Concerned community members come together to show support to those battling addiction in Mille Lacs, and jazz guitarist Briand Morrison talks about his and his father’s art.
Transcript
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm, in this week for Marie Rock.
Headlines: Coming up…:
Concerned community members come together to show support to those battling addiction in Mille Lacs…
and jazz guitarist Briand Morrison talks about his and his father’s art….
Here are the stories…
STORY #1 - PER CAP PATROL
REPORTER: I recently visited with a group called the Per Cap Patrol at the Woodlands National Bank parking lot, just North of the Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia.
The morning was clear and sunny, and the smell of the fire pit with tobacco offerings moved through the air. I was immediately welcomed by Luther Sam. He explained what Per Cap Patrol is and what it does:
SAM: I grew up here, and the Per Cap Patrol is a group of community members few and far between… different backgrounds, different upbringings, but sharing the same common goal which is to offer people a different type of lifestyle to live, opposed to drinking using drugs or selling drugs.
REPORTER: The first Thursday of the month is “Per Cap” distribution day for members of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
“Per Cap” is short for “Per Capita Payments” which according to the IRS is “a distribution of tribal property or money to an individual tribal member on a per capita basis.”
Luther reports a noted increase in drug deals that takes place soon after checks are dispersed.
SAM: People get their checks, there's no secret about it. So this day more so than any people got people got money. The dope peddlers, they know first come first serve right outside the bank door.
REPORTER: Luther and the Per Cap Patrol are a positive presence, aiming to dissuade dealers from parking in the lot. Plus they have a bullhorn (COME BACK HERE! (laughter)).
Luther has first hand knowledge of addiction and knows how meaningful being surrounded by support really is.
SAM: When I was in my addiction, I was a IV user for a couple of years on heroin and?when I sobered up though my biggest kind of help was the people never turned their back on me.?
REPORTER: Per Cap Patrol not only tries to prevent drug deals, they actively support those who face addiction with medicines, food and love.
SAM: We bring it to the people. We got the pipe out here, we got the drum, we got the medicines and one of the biggest spiritual tools out of everything is the bodies - each other… is one of the biggest spritual tools we got.
STORY #2 - BRIAND MORRISON TALKS GEORGE MORRISON AND UPCOMING EVENT
MUSIC: briand’s musical intro from impressions
REPORTER: We’re listening to Briand Morrison, a jazz guitarist who lives in Grand Portage. He spends his time performing and creating music among his father’s artwork.
MORRISON: We have a show coming up of my father's work, his name is George Morrison. He's an abstract expressionist painter who happens to be an Indian… those are his words.
REPORTER: George Morrison’s work is widely appreciated and recognized, and can be quite costly. Even his original drawings range in price from two to eight thousand dollars.
Briand is working to make George’s drawings accessible to the general public… by creating high quality prints, called GICLEES, so that high art isn’t just available to those with substantial pocketbooks.
MORRISON: I've always wanted to do a show of just giclee prints of my dad's work because the giclee prints are of low cost. I wanted art for everyone. So this is the first time that anybody has ever done a show of giclee prints.
MUSIC
REPORTER: Briand has also composed jazz works to play alongside a series of his father’s visual art. This collection is called Musical Impressions: The Art of George Morrison. And is what we are listening to.
MUSIC
The exhibit will be on display at the JOHNSON HERITAGE POST ART GALLERY in Grand Marais from October 12th through November 4th. Briand’s artist talk and performance of Musical Impressions takes place on Saturday, October 13th at 2pm.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.