FryBreadLove.org
How it Began...
The Annual Benefit Concert for
Project Offstreets grew from a conversation between friends - musician Annie
Humphrey and Gayle / Earth Circles (yours truly) who had previously
worked together organizing a few concerts. Annie, and legendary artist Keith
Secola, along with a very talented young local singer/songwriter Hattie, were
performing a number of benefit concerts (now known as the How
Far Is Home Tour) for The Homeless in northern Minnesota.
If I could
simply find a program to benefit, a venue, and a hotel room or two, they would
continue the tour - drive south to 'The
Cities' and donate their time and talents. wow! MiiGwetch lovely, lovely
people!!!
The Program was easy - for 12 years Earth Circles, my Minneapolis Native
Arts & bead store, had been purchasing and
gathering holiday gifts (socks, caps, gloves, baby snowsuits...) for the Kids at
Project Offstreets. A member of their staff, George Coleman, is a dear friend, and
continues to be the source of inspiration for our involvement with Offstreets. gaa
wa ba min neeji.
The venue
was kindly offered (free, as always) by the Walker Church in south Minneapolis.
The discounted hotel rooms were offered by a local Inn that wishes to remain
anonymous - which were covered by a donation from my Swiss sister Iris,
our friend/Sis-tah Gail Goebel gaa
wa ba min neeji joined the team - donating food, cooking for the
feast, and a million other things, Aimee (holiday gift gatherer & wrapper
extraordinaire) signed on as sound 'guy' / stage manager...and so the 1st Annual Benefit for Project Offstreets was born.
Year Two...
The 2nd Annual Benefit Concert for Project Offstreets / 'How Far is Home' Tour brought Keith Secola, Annie Humphrey, and Hattie Peterson back to Minneapolis. And this year, much to our surprise and delight (and due to Annie's ever present support) actor Gary Farmer, The Long-Hairz Collective, Anne Dunn, Mitch Walking Elk, 'flute man' Lakota George, the Mexica Dancers, and Gary TenBear as emcee joined us. Jim Boyd had hoped to perform, but a last minute airline scheduling conflict prevented his attendance this year.
Ms Annie, Keith, Hattie...'you make my heart sing!'
Thank you Linda Roy, Leon Thompson, and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, our friends at MazInc and, once again Aimee, and Iris for your support this year. 'Cousins' Vicki and Paul at turtletrack.org/CankuOta helped promote the concert and have this article Benefit 2001 in their archives.
Our new hosts - The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis is another very comfortable, but larger venue that has brought many Native Artists to it's stage. We hope to cook up plenty of FryBreadLove Concerts at The Cedar!
Artists' WebInfo: Annie Humphrey Keith Secola Joe Reilly Gary Farmer Mitch WalkingElk Jim Boyd
Year Three...
Concert Date! SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2ND 2002 at the Cedar Cultural Center
New Project FryBreadLove Book! We NEED YOU ! (this page also contains clicks to FryBread recipes, Fry Bread stories, Fry Bread Photos... )
FryBreadLove wear it proud! tees / children's and adult sizes ... bandanas too!
HowFarIsHome Tour Website! website with artists' bio's, complete tour schedule, performers' contact info..
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Year Four...
Concert Date!
Saturday November 7th
2003!! at the 1st Universalist Church of
Minneapolis
The Native American Connections Committee of the Universalist
Church offered their recipe for FryBreadLove - ingredients included
FryBreadLovely Volunteers, donating a
super cozy, great energy, great sound venue! and their kitchen, so
we could all sit together and enjoy buffalo stew, wild rice, corn soup ... and
each other... Ho-Wah!
Beth Brownfield, you are a FryBread Sis-tah INDEED!! Jay Frank -
FryBread&Flute Bro (and 'new best friend') - i couldn't have honored that
buffalo without you !! no way !!!
Lake, Aimee, Jeanne, Jean, Katara, Sue, Megan, & Harriet, Beth Brownfield, Kathy
and Alan, Gordon Coons... you are
treasures i carry in my heart always.
mii gwetch
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Year Five...
Bill Miller
( 2005 GRAMMY WINNER !! ) joins us (wow!!!) at the at the 1st Universalist Church of
Minneapolis... AND The Long-Hairz Collective came back to Minnesota and back
into our hearts !! We LOVE you Joe, Brian and Will. xox
Bob and Liz (from the National Eagle Center / Wabasha MN) - THANK YOU for
joining us, gifting us with the amazing donation for the auction, and bringing
Ms Harriet - your ever present support is truly an honor.
Ms Annie...chi miigwetch lovliest, kindest FryBreadSister of the
Universe. Jay, Aimee, Jeanne, K.B. Kathy, Carl, Linda Bell, Jose, Tanya,
Shannon, Kelly & Kids... THANKS !!!
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Year Six...
Venue scheduling
problems landed us at Diana's home. ( Chi MiiGwetch Neeji! what a great
idea) I must tell you - when my life passes before me... i
hope it lingers there in that warm FryBread smellin potlatch coziness with
giggling children playing upstairs, Annie and the Long-Hairz making
MAJOR Magic... it was beautiful! ...
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Year Seven...
Again Ms Annie THANK YOU
MiiGwetch ! Robert Bradley, Michael Nehra, et al. / Blackwater Surprise
K.B. Kathy, Bob & Liz (National Eagle Center / Wabasha MN ), Harriet, Jay (next to Harriet), Jen & Matilda Fairbourne, Judy Dunlap, Aimee, Mark the Sound Guy, Mighty Carl, Kulture Klub Mike ...
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questions/comments/want
to help...
Please contact gayle@FryBreadLove.org
gayle / Earth Circles / P.O. Box 19059 / Minneapolis MN 55419
612 280-1484