Journeys of the Spirits proof - 10-19-22

Ceremonial Dancers

Art from photo at White Buffalo Council Powwow
at Tall Bull Memorial Grounds in Daniels Park, Colorado.

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Fancy Dancer, Carlos Benally in Adams 12 AIPAC 11th Annual Powwow
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Traditional Eagle Dancer, Phil Little Thunder
at the 30th Oglala Wacipi Parade Fair
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My departed good friend Gil Bateman with me on an outing up
top of the Wind River Indian Reservation in 1996. All 6'4" of him in

front of a giant slab of stone with ancient rock art / petroglyphs.
54 Journeys of the Spirits

CHAPTER 3
Exhibits &
Presentations

Since 1998 Journeys of the Spirits has been presented at numerous venues.
The images have been shared with hundreds of thousands of visitors at
such destinations as the Aurora History Museum, Denver International

Airport, The Museum of Outdoor Art and the Smithsonian Museum
as well as countless other shows and presentations.

Journeys of the Spirits 55

Recording traditional Indian music for the Denver International Airport exhibit of
Journeys of the Spirits is the Crooked Creek Singers.

The airport received such positive comments that this music played for many years
on the bridge between the terminal and concourse A.

We recorded close to two hours of music for our own soundtrack.
Per Gil Bateman setting up the recording session with Paul
Vastola of Rocky Mountain Recorders; Denver, CO.
The Crooked Creek Singers

are from left to right, John Tarnesse, Mark Angavo, T.T. Tillman and
Bennie LeBeau Sr. aka Blue Thunder.

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CHAPTER 4
Special Sacred Moments

Spirit revealing itself when we “pray attention.”

While shooting multi photographs of the exit grand entry of the of the Sand Creek
Remembrance Powwow in 2017, a spirit orb manifestation appeared out of
the sacred eagle staff mouth.
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Thunderbird Live
& Feather

To the Eastern Shoshone, the wing tips of a Thunderbird or any other great bird,
(eagle, hawk, etc.) are known as fingers. Just minutes after this photograph was

taken (which came after forty minutes of prayer), a feather was discovered.
Our brother, the Thunderbird, gave us an index finger before giving us this image.

See in photo that this feather is missing. This photograph was shot at a
sacred solstice site.

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Standing absolutely still
Armed and loaded
I pray to the Great Spirit For
pelicans and a perfect shot.
I bring the solstice wheel
into focus.
Knowing the path they will
take the light hits the rocks
It’s time
Armed and loaded, my hand
quivers, ready.
Disappointed until I see the
shadows.
Thunderbirds dancing in the
heavens.
I take one shot after another
then the birds are gone.
Thank you, Great Spirit, for
this perfect day.
By the way,
I asked for pelicans
Adapted from a poem by
Lucy Dickhoff, 1997

Journeys of the Spirits 69

Spirits & the Band

Visible manifestations from the spirit or “smoke” apparent in the photograph
world might seem possible only in rose straight from the ground. There
remote natural settings, where the mind were no smokers or smoke machines and
and soul, like the winds and wheeling there was no fragrance. In combination
birds, can break free and soar. I believe with the windless ambience, the twilight
that conditions can be such that spirit and the mesmerized crowd, the moment
manifestations occur also, during took on the kind of wholeness, harmony
contemporary urban activities. and radiance which characterize those
In 1998, on Labor Day weekend in Civic blessed interludes known as epiphany.
Center Park in Denver, a blues band I believe spirits appeared. I ran forward
was two hours and forty-five minutes leaving my camera on the tripod. I
into a planned three–hour concert. encountered a surprisingly dense vapor
Throughout the day I had been in and out field. No smoke, no fragrance and no
of prayer and meditation. As I listened moisture source to make fog.
to the music, with my camera at rest, the I ran back to my camera and photographed
sounds were blending and soaring into “Spirits & the Band”.
a peak performance. Suddenly the cloud

70 Journeys of the Spirits

William M. Dennis aka Bill Dennis (c) 1999
March 26, 1948 - May 17, 2018

Anyone that knew Bill Dennis liked him. To me he was a genuine friend,
more like a blood brother than a friend. His incredible wit and intelligence,
sense of humor, kindness and understanding of the bible. Bill was a virtuoso
on Harmonica. He played with some of the best Blues Bands in Denver. Willie
Houston, Ace Butler and Gerald Schnacker to name a few. His ability with the

Harmonica was such that his playing on virtually every format
of music was Star quality.

