mLioiiPO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851 607-273-8519 SPRING 1999 NEWSLETTER & CATALOG '..' -tx SETTLING b CELEBRATION d INTO AMERICA: SALE! PART TWO 10% off every item Interviews with the in this catalog Four Tibetan Employees W e invite you to take advantage of this first ever opportunity to at Snow Lion save 10% on every item that you purchase from us until July 15th— this includes statues, thangkas—everything. You might also Win a Guided Tour to Tibet and Nepal in 2000—just tell us with your KARMA DORJEE ther either. I don't even know what order that you want to be entered in the Tibet trip contest. (If an item is already marked "on sale", use that sale price—we have a Karma Dorjee has a degree in eco- my parents looked like. I only knew number of specially priced items for you to consider.) nomics from the University of my father when I was very little. My Your direct purchases make possible the publication of new Mysore. In Dharamsala, India he sister told me that he worked as a books on Tibetan Buddhism. Since we have many excellent projects worked as a loan officer for the Ti- "dopso"—that's a stone carver, a scheduled for 1999, we especially appreciate your support! ■ betan Government-in-Exile. He builder. Looking back now, I can see worked for three years as treasurer that I would never want my own for the Tibetan Association of Ithaca. daughter to miss out on the love that Karma is in charge of purchase order- I missed frmjny parents growing up. ing at Snow Lion. So to anwer^vur question, I don't Karma Dorjee: I was born in Bhutan know much ?Vjot them at all. in 1966 and directly afterwards J: How lone, „',-•'" '5 hi stay at the TCV Transformation moved to India. My mother passed School? away while giving birth to me and K: I stayed at TCV for only two Through Art by Julie Tollen when I was maybe three or four, I years, then in 19721 went down to the In the last issue of this newsletter, don't remember which, my father south part of India to live with my sis- we printed interviews with Palden sent me to the Tibetan Children's Vil- ter and two uncles, both of whom are by Russell Ellis showed me how to bead on buckskin Choedak Oshoe and Dhondup Dorjee lage (TCV). businessmen. When I was arrested and sen- using the lazy man stitch. I really Zurkhang, two of the four Tibetan Julie: What do you know about your J: What did you do while you stayed tenced on what I thought was going loved this form and became quite pro- employees at Snow Lion Publica- parents? there? to be a minor drug conviction, I was ficient in a short time. Big Crow then tions. Presented here are interviews K: It's very sad actually—I don't re- K: Oh, I went to school, in a place shocked. Three years seemed like introduced me to Jeny Peltier, who with the other two: Karma Dorjee and ally know anything about my mother called the Central School for Tibet- forever to me at that time (1975). I is a relative of Leonard Peltier, the Kunga Nyima. and I don't know much about my fa- ans [of Bylakuppe]. There, I learned was 32 and wanted no part of prison. famous Indian activist. Jerry is a mas- to speak and write English, Hindi, and I felt like I was going to die. ter header of traditional rosettes, Tibetan. I don't really know exactly To my surprise, I survived, and in which are used on ceremonial garb what age I was at that time, but my fact found myself in a place where I and are used as symbols of different sister thought I must have been could finally spend time on my reli- clans as well as certain teachings and gious practice, which I had always put history of the Lakota people. They are Ithaca, PO Snow around 8, because my baby teeth had on a back burner while on the streets. round beaded large buttons about fallen out and my two front teeth Box There was always something that three inches in diameter, though were just beginning to come in. I'm Lion NY seemed more important, so I became many are larger. They are beaded 6483 very glad that my sister was there apart-time practitioner of Buddhism. onto buckskin which is split very thin 14851 Publications with me at that time. She would al- ways help me with my school work, At McNeil Island Federal Peniten- and is also very strong and supple. and she would always make sure I did tiary, I found myself surrounded by Anyway, I became a good technician all my chores and studying. I'm very what seemed to be hardened crimi- and started studying the different grateful to her. And so, I lived with nals—mostly bank robbers. That was ways of bleeding colors together to my sister and my uncles for ten years the most common crime of the in- create different effects. All of the cer- in the south part of India. mates locked behind those walls. emonial/traditional beadwork is done J: Did your sister go to school? However, when I was sent to the with opaque beads and by now I was camp outside the walls I found my- discovering that there were many K: Yes, she went to a Christian school self in the company of drug dealers other types of beads with more ex- in Mysore to get a teaching degree. and white-collar types. citing finishes. I decided one day that When I finished grade twelve, I also I was given a job working at the I would like to do a picture because I moved to Mysore to study there. I dairy, where I milked 165 cows every could see the potential of mixing all started doing my college degree morning and evening. The best part of the different finishes to create a course in economics at the University of the job was that I was now work- more realistic effect. Buckskin was of Mysore at St. Philomeno's College, ing with two Lakota Indians who had too expensive to do a picture of any a Christian college. I stayed there for been sentenced for their part in the size so I decided to use canvas be- - three years, learning about many dif- Wounded Knee incident of the early cause we had a large supply of heavy- ferent things like politics, Indian so- 70s. Wow! These were heroes of mine, duty prison-made canvas at the camp ciology, Indian history.... Meanwhile, as I was a strong sympathizer to their and my friend could get me a large I studied English and Hindi. After I cause. I found them to be very re- piece. graduated from the University of spectful and strong and solid in their I was sitting in my cubicle a few Mysore, I went on to Madras Univer- quiet demeanor. They spent much of days later wondering what kind of sity to do an M.A. in economics. I their time beading on buckskin or on picture I should do. I looked over at lived there in Madras and took classes looms creating ceremonial garb. I was a picture of a Buddhist thangka that for three months. It was expensive in totally fascinated with this work and a dear friend had sent me and it only Madras, though, and I really needed soon asked if they would teach me. seemed natural that I should do a re- some kind of scholarship or aid to ITHACA, Cheyenne Big Crow was the first one ligious piece. Since the beautiful PERMIT U.S. continue my studies there.- The Ti- BULK to take me seriously. He gave me a Green Tara seemed to be saying, betan Education department wasn't PAID loom and showed me how to string POSTAGE "bead me," I decided to do just that. I granting money to M.A. students at NY it, then showed me a few traditional wasn't sure how big it should be so I RATE NO. that time, so I was out of luck... and patterns. Before long, I found myself decided to do a small figure that was 14851 money (laughter). I decided to con- 746 tiring of the limitations of the loom. I large enough to show the detail I felt tinue through a correspondence felt I wanted to do something more a piece like that demanded. The fig- course only. I didn't need to stay in free-form—something with motion, ure I did was a Green Tara about eight Madras to do that, so my cousin sug- or curved lines at least. Big Crow then inches high. With the clouds above (Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 12) His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York City GIFT OF DAILYAILY Pr RAYERS August 12-15 The Gift of Daily Prayers invites you to request Tara and Medicine Buddha prayers for your family, friends and yourself. Public Talk in Central Park; Teachings at the Beacon Theater The Tara prayers help clear away obstacles affecting relationships, economic hardship, fear, and physical and mental His Holiness the Dalai Lama visits 14th, 10:00 AM to Noon, and 2:004:00 organization that contributes directly health. The Medicine Buddha Prayers are done for the sick and New York City August 12-15.