have compassion and empathy and understanding for The Native American People, the first people of the great lands of America for what has happened as what they have lost or what we all have lost. I also have compassion and empathy for the those who were the plunders who knew no better, for it is only with love and compassion that the world will change.

Apparently There's some bickering and judgments that go on around the differences in pipe smoking ceremonies, between different tribal nations and pipe keepers, and other spiritual practices they perform. I guess really what it all boils down to is tradition, which is a word Bud sometimes has a problem with. "Tradition is only one generation old", he says. Having said all that there are many very spiritual Sioux (being Lakotas, Dakota's or Nakota's, who all belong to the Sioux Nation just have different sounds and pronunciations of the same language) who believe differently and believe that the rigidness, stubbornness and reluctance to accept different ways is not what the Great Spirit wants of them in these times. I was privileged to have met and sweated with a Lakota man Breon Lake who was a student of a very well known spiritual man Galan Arapaho, whom bud describes as a heavy hitter and one of the most spiritual men in the entire Sioux region in the last 100 years. Breon has very strong elk medicine and is a member of the Elk Society of his tribe. He could have been any old Indian running of the tracks but he was inspired by his grand mother to become a spiritual man. Breon works for a company that manufactures large wind turbines that provide much of the power needs to Minnesota and South Dakota and is a Sun Dancer and Pow Wow Dancer and Singer. I liked this guy very much, most of all I loved his friendly nature and humorous spirit. A big guy like a buffalo, his spirit and love for life were just as big. It was certainly a pleasure to be a part of the sweat with him and others like Marty the head dancer in the Keepers Pow Wow this year, many other great folks who I will mention later too like Mark, anyway I have really gotten ahead of myself here.

On the very next day after arriving I started making a Personal Ceremonial Pipe in the shape of an eagle claw. Many thought I was going in at the deep end but I was confident that that's what I wanted to carve and I knew I would manage the job.

I purchased a large 5 pound bottom layer piece of Pipestone enough to make 2 pipes, from the keepers supply. I am pictured separating it so I can begin my Eagle Claw Pipe.

Initial rough out.

2 days of casual carving later, this stuff is hard but carvable with a knife, blisters now on my carving hand.

3rd day, finer shaping and smooth sanding of pipe bowl.

Fourth day I carved a stem out of Ash, the hardest wood to make a stem out of but well worth the effort. I hand carved that out of a 2 foot and 2 inch diameter branch, very dense wood.

5th day I wet sanded it down to 400 grit then heated it in water ready for the pure bees wax to melt on. I also burnt oiled and waxed the Ash stem.

Polishing in the wax and admiring the new appearance, how exciting, Wow all this hard work coming toward the final fruit, and it feels great. Note in the next picture the light orange outer layer on the edge of the talons and egg.

My Pipe pictured with another Pipe I made from the very precious Canadian Pipestone inlaid with the red Pipestone in a four directions symbol.

I cut my left thumb quite seriously while making this little pipe. The darker stone much harder especially when it has a quartzite vain in it. They were both real beauties and thank goodness it was near finished as I couldn't do much with that hand for at least a few days. The small pipe I gifted to Guillermo Martinez, as a gift of thanks and gratitude for the time I speant with him, whom I was to stay with later. See Part 5

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Another angle.

All the Native Americans who checked out this pipe were very impressed, and Bud would make me pull it out and show all his friends. I felt it kind of made it's self just like some of my flutes, they tell you subtly how they want to be. I really loved this experience and found so much healing in just the making of it. I am now using it much more regularly than I used my other pipe. Bud and I smoked it together first and he taught me the customs he uses with the Sacred smoking ritual. I will continue using my other pipe the have different powers and significances to my life and journey.

My history and experience with the pipe.

Well many years ago, maybe 15, I was gifted a lovely Native made T-Bowl Pipe by my Mother to carry and use ceremoniously, I held it for a few years not using it as I knew how powerful it was and I felt I was not worthy of it yet. Eventually that changed and I formed my own ceremonies around bring healing and change in my life calling to the creator and honoring what customs I knew about the Ceremonial Pipe and what I had gathered intuitively. I have since used that pipe in a sacred way maybe 4 times a year to help manifest change and healing when I felt it was needed so I have long been a pipe carrier. I am a firm believer in the power of a pipe to reinforce the prayers. They make you more of a believer. Quite amazing and unexplainable.

How I met Bud.

I had met Bud and Jim Tree, the author of The Way Of The Sacred Pipe, at the Red Blanket Gathering 2007, I was inspired by his passion and friendly nature and also interested in the keepers organisation I acquired some details and thought of a visit on one of my future trips to the states. I will never forget the pipe ceremony attended by 80 people there one night with Jims Thunder Pipe that the bought to Australia to help with the drought.

Well it was kind of by chance that the INAFA Convention being in the neighbouring state It occurred to visit Bud and the Keepers (funny and great how things synchronise)
Well it was a very amazing experience and very uplifting spiritually, and a real honour to share that time with such great and down to earth people.

The National Monument.

Bud very keen to represent his knowledge and understanding of the park and show me around in general, wow what an amazing park, here's a few pics.

Bud giving me a guided tour of the park. Who says buffalo burgers ain't fattening.

This is the Lovers rock, It is said that if a man really wanted to prove he loved a woman he could take her to the Lovers Rock and standing on the cliff about 4 meters away (right) leap to the lovers rock, if he made it he would be a good husband (left) a drop of about 20 meters onto jagged rocks if he wasn't to pull it off, as you stand there below looking up at it you can just picture the scenes that it must have seen over the years. If he didn't make it I'm sure she would acknowledge his courage and nurse him better, neither of them would ever forget such an experience. The distance looks seriously difficult and any poor bastard lover boy would be packing it as he dared the jump all to satisfy his woman. I guess it would weed out the pretenders. The landing pad is just the smallish top to a round boulder so I guess you would have to jump with a hugging land, some serious Olympic worrier stuff.

There is a lovely waterfall and water hole near by , it's just such a magical and beautiful setting.

Face in the cliff, all natural, no evidence of carving and that's super hard quartzite too. This country obviously has many overseeing spirits and this is likely one of them.

And if you thought the other one was a coincidence well then there's this one, seeing them physically, or in photos even, there's no doubt a spirit in these rocks, not just looking like faces but you can feel a presence from them.

An old usused flooded quarry.

The Quartzite rubble from Travis's Pit. It replaces where the pit once was, so it fills back as it moves forward.

Travis's pit again showing water pumped out and work in progress. Travis taking a break.

Indian Pipe carver at the Monument carving on display to the public, he has a starship enterprise carved there in the background.

His works for the day are roughing out some blanks then getting started with the carving.

Hygroglific carvings on Quartzite, thousands of years old depicting bufallo and other symbolic patterns. It is not known how these were done as again Quartzite is second to Diamond in hardness.
More hyrogliphs, these are part of a collection of rocks that the European settlers found when they came to the area now back in the trustful hands of the Native run park, many however of much great significance are still missing according to a local Lakota elder Chuck Derby who runs a great museam in town with so many great artifacts, art, pictures, history and information about the quarries and Pipestone.

Well my visit to Pipestone has just began and now I prepare for the upcomming concert and help setup for the Pow Wow on the weekend, read about that in part 3.

Again thanks for reading, and please, I encourage you to click the link to leave a comment, I love reading your thoughts.

Blessings

Matt