Through his photos, award winning photographer Myron Beck (Los Angeles, CA) inspires us to dream and embrace the beauty that surrounds us in the people we see, the environments in which we thrive and the diverse cultures that enrich our lives.

www.myronbeck.com

High Noon in the Wall Street Journal

In the September 9, 2010 issue of the Wall Street Journal, in an article entitled: "Riding High, The allure of all things equestrian has never been greater, as vintage saddle collectors pay record prices for unique models," not only does High Noon take the limelight but the story confirms what we have always believed, there is a thirst and a burgeoning desire in this country and around the world for not only all things equestrian, but all things rooted in the rich heritage of the American West. On behalf of all of us at High Noon and the High Noon Family, we couldn't be more honored.

magazine.wsj.com/gatherer/how-much-is-it-worth/riding-high/

Ms. Terry Schurmeier
Owner of Cowboys & Indians Antiques and Producer of Great Southwestern Antique Shows

Tracking down Terry for an interview wasn't the easiest thing to do. She runs at mach 20 everyday and, in typical Terry style, Smoke Signals finally tracked her down on her cell phone as she was pulling her Airstream across New Mexico on her way to set up at Round Top. "I've never done Round Top before! I am so excited. I've been on the waiting list for years because I need an indoor space. I finally got one and this year I'm going to be in the Big Red Barn!" She doesn't stop. Passionate about what she does is an understatement and it all began when she was just a little girl.

Growing up in Chicago to parents who were "big on education and history" her weekends were spent with her sister Janine scouring the Field Museum in Chicago. She spent her summers with her family in the Wisconsin Dells, an area rich in Winnebago history and heritage. We camped, we canoed, we learned to start fires with a single match, we even got to know the Chiefs of the Pow-Wows by their first name. She completely embraced the culture and heritage of the American Indians. As a young girl, she was one of those Girl Scouts who had badges that wrapped all the way around her entire sash - the envy of those of us who couldn't even make it halfway around. Her sister Janine, who actually wanted to grow up to be an American Indian, had to get a second sash to hold all her badges...well, enough of Girl Scout badge envy...

Flash-forward to high school by which time her family had moved to Southern California. It was her senior year in high school when Terry began buying and selling American Indian art and artifacts, earning money to help with her college tuition. Between her success at selling and grants (cause she was such a smart kid) she put her self through CalPoly in pre-med. She applied and was accepted to medical school but in the eleventh hour, decided to pursue her real passion and opted not to attend. Instead, she went the Social Services route, working groups of young girls and women, and yes, teaching them all the wonderful skills she learned as a child. She was passionate about sharing her love of nature and the culture of the American Indians. "If we don't keep their history and culture alive, I'm afraid it will be lost forever."

On the weekends, she was bidding and buying at Ron Munn's Auctions and was often the first in line at the American Indian Markets in Santa Monica (CA). "Those were the days when the line to get in was wrapped around the building," Terry recalls. Her entrepreneurial side started to kick in and she opened her first store in Pasadena, a shop she successfully ran for 13 years. "The market in Los Angeles began to change and more and more, when I found a piece or collection that was particularly important, I found myself heading to Santa Fe or Albuquerque to sell it. There just wasn't the appreciation or market in LA."

It was at this time that Terry, along with her sister Janine, (who didn't actually grow up to be an American Indian but as close as she could come) traveled to New Mexico in search of the perfect location for their new store. They found the building, completely restored it themselves and opened the doors to Cowboys & Indians in Albuquerque.

Along the way, Terry was also doing shows. She jumped into the High Noon shows in year two when she met Linda and Joseph. She blames Linda in particular for her next professional hat she wears as show promoter. "Linda coerced me into starting a show, she laughs." "Oh, you'd be great, you need to produce a big show..." Okay, Terry finally gave in but wanted to produce a show that was open to everyone, not just American Indian dealers. And, thus was born the Great Southwestern Antique Show, a truly grand affair and the virtual go-to kick-off for the following weeks in Santa Fe. Well done, Terry! "I had no idea it would become as big as it has. We are working now on some exciting changes to our (new) May show to make it a bit different from our August event."

Back to her roots and her parent's commitment to education, Terry's shows are all charity events. Proceeds from the shows are donated to numerous New Mexico education and art programs. "We've donated close to $100,000 over the past 7 years. I feel very proud that we are able to support the enrichment of children so that they can go on those field trips to museums like I did when I was young, that they can see Broadway plays and broaden their lives. There's nothing more important than educating the children."

Terry Schurmeier is one-of-a-kind and we are so proud and honored to have her as part of our High Noon Family.

Does she still have that Girl Scout sash? Yes she does... and she knows exactly where it is.

