to the Camp of
Many Skunks & Jenaka.
Iki chiyushkin! Kta wic'oti ta'
Maka'Ota' c'a Jenaka.
OUR CAMP is a modern-day re-creation of a traditional Lakhota (Sioux) Fur Trade Era (1824-1840) home. The painted Tipi, shown here, is our summer home while we are on the road at Mountain Man Rendezvous or Pow Wows throughout the western part of this country, where the Fur Trade flourished so long ago!
For those of you who've never attented a Rendezvous, you're in for a real treat when you do. You'll find just plain folks doing things the way there were done over a century ago! Men and women in competition, shooting blackpowder rifles and pistols (flintlock and caplock), throwing knives and tomahawks with deadly accuracy, cooking dutch oven meals fit for a king and joining in competitions where the parties that have the most authentic camps, clothing and/or gear win some mighty nice and treasured 19th century prizes.
After the sun goes down and you've partaken of a delicious meal, let your mind and heart wander a bit as you listen to the music of banjos, mouth harps, harmonicas (yes, they had them back then), bullfiddles (that's a washtub bass for those of you not familiar with this type of instrument), ocarinas or just sweet voices joined in a happy song! Sit around the campfire and listen to the stories told and imagine yourself back over 100 years ago. It is easy with surroundings like this! You might also catch a game of whist or three card monte or join in to the story-telling sessions (tall tales {not lies} are a requisite) or you might find a lodge or two where both songs with Native American drums and voices as well as good natured fun poking and stories of rendezvous gone by are shared among friends, old and new alike!
At this juncture it might be wise to let you know that this is a family adventure and children have their own games with prizes, even for the little tots to play. All children are welcome, so bring them and let them have fun. The children play games such as Indian Hand Games, running, marbles (an alltime favorite) and many more depending on the youngsters. Both boys and girls have their own version of tomahawk and knife throwing contests that are run just like the adult contests. At clothing contests, most rendezvous have catagories for boys and girls. BUT, one should remember, even in the adult contest, that there were no white women in the fur trade before 1835. This means that if you are portraying a female character from before 1835 you should portray a Native woman. The role of a woman in the time period between 1835 and 1840 can be either Native or a Missionary wife. There are no other choices, there simlpy were no white women here at that time other than the missionary wives of the Whitman party and others who came later.
Kim Curtis, aka Many Skunks, has been involved in the mountain man/Native American family for 20 years. He is of Scot Irish/Cherokee descent and is an adopted Lakhota (Sioux). He has given many talks on many subjects of interest to the Fur Trade Era. He has portrayed the much maligned black mountain man, Jim Beckwourth in numerous performances such as Wyoming's opening of the Oregon Trail Sesquicentennial celebration. Although white, Kim says it works out well as " 'Ol Jim has been in the shining mountains so long he's bleached out "'mos white as you!" He has tought former Wyoming Gov. (now Ambassador to Ireland) Mike Sullivan and many others to throw the tomahawk and knife.
Jenaka WhiteCloude-Curtis is of Cherokee/Lakhota descent, was born in Germany and is very well traveled. She speaks English, Lakhota, 9 dialects of German and writes in the Cherokee (TSALAGI) syllabary. She is the major craftsperson of the team and is a member of the Native American Crafts Assoc. Her fringed buckskin bags sport the finest cut fringe of any. She is a member of the War Eagle Society for veterans and as of 1996 she was the only woman awarded the honor of becoming a warrior of the Lakhota Nation for her combat service in Viet Nam. She was a pupil of the great Lakhota teacher, Eagle Bear. For a number of years she promoted many Pow Wows along the east coast and has only recently become involved in the rendezvous family.
Pow Wows are another thing entirely! These feasts of glorious sight and sound represent the common get-togethers that the Native Americans had way back when (and still do today). There is much singing, drumming and dancing in varied catagories. The drum groups and dancers compete for hefty prizes. The spirituality of the proceedings and the reverence to the Creator, under which these events are held says a great deal about these wonderful people. A very great time is had by competitors and spectators alike!!!
Come and join in if you're on vacation in an area where a Rendezvous or Pow Wow is being held. If you are interested in great family fun and a real learning experience, e-mail us while you're planning your vacation and we'll do our best to let you know if there will be a Rendezvous or Pow Wow anywhere near your anticipated travel route.
If you are into taking pictures, to save those memories, while on vacation, (and who isn't?) then both of these kinds of events offer a plethora of fantastic opportunities to get those shots that only professionals get. You'll be there, so why not record the events as they unfold. The Rendezvous and Pow Wows we attend are in our home state of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah and Colorado where we market our crafts and wares and collect information on the history of the areas we visit as well as historical data on the clothing, habits, implements and accoutrements of the Native American tribes and the Mountain Men who inhabited these beautiful and history holding areas.
Come, sit by the fire, have a cup of Wokalapi (black medicine[coffee]), and see some of the things we make or have collected...
Pilamiayelo, mita kolapi! (Thank you very much, my friends!), for visiting our site. As you can see, we are still setting up our camp, so come back and visit us soon when we have everything in place. It is our hope that you will visit us often and feel at peace here, in our camp. There will be times when you may come and sample the sounds of Native American drums, flutes and voices joined in a song or two. Maybe we'll lead you to a secret place beside a clear stream where the sound of the lapping rivulets will give you peace. At any rate, we hope you enjoy our page! Mitakuye Oyasin! We are all related!
