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Show in imypvwynfi-'imympiipipn- 2A Emery County Progress Tuesday, November . 10, 1987 ' counNMY ( imm Roland St. John at home in Huntington. V. S0 GXDuCTOOSQS Two work together on Indian crafts Staff writer The collections of deer hides drying on the fence is going to become supple, soft white buckskin for moccasins, shirts, dresses and vests. The vests will be presented to surviving DacotahLacotah veterans at the Oglala Lakota Nation Fair by Roland St. John, a veteran who wants to honor the memory of his father, Grover Cleveland St. John. Grover fought with the U.S. armed forces in Germany, was taken prisoner, returned home to his family, died at age 71 and was buried with full military honors with an American flag draped across the casket. Roland was given the flag. His father was buried in a quilt of ornate design. The auilt symbolized the way his tribe wrapped up their dead in blankets for the journey to the Happy Hunting Ground. While Roland is gifted at cutting and sewing articles and doing intricate beading he has ever been frustrated by lack of S&a MUSIC PIANOVERSARY SALE! 1 1 WuRLlIZER Vartical Pianos New 388 1 Or $39.95 per month WURLilZER Electronic Pianos New must hear to believe. Midi In Out and Thru You s5Sa I Or $39.95 ability to pictorialize blue-eye- alive. parental d, touch me four-legged- two-legge- the amazing talents of Layne Potter. Layne listens intently to Rolands descriptions and produces works that are better than a native Indian artist, says . $1398 per month They Sheridan and Mallory are budding artists, too. McLaynes sketches are extraordinary. The genes are in his favor as well as emotionally. They portray a nation, a people and a spiritual philosophy rooted in the belief that all living beings, the the winged people and the are relatives. You know how to use the sacred pipe, the tobacco offerings, the four sacred colors representing the four cardinal points within the sacred hoop representing the universe. You beat artists on the reservation who could never fully capture my thoughts and feelings. Layne has a sketchbook full of Indian, oriental and martial arts themes. He gets a kick out of doing satirical cartoons, too. In fact he has been doodling almost from the day he was bom Feb. 8, 1959 at Ely, Nev. to Lyle Joe and Elaine Andersen Potter. The family moved to Huntington where he grew up with four siblings. He was only 11 years old when Lyle died of a religion and philosophy of his people until he discovered the Roland. He told Layne he wanted an Indian warrior and American soldier back to back pierced by a bolt of lightning representing Thunder Beings. The north field was to be painted red, the west, black, the east yellow and the south, representing the entire sacred hoop of the universe, painted white. The Native American veteran design will be transferred to the back of the into the background. He is a control room operator for UP&L. Their children, McLayne, vests. Sketches of a lodge scene, moose silhouette, eagles and White Buffalo Calf Woman are among the sketches worthy of entering in the Red Cloud Art Show held annually at Pine Ridge, S.D. The possibilities of using the drawing on all occasion cards, calendars and stationary to market through tribal and other outlets and through the Indian Art Crafts Board are' being considered. Are you sure you dont have Indian blood in you? Roland asks Layne, a blond, Your drawings are white. By ELIZABETH HANSON s, ds heart attack. At Emery High Layne developed considerably under the tutelage of Craig Nielson. Graduation and marriage to Mikay Miller pushed artwork encouragement. McLayne is old enough to go along with Dad to kung fu training at Helper and Salina. Layne is proficient at teaching and sparring. The fenced-i- n yard with its mook jeong (wooden man) structure offers an ideal setting in the summer. The basement serves in the winter. Kung fu is of Chinese origin. The instructors taught to serve a tradition, not for profit. Layne follows their philosophy, teaching a group to keep in trim and to learn from them, he says. In the beginning we have to learn but the self-defen- ultimate goal is learning to dodge while the opponent wears himself out. The object is self-defen- se without hurting anybody. Since Layne learned karate in the tenth grade, he has enjoyed exhibitions of the skill. The broad sword on display at their home is a symbol of continued interest in martial arts. Crafts of all kinds occupy the little family. Layne makes Indian jewelry. Mickay is making a fancy Indian dress for Mallory. She is also doing a peace pipe and eagle star quilt of blue, white and gold blocks. Roland has provided the pattern from a manual of star quilt designs being done by his tribeswomen. The star quilts have become as sacred and treasured as the traditional beaded shirt and quilled dresses. The Potters are intrigued by Rolands stories of the vision THANKSGIVING DAZE SPECIALS WURLilZER Grand Piano New Starting Stain Resistant 4995 Carpet As Low As Portable o) 7-installed Keyboards Galore lA Mortensens Quality Carpets receive 1 Free Turkey from Farmer Jack. Offer 21. good Nov. Carpeting LARGE SELECTION 00 at just The Catholic nuns lowered the boom on me. Sister Hortense Crank was as cranky as her name. She never smiled. But Sister Marmion took a personal interest in me, recognizing I had a learning disability and giving me extra help. I was good in some areas and a total failure in others. On the reservation a friend noticed Rolands interest in music, bought an upright piano for $50 and had it moved into the St. John home, even paying to have it timed. A black teacher, Belva Spicer, volunteered free lessons. Soon Roland was playing hymns on the local church organ. He has always been grateful for the chance to grow musically. The family held a big dinner for him in honor of his high school graduation. For 13 years he worked as a clerk typist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in a variety of responsible positions. Reared an Episcopalian, he had chafed under the coercion of attending masses and adoration of the statues. He was converted to the LDS faith by missionaries. Several times he visited in Utah attending conference. He had a cousin, Tillie Winders in Huntington. Roland left the reservation to enroll at the Salt Lake Trade Tech. He was on a scholarship from the tribe and studied human services and counseling psychotherapy for a year, but left one quarter short of a certificate. He came to Emery County to mine coal. He tried several jobs, often to supply the necessities of life. hard-press- iOQTEMSEM'SJ QUALITY Carpets 53 So. yd. installed East Main Price84501 (801) plains the French name. Phoebes genealogy goes back to Sitting Bull. ed craft skills coupled with Laynes artistry open the Used Pianos 11 one-four- th His Kitchen 498 Music With any purchase over $300 at $4995 Starting at just Starting Free Turkey quest and sweat lodge at Pine Ridge, S.D. The Oglala ritual involves a four-da- y fast and vision quest as part of the intense physical and spiritual purification of the sweat lodge cermony. I believe my brother-frien-d Layne is spiritually ready to be a pipe carrier, would he choose. He would honor and carry the pipe in a sacred manner throughout his lifetime, says Roland. Nine years ago Roland arrived in Emery County to work at the coal mines. He was bom Oct. 18, 1944 at the Crow Creek Agency, South Dakota to Grover Cleveland and Phoebe One Year St. John. Grover was French, which ex- 4 7th East "THE CARPET PROFESSIONALS' Phone ALWAYS 637-088- 4 LOTS OF FREE PARKING prospects of an Indian crafts outlet in Emery County. The deer hides are raw materials. First the hides have to be tanned. Roland has one soaking in wood ashes now. The process involves scraping off the flesh and fat from the inside of the skin, soaking in wood ashes about three days, stretching the hide over a frame and (Continued on Page 3A) jgBS 8 |