Terry Schurmeier
Cowboys & Indians Antiques
www.cowboysandindiansnm.com
4000 Central SE 
Albuquerque, NM 87108
(505) 255-4054
Email: cowgirls@rt66.com
The Great Southwestern Antique Show
www.greatsouthwesternantiqueshow.com

Discovering the Cherokee Nation

A Journey called "The Trail of Tears"

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson forced a new piece of legislation through Congress called the "Indian Removal Act" of which the very large and powerful Cherokee nation was the target. The legislation called for all Native-American tribes to give up their lands east of the Mississippi in exchange for lands to the west. Jackson said that this was for the tribe's protection, but there was an ulterior motive - Euro-Americans settlers were anxious to take over their land, particularly in Northern Georgia where gold had been discovered. A number of Indian nations made attempts at non-violent resistance, but eventually felt that this was an inevitable removal and that there was no way to stop the federal government.

The Cherokee Nation of 22,000 citizens, based in Georgia, the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee, decided to take their protest all the way to the Supreme Court. Considered one of the "civilized" tribes of the Southeast, they had adopted Euro-American practices of large-scale farming, Western education, slave-holding, and even published an English language newspaper. The Supreme Court sided with the Cherokee, saying that they had a constitutional right to stay in their ancestral land. In the end, President Jackson refused to enforce the law.

In 1838, the federal government sent in troops, who forced the Cherokees into stockades at bayonet point. They were not allowed time to gather their belongings and their homes were looted. It was then they began the forced thousand-mile march to an area in present-day Oklahoma. Over 4,000 out of 16,000 Cherokee people died of cold, hunger, exhaustion and disease. The Cherokee people call this journey the "Trail of Tears," - a journey that saw more people die than perished in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The Cherokee Nation Today

Today the Cherokee Nation is the second largest Indian tribe in the nation. There are more than 280,000 tribal members, 70,000 of which reside in the 7,000 square miles of the Cherokee Nation. Soon after the Cherokee arrival, they transformed the area, creating a progressive court and education system with a literacy rate higher than the rest of the U.S. Many white settlements took advantage of their superior schools, and paid tuition to have their children attend the Cherokee schools. Oklahoma grew up around the nations of the Indian Territory, and that influence can be seen today.

Tahlequah - home today to the Cherokee Nation, is located in the heart of the Oklahoma's Green Country, an area of rolling pastoral hills and more than half of the state's parks and lakes. The area's attractions give visitors an inside look at the Cherokee way of life, both past and present. The Cherokee Heritage Center tells the story of this amazing tribe. The Center was built on the original site of the Cherokee National Female Seminary. Offering exhibits, cultural workshops and events, the center includes the Adams Corner Rural Village, Cherokee Family Research Center and Cherokee National Archives. The Cherokee National Museum houses a special exhibit gallery, two Native American art shows, and the award-winning Trail of Tears interpretive exhibition - an experience that will stir you to the depths of your soul. Ancient Village features replicas of traditional homes from the time of intense cultural transformation. Guides and villagers demonstrate traditional Cherokee crafts as basketry, pottery, field games and blow guns. The Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum is the oldest government building in Oklahoma. Today, both the Supreme and District Courts still hold sessions here.

For further information on visiting the Cherokee Nation visit: www.CherokeeTourismOK.com

This month we present cowboy poetry by amy elizabeth...


Partner Under Saddle
by amy elizabeth

My best thinkin' been done on a horse's back,
On a trail to nowhere with a whiskey stashed in my pack.
I reckon smokin' ain't acceptable in these modern days,
But my partner under saddle don't judge my ol' fashion ways.

The price of cowboyin' keeps gettin' higher an' higher,
An' there ain't hardly a place left to cook over an open fire.
Those days are gone when things were kept simple,
I miss penny candy and empty bottles worthy of a nickel.

I've slept under the stars with my horse tethered to a tree,
Back when dawn wasn't compromised by the sound of an ATV.
City life ain't takin' this cowboy out of his boots,
I'll never change, 'cause frankly I don't give two hoots.

Horse's found their usefulness in spite of change,
Learnin' this ol' hand to adapt... tho it feels mighty strange.
A cowboy's way ain't just a tradition; it's his heart an' soul,
An' he'll never be pushed further than the closest watering hole.


amy elizabeth ©2010
amyichi@yahoo.com
http://rae-welcomefriends.blogspot.com/

Stories of the Old West were an inspirational tool in my early cowboy poetry. Born in Chicago, Illinois, horses were sparse and cowboys few - but if there's a will there's a cowboy way. Today, home is on a small ranch in Arizona where horses are plentiful and cowboys are an arm's length away. I'm currently at work on a Western Romance Novel, and I just completed my first book of Western Folk Poetry. Sometimes you have to grab life by the reins, put weight in the stirrups, sit deep, and chance every mountain no matter how steep.

- amy elizabeth