As a point of interest and historical fact, Indians in the old days, as well as Mountain Men, then and now frequently will go through life with many names. If a warrior or Mountain Man did a great deed (or in the case of the modern day mountain man something foolish or of note) his name could be changed. Indians typically were given a "secret" name at birth. Then, a child's name and later in life, an adult name. During their adult life their name might change for many reasons. For example, His Crazy Horse (Tashunka Witko)the great Lakhota Shirt Wearer and war leader was named Curly as a child. When he became an adult, his father who was also His Crazy Horse gave up that name and bestowed it on Curly. Curly's father then took the name of Worm. As a historical note, HIS CRAZY HORSE is correct while the Crazy Horse name that we all know him by is a shortening of the correct name and is technically not correct. Why am I bringing this to your attention? I want to share with you a name change that took place on July first of this year (1999). In a quiet ceremony, attended by friends and family at the original 1838 Rendezvous site, Giver Of Names (Ed McAuslan) gave the man known as Many Skunks a new name. Because of his abilities to bring the cooling breezes to the hot days at many of the rendezvous last year and this year by playing the Indian Flute, Many Skunks is now given the name, CALLS THE WIND. So, my friends, from this day forward, I am Calls The Wind. Of course, for those of you that can't remember the name or if you just want to use the old one, I will still be know by both. The name of our business, Many Skunks and Jenaka, will not change nor will this page's title. Pilamiyayelo, Mita Kolapi!
UPDATE
for the Year 1999
The last season of this Century is over with and we are looking at a new millenium. Hopefully the year 2000 will bring as many "shinin' times" and good friends as the last few years did. We went to 16 Rondies in 1999, visited with countless old friends and made a few new ones.
To give a short summary of this last summer: We had rain, wind, and more sun then we really wanted. We started out on Memorial Day in Jackson Hole Wyoming, and it was a wet one. Jenaka only brought one pair of mocc's and she had wet feet the whole rondy. But we met up with old friends we had not seen and that made up for the wet.
Next we went to Alpine, on the Idaho border and we had a nice sunny weekend.
Alpine was followed up by Massacre Rocks in Idaho. Now we know why it was named Massacre Rocks. The wind massacred our tipi and major repairs had to be done on the smoke flaps. On an on we went from Wyoming to Idaho to Montana, Utah and Colorado.
All in all we had a good summer, lots of friends and shinnin times. We hope to see some of you in the year 2000.
UPDATE
for the year 2000
Jenaka and CallsTheWind have been whiling away the winter months working on new things for the upcoming Rendezvous season. Jenaka has been giving classes in loomless beading and doing quite a bit of beadwork herself on new bags and things. She created moccasins for a few friends and more orders are on the way. CallsTheWind has been in the smithy turning out many new items for sale. If any of you need lantern stands (ornate) or for those of you with tipi's- lantern hangers that fit on the tipi poles (up high so you dont bang your noggin), hand hammered lance and arrowpoints, S-hooks, screwdrivers, flint and caplock combination tools or firepokers and such at a reasonable price, contact us by e-mail and we see what we can do. Of course this will also include war shirts, moccassins and other period clothing articles and accessories, too! It has been a very mild winter here in the Warm Valley (that is what this part of the Wind River Mountains is called), so we got a lot of outside work done for the coming season. CallsTheWind has even found some time to get out and set traps for problem beaver for friends. Contact us by e-mail and let us know of any Rendezvous dates that are upcoming west of the Mississippi and we will try to attend or at least post the dates on this or another page. ANY IDEAS? Our electronic telegraph has been out of service for some time so if you've tried to contact us and got no response we apologize!
UPDATE
for the Year 2001
Well, here we are again!
After a long,hot summer we are back in our own beds and with all the comforts a house can offer.
Last season was a bit of a long one and we are BOB. (Burned Out Buckskinners, for those of you that do not know that expression)
We went through smoke and fire this year to get to the Rondies. Going through Yellowstone Park to reach the Burnt Hole Rondy was more then interesting. Fires all around us but that did not stop the tourist crowd from stopping in the middle of the road, blocking traffic and taking pictures of one loneley ol' Coyote looking for food. We got to the town of West Yellowstone just to find out we could not cook the food we brought along. Fire ban! We couldn't have a fire, not even a Coleman stove or lantern inside the Tipi. Battery operated only! Now you tell me what Buckskinner carries battery operated lanterns with him? We sure did not! Not even smoking was allowed, only inside the vehicles. That was a tough Rondy, but we got through it and survived West Yellowstone. The whole time we were there the fires came as close as seven miles to the camp and the smoke was everywhere. Our poor eyes are still burning. All of that did not stop us from having a very good Rondy, though. We met up with old friends, made new ones and bought a bigger trade tent. It was bought and set up with all the goods inside and safe from the everlasting wind within three hours. Jenaka was just in high gear and made it possible to have it open before the interested buyers started to flow in on thursday.
The 1838 Rondy in Riverton Wyoming was a hot one and we all could not wait for it to be over. Sunburns and exhaustion was a common thing. Business was good, even though we liked to roast to a crisp and we met up with some old friends we don't see very often. CallsTheWind was asked to officiate as Segundo for the 2001 Rondy there and he agree'd to it. Now as you can well imagine, there is already plenty of work to be done.
We also went to the first Hot Sulphur Springs Rondy in Colorado. This was the former Granby Rendezvous. BJ and Jodi seemed to be very happy to have us there and it was more the Rondy it is supposed to be like. Friends and customers alike gathered at the Campfire (the only open fire allowed there) and listened to the stories told and and even told some of their own. We had a bunch of Boy Scouts from Nebraska joining us for a few days and the kids had the time of their lives. They interacted and acted like they never knewn any different. It was great. This is our favorite Rondy besides the home Rondy in Riverton and we always enjoy being there.
All in all it was a good summer, we met up with old friends, made new ones and missed the ones that could not make it or are not around anymore.
Note our new e-mail address:
Send e-mail to ManySkunks & Jenaka
So drop us a line and let us know how things are in your neck of the woods!
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Please visit our friend at Kishel's Korner
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