Northern Vietnam road trip: Around Sapa
Day 7 off the tourist trail: Around Sapa The final day of our northern Vietnam road trip is a bit less off the tourist trail because we are now in Sapa. This northern hill town Read More …
Tag: traditional cultures
Northern Vietnam road trip: Bac Ha to Sapa
Day six off the tourist trail: Bac Ha to Sapa Day six of our northern Vietnam road trip begins right in Bac Ha, as we are in town specifically for the day’s colorful market. Even Read More …
Northern Vietnam road trip: Hoang Su Phi to Bac Ha
Northern Vietnam day 5: Hoang Su Phi to Bac Ha Day five of our northern Vietnam road trip begins at a relaxed pace at the lovely resort where we spent the night. It continues as Read More …
Northern Vietnam road trip: Yen Minh to Hoang Su Phi
Day 4 off the tourist trail: Yen Minh to Hoang Su Phi Day four of our northern Vietnam road trip includes visits to several villages tucked into valleys far off the tourist trail. We also Read More …
Northern Vietnam road trip: Meo Vac to Yen Minh
Our third day of our northern Vietnam road trip takes us way, way off the tourist trail as we tour more of Ha Giang province. Today’s travels include the majestic Ma Pi Leng Pass, bustling Read More …
The brilliant colors of Okinawa at the Textile Museum, Washington DC
If you are looking for something bright and cheerful to counteract a cold dark winter day, head over to George Washington University for Bingata! Only in Okinawa at the Textile Museum (through January 30, 2017) Read More …
A crafty wonderland in Izamal, Mexico
As if wandering the golden streets of Izamal weren’t enough to make a visitor smile, this little town in the Mexican Yucatán has another treat hiding behind those yellow facades: a cultural center bursting with Read More …
Visiting a Tay family, Vietnam
As we drove through northern Vietnam last fall, I was always curious about the people living in the towns and villages we passed along the way. Fortunately, we did have some time (not enough!) to Read More …
Fancy Footwork at the Grand Portage Powwow
While there is much to watch at a powwow, it always pays to look down. These images were taken in August at the Grand Portage Powwow. Grand Portage Powwow
Days of the Dead in Minnesota: These are your neighbors
I’m lucky to have traveled to so many wonderful places around the world, but some of the most beautiful and fascinating cultural experiences I’ve had have been right here in Minnesota. There is a lot Read More …
Fancy Shawl Dancer, Grand Portage Powwow
The women’s fancy shawl dance is always a powwow highlight, as the dancers leap and twirl with their beautiful shawls like butterflies flitting through the air. It must take a lot of practice to learn Read More …
Grand Portage Powwow
Each summer the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa holds a powwow with drumming, singing, and dancing. (There are also sporting events, bingo, traditional foods, and more.) While some portions of the powwow are Read More …
A Romantic View of the Mayan Ruins of Muyil in Mexico
Some place just feel like you are stepping into the past. The Mayan Ruins of Muyil near Tulum, Mexico, is one of those places. Muyil is located with the Sian Ka’an Biological Reserve south of Read More …
A Public Celebration of the Days of the Dead in Minneapolis
After spending most of the afternoon photographing the Kalpulli Ketzal Coatlicue Aztec dance group at a private Dia de los Muertos (Days of the Dead) celebration, we moved to on to a public celebration at Read More …
Celebrating the Day of the Dead in Minneapolis: Fancy Footwork
The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos – the Days of the Dead) was last Saturday. I had the privilege of spending the day photographing the Aztec dance group Kalpulli Ketzal Coatlicue as Read More …
American Indian Days in Browning, Montana
Dawn: In the still air, the rising sun turns Two Medicine Lake into a mirror for the mountains. At the Pow-Wow: Coming into town we see the teepees tall above the motorhomes and tents in Read More …
A Quiet Gallery Devoted to Inuit Art in Toronto, Canada
The modernist Toronto-Dominion Bank complex houses what feels like a secret gallery.This is the Toronto-Dominion Gallery of Inuit Art, which includes 200 pieces of exceptionally fine Inuit art. Most of the pieces on display were Read More …
Bashas’ Almost-Secret Gallery in Chandler, Arizona
There is a treasure trove of western art tucked away in a non-descript office building at the headquarters of Bashas’ grocery in Chandler, Arizona. The Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native American Read More …
A Bit of Inuit Art and Culture in Minnesota
Throat singers Nina Segalowitz & Lydia Etok made it through the border crossing for a return engagement at Sivertson’s Inuit Art Premiere in Grand Marais, Minnesota. They are talented, interesting, and funny as they sing, Read More …
Horses! (At the Museum of the American Indian)
The current special exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian is A Song for the Horse Nation. It is an intelligent and stunningly beautiful show (with some of the most amazing quillwork I Read More …
A Peek into the Ancient Past
The Phoenix area was, of course, home to many other people before becoming a southern hot-spot for northern retirees. 2000 years ago, the Hohokam settled in this area, eventually building a large and complex community Read More …
Where Better to Spend a Blustery Day than in a Museum (or Three) in Washington DC?
Museums are among our favorite places to spend time in DC anyway, so that seems like the perfect place to spend a cold and windy day.We start with the Renwick. This is a favorite of Read More …
Indianapolis
I’m in Indianapolis this weekend for an Inuit art conference.Yes, Indianapolis, Indiana. I actually had planned to skip this conference. I figured things would be busy at work (as they are) and, well, Indianapolis wasn’t Read More …
Ecuador: North of Quito
On today’s excursion to the Ecuadorian countryside, visit the small town of Calderon where miniature bread figurines are made. Descend into spectacular Guayllabamba Gorge before arriving at Otavalo, a sprawling Indian market. Here, you’ll find Read More …
Peru: Pisac in the Sacred Valley
It is already late in the afternoon when we arrive in Pisac. I am hoping we are going to spend some time at the ruins here, which are supposed to be amazing, but we are Read More …
Peru: Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley
Part of our journey retraces our route of the other day, but I am glad to have another chance to again take in the the Urumbamba Valley’s rather stark beauty. Although the landscape seems remote Read More …
Peru: Chincheros in the Sacred Valley
Our itinerary promises: Today, embark on a full day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas with its amazing landscapes of fertile land, mystical ruins and indigenous villages. Up early and onto the bus Read More …
Botswana: In the Tsodilo Hills
I awake rested and eager for the day. At breakfast we talk about the wind as we watch the other campsites empty out. We now have this amazing place pretty much to ourselves. Explore the Read More …