Journeys of the Spirits 71

Bennie LeBeau Sr. aka Blue Thunder
Eastern Shoshone - Wind River Indian Reservation

July 15, 1950 - June 12, 2016
Blues Salute (c) 2009 Joseph M. Triscari
I had not ever photographed a healing ceremony before while in pro-
cess. In fact I did not bring a camera with me this day when Bennie
asked me to photograph him performing the ceremony,
the participants looked stunned and surprised.

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Mudshadow

From my true-life vision.

Paintings by Stevon Lucero

It was three nights running in the winter room. I was in disbelief for a moment,
of 1999/2000. Come 8:30 to 9:00 in the then I thought; “black hole floating four
evening it felt like something was in inches above my kitchen floor, that can’t
the room with me. By the second night be good.” I walked over as if to look
I kept looking to see if it were a mouse through it, (second picture in the image).
along the wall. The third night I could Now it was all cloudy with smoke and
feel its presence in the nape of my neck depth perception, I could not see through
and upper back. No mouse. it.
I stood up with conviction and said; I backed off, I said a prayer and asked
“I know you’re here. Show yourself!.” to have this removed from my house.
It did, the first picture in the image With the close of that prayer the black
is how the black hole looked floating hole stayed at its four inch elevation and
approximately four inches above my floated out the back of my house. I have
kitchen floor from where I was in the not seen it since.

Journeys of the Spirits 73

American White Pelican

June 19, 2006, a close friend of mine, under my own wing, (arm), because of
John, a spiritual leader of the Eastern the great size and stealth of that bird.
Shoshone people from Wind River Indian A large American White Pelican, wing
Reservation at Fort Washakie, Wyoming span of 9.5 feet is truly something to
died. John had been a Sundance Lodge behold in flight. It resembles a prehis-
Chief and a healer or medicine man. toric Pterodactyl in flight. Ornithologists
They said he had a massive heart attack say the American White Pelican goes
at the wheel of his truck around 3:00 back 20 million years.
p.m. in the afternoon. He crashed his rig I spent the summer of 1993 in Green
and died. No one was with him at the River, Wyoming. I stayed with Gwynn
time. Funny thing though, he was a type Mullen, a local historian there. She has
B person. I don’t remember anything always lived in the second oldest home,
getting him upset. He was a calm and a country Victorian, in Green River,
collected person too, who generally Wyoming. Gwynn passed away on
cared for and about his fellow human September 21, 2007. She was 85 years
beings. I worked closely with John from young at the time. In 1993, Gwen intro-
1991 through 1998. I once went on a duced me to her son, John Kelley, who
six-week outing with John, he led the owns the ranch where the photograph,
journey; and I was the passenger. We lived
together half the time during those years.
I learned to play the gourd, a rattle used
to accompany the drum. I played in
over one hundred spiritual journeys and
healings. They would last from two to
three and a half hours. I participated
in approximately thirty sweat lodge
ceremonies with them over the years.
John and I always worked together
with mutual respect, interest and under-
standing. I mourn that I will not be with
him in this life anymore. What I have to
share with you John knew about.
I first saw the amazing American White
Pelican back in 1987 at a private 40-acre
lake, by Windsor, Colorado. The bird
was soaring about 1000 feet above us.
My son Joe II was around six years old
at the time and I remember putting him

