Arvel Bird is an award-winning classically trained violinist of Paiute and Scottish heritage. He was born in Idaho, and raised in Utah and Arizona. In addition to studying music at Arizona State University, he studied violin under Paul Roland at the University of Illinois Champagne/Urbana, a renowned Hungarian violinist. Bird performs and records in a number of diverse music genres, including Native American, Celtic, classical, world fusion, blues, jazz, bluegrass, New Age, folk, Cajun, Western swing, Appalachian, and American roots and toured the world with Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, and Ray Price before starting his own solo career focusing on Native American and Celtic music. Bird has released 16 albums, two DVDs, and has scored several film projects.
Below is a 2007 interview by Bill Merickel, a photojournalist in Oklahoma City, OK:
I have been a fan of Maori opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa since high school when I first heard her beautiful soprano voice in the film "A Room With a View" singing Puccini's aria "O mio babbino caro". My iTunes library is full of her pieces and I've had the pleasure of hearing her sing in person several times. I can think of few individuals who have lived in two worlds as visibly as Dame Te Kanawa. She embraces her Maori and New Zealand roots boldly, has sung in operas and recitals around the globe, and today is one of the most beloved opera singers of all time. 
Today I had the great pleasure off viewing a new exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum, a retrospective of Joe Fedderson's work. I was at the Museum with Patty, a fellow member of the Carver Camp Canoe Family from the past two years of Tribal Journey. Patty was a student of Joe's at Evergreen so she thought it would be fun to view the exhibit before we headed to the Chehalis Tribe where we would help Phil Red Eagle with a Copper Ring Ceremony at their Tribal Journey potlatch. The exhibit was absolutely amazing, one could very quickly pick up on the 'Urban Indian' vibe of Joe's work along with his sense of humor. Below is the Culture Icon entry I posted on my other blog, The Smart Set:"Joe Feddersen's internationally renowned artistry comes in many forms...prints, collage, glass, and weaving. But across these media, several themes stand out: Urban Indian, a sense of place, a keen eye for pattern, and a bit of humor. His works are quintessentially Native yet thoroughly modern as they chronicle human relationships with place. His geometric prints echo the landscape of the Plateau area where he grew up and his glass and weaving pieces capture both the traditional Plateau culture and key features of the changing urban landscape such as tire treads, parking lots, and power lines.Born in 1953 in Omak, Washington of Okanogan and Lakes ancestry, Feddersen spent his early days on the Colville Indian Reservation. Later, he received a BFA from the University of Washington in Seattle and received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1989. In 2009, Feddersen retired from Evergreen State College after twenty years. A retrospective of Feddersen's work, Vital Signs, is on exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum through January 10, 2009."
The New Zealand national rugby team, the Allblacks, may all dress alike in their black uniforms, but one this is for sure...they will certainly never lose their identity as a team inspired and energized by Tikanga Maori (Maori ways of thiking, being, doing). The Allblacks start each match with their traditional war dance, the Haka. Sport, competition, and warrior-athletes have been a part of human culture for thousands of years around the world so its good to see that the Allblacks and other teams honor both sport and their culture with this modern tradition. A little surfing on YouTube and you'll also find the Somoan national team performing their Siva Tau, as well as Tonga with thier Sipi Tau and Fiji with their Cibi.
Below the Allblacks take on France in 2009:
And here the Allblacks take on Tonga who reply with their Sipi Tau:
Ariel Tweto, from the Native Village of Unalakleet in Alaska, kicked butt on the first season of ABC's show Wipeout. Although I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I'm a HUGE fan of Wipeout, I really was out of my seat cheering on Ariel throughout the show. Not only did she kick butt throughout the first rounds, she was awesome in the finals!!! I think her attitude and personality were the best part though, you just want to give her a big hug. She not only represented Alaskans, she represented her fellow Eskimo people and Indigenous people around the world...and she had a blast doing it! From what I've found Googling Ms. Ariel, she's a cross country star and has her sights on a journalism and /or fitness-nutrition career. She was fantastic on the show so I bet we'll see more of her. 