74 Journeys of the Spirits

Thunderbird Live & Feather took place a large colony of birds, 75 to 100 strong,
back in 1996. However, that summer back and a small body of water. The perfect
in 1993, we had the stunning experience combo came together like a miracle.
of a squadron of nine American White They were within close proximity to me
Pelicans flying forty feet over us as we for 10 days. I did 5 shoots with them
dined on barbecue and beer at the ranch, over that time period. Every time I went
which is on the Green River and about on the beach, I was photographing them
six miles outside of town. You may recall in the aerial configuration that is called,
that the famous early American painter, “the gyre.” I recalled the words of Mel
Thomas Moran, painted some dramatic White, National Geographic magazine,
scenes of the palisades of Green River in June 2006, “the non-technical among us,
Wyoming. presented with the sight of a sunlit gyre
I have been on a quest to photograph the of pelicans, resort to words like majestic,
American White Pelican properly ever magnificent.”
since 1994. I spent many summers at the My colleague, muse and model, Xpstva
ranch from 1994 on, hoping to photo- said; “Joe, it’s like the birds came for
graph them. The pelicans were always you,” and “I believe John is helping
one third of a mile away, it just never you.”
happened. The majority of my team, the
people who have endorsed and helped
me with my photography work for many
years, my inner circle of support, knew
nothing of this goal until July of 2006.
Only Mark and Lucy Dickhoff, our cooks
in 1995 at the Mckonkie Ranch (photo-
graph titled “The Power of Our Medicine”
near Vernal, Utah), knew, from talking
with John, that I was preoccupied with
the image of the pelicans, actually praying
regularly for the opportunity to photo-
graph them. This is important because
Lucy remembered my dream and wrote
about it eloquently a year later in regards
to the photograph titled, Thunderbird
Live from 1996.
The images of the American White Pelican
have finally taken place. I did five shoots
with them from June 25 through July
2, 2006. I learned that what is needed
to photograph the White Pelican properly is

Journeys of the Spirits 75

In 1997, Lucy Dickhoff gave me the something happening before it takes
poem that she formatted in the shape of place, we may actually defuse it from
a thunderbird. Lucy wrote it for a col- ever taking place.
lege class she was taking at that time I believe that so many people are
and gave a copy of it to me. John knew weighed down by frustration, fear, even
about it and two others: Bill Dennis, boredom. They yearn for something
who goes back with me ten years now, that lifts them out of the ordinary. Thus,
and Xpstva. I kept that particular dream the mystical and symbolic elements of
unknown from my inner circle of sup- my experiences with the birds will be of
port all those years. The spiritual Native interest to all who seek transcendental
Americans believe that if we talk about experience. And I believe that providing
transcendental moments through images
is the truth of fine art photography.
My own developing vision, led by
Native American mentors, fed by years
observing eloquent images in remote
and sacred locales, has been somehow
validated by the rare “gifts from on high”
of the thunderbird and the pelicans.
The thunderbird sent down his feather,
and stayed to be photographed. The
poet foretold the pelican “dream” eight
years before the birds came to me. The
pelicans, heretofore always elusive,
finally made themselves available.
My job as photographer has been to
photograph and communicate their
tremendous ancient potency.

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No ladder needs the bird but skies
To situate its wings,

Nor any leader’s grim baton
Arraigns it as it sings.
Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
– and sings the tunes without the words –
and never stops at all.
Emily Dickinson

Journeys of the Spirits 77

Shimmering Wings

While in Washington D.C. for an My dear friend Xpstva
exhibition of my photographs which “Goddess of the Greeks"
comprised Journeys of the Spirits at the
Arts and Industries Building (the second
oldest building at The Smithsonian),
my team and I spent the last three days
breaking down the shoot from the
“Jefferson Memorial.”
When we studied the 20” x 24” proof
sheet we found that there had been
“Divine Intervention” throughout the
entire shoot. As we zoomed in on the
Spirit, on the right, we found we can see
it clearly from head to toe, so to speak.
In other words the Spirit acted as the
invisible prop person during the shoot.
Notice the Spirit from the waist, or smoke
(cloud shape down). Now look at the
image B. Her flowing outfit is the same
exact shape and design as the smoke or
cloud of the Spirit in the photo on the
right. That night, January 21, 2003, in
the view finder of the camera I noticed
the wind, or something, was adjusting
her gown. I called the experience,
“Shimmering Wings.”

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SpiritCloud

In May of 2008 Xpstva took a digital like, “Dad, it’s probably because of all
photograph of me in what I have the electronics in the club. It could not
affectionately referred to as My Home possibly be anything more than the
Woods. When I downloaded the image electronics.” At the same time some of
to my computer I found that there was a the doyens of Denver’s photography
Green Ball of Light off my right flank in world gave me the definite word that
the photograph. What some people call, “Orbs are not looked at as real.” And
Orbs. I immediately started shooting so I hoped and I prayed, with tom-tom
a digital camera. July 3rd of 2008 I and prayer songs for something more to
photographed my son Joe II’s rock band, show up in my photographs. In March
Space in Time, at the Bluebird Theater of 2009 it started taking place in the sky
in Denver Colorado, many Orbs in the above the forest.
photographs. My son said something

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Buffalo Spirit

Visionquest

This buffalo was photographed in September, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. He is enveloped
in a Spirit Cloud approximately eight to twelve inches around his body. The black

and white version, I call Buffalo Spirit. I call the color image Vision Quest.
The cloud may be more visible with the color image.

Journeys of the Spirits 87

Star Her Many Horses Fancy Shawl Dancer

44th Denver March Powwow 2019

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CHAPTER 5
Powwow

Photographing these amazing and beautiful Powwow
ceremonies since 2012.

In no particular order is a small sampling of the many images
captured over the years, much more will be included
in a future publication.

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My first introduction to Powwow
came at the 1992 Denver March
Powwow when I photographed
my friend and colleague, John, an
Eastern Shoshone Representative
who was a contestant in the Men’s
Traditional Senior Dance Divi-
sion. John said not to photograph
any of the other dancers. Because
of the Dancers beauty, I did take
a few unsolicited photographs,
crowd shots, more or less. We at-
tended the three days of Powwow
and they were twelve hour days. At
one point, in between dances, John,
his Misses and I were taking a cat
nap in our chairs on the floor of the
Denver Coliseum, and during my
sleep one of the warriors I had hap
hazardously photographed earlier
in the day came to me in a dream
and scared me to the point that
I awoke very startled. From that
moment forward, I asked permis-
sion to photograph anyone at that
Powwow.

Brad Bearsheart Fancy Dancer I have been attending the local
Powwows at Tall Bull Memorial
Strong Fathers Powwow Grounds in Daniels Park since 1994.
Taking it slowly with the Ameri-
at Tall Bull Memorial Grounds Daniels Park, CO, 2012. can Indian participants (Dancers).
I learned that Powwow is as much a
Sacred and Spiritual Ceremony,
even to the people that witness
it, as the Sweat Lodge and Sun
Dance Lodge Ceremonies. I asked
permission from the American Indi-
ans to photograph these Powwows.

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Star Her Many Horses Sunshine Sweetwater

Butterfly Dancer Fancy Shawl Dancer
Strong Fathers Powwow at Tall Bull Memorial
1st Annual Tallbull Memorial Buffalo
Grounds in Daniels Park, CO.
Encampment and Powwow
Note: I see the mythological Thunderbird of the at Tall Bull Memorial Grounds
Thunderbird Clan in this image.
in Daniels Park, CO, 2012.

In September of 2012 when attending the est daughter, the champion Traditional
three days of Powwow at Tall Bull Memo- Dancer and two photographs from 2013
rial Grounds in Daniels Park, Colorado, and 2014. All I knew about the Thunder-
I made over 1600 photographs between bird Clan then is that the young Butter-
Friday and Sunday closing at dusk. fly Dancer is a tremendous dancer and
I attended a Round Dance at the Four that there was a power of some sort in the
Winds American Indian Church in Den- photograph with her. When I pulled up
ver on November 22, 2014, and one of the photograph send to her mother I
the people I met that night happened to saw the Spirit Thunderbird clearly in the
be the mother of the Butterfly Dancer in photograph. From the bird’s beak to its
the photograph of the Thunderbird Clan. beautiful green head, the Butterfly Dancer’s
This woman is also the mother of anoth- Shawl acts as its perfect wings. It was like
er champion traditional dancer. I later I had to meet her mother before I could
emailed her four photographs of her old- see the photograph. It is a strange and
wonderful feeling.

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The 41st Grand Entry

of the

Denver March Powwow

Between the dancers on the floor and the audience,
there are 10,000 people in the Denver Coliseum.
March 2015.

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Dancers at the Pineridge South Dakota Powwow in 2015.
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Keya Clairmont Fancy Shawl Dancer

Tallbull Memorial Grounds Strong Fathers Powwow

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Harvey Spoonhunter

Golden Age Traditional Dancer
Memorial Day Powwow and
Encampment
Tallbull Memorial Park
(Sedalia, CO) 2022

Elvira Spencer-Sweetwater

Golden Age Jingle Dancer - 2022

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Derick Howell Grass Dancer

Strong Fathers Powwow
at Tall Bull Memorial Grounds Daniels Park, CO, 2012.

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48th Oglala Lakota Wacipi Parade and Fair 2015

Men’s Fancy Dancer

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Lakota Clairmont - July 8, 1974 – June 25, 2019

Leader of the Mile High Singers Drum Group

Dellah Trujillo Traditional Buckskin

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Robert “Many Lightnings” Williams
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