Hondo Mesa and Midnight Mike at WCC (short video)

Here's a short clip of me and Midnight Mike playing at the Westcott Community Center on February 13, 2010 performing "You Lied To Me," during the Second Saturday Concert Series. This video was shot by Yuri Borovsky. Thanks Yuri.

Michelle Kinsey Video Guide Muncie Weekend 4/8/10

Where did my sister get all these puppies and kittens?

Native Teen Needs Hard to Find Bone Marrow Donor

Native Teen Needs Hard to Find Bone Marrow Donor from David Grewe on Vimeo.

Native Teen Needs Hard to Find Bone Marrow Donor

by Doug George-Kanentiio


Taylor Matt was an energetic teenager who had endured chemotherapy at age 12 and was entering her senior year at Cazenovia High School where she planned to carry on playing field lacrosse while studying hard for college and perhaps becoming a nurse like her mom Debra. She was also a role model for her younger sister Jessie and much admired student to her many friends.

Taylor's dad, Jeffrey, is a carpenter who coaches lacrosse, a game with deep roots within the Onondaga Nation. Jeffrey has played the game with his Onondaga relatives and took pride in Taylor's skills on a defense, a position which requires a high degree of proficiency with the stick and a willingness to get tough before the goal.

Taylor was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) one of several forms of the disease and unusual since it normally effects older people. It is marked by fatigue, swelling of the gums, anemia, bleeding, bruising and shallow, labored breathing. The white blood cells explode in number and consume the red, leaving the body prone to infections. Chemotherapy works in most cases, as it did for Taylor five years ago. The doctors were successful in restoring Taylor's health and were optimistic that after five years she would be liberated from the cancer.

Last August, while working at the New York State Fair, Taylor collapsed. When she was examined at the hospital the doctors found that the leukemia had returned. Since then Taylor has been in the Golisano Children's wing at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse,NY but now she must have a bone marrow donor is she is to survive.

There are over 7,000,000 people registered as bone marrow donors which, under normal circumstances, would be good news for Taylor since she is young and athletic. But Taylor comes from a family which has not only Onondaga but German and Irish roots which makes the donor process more complicated. She has been told she needs a Native American donor ( or one of mixed Caucasian-Native ancestry) exclusiveof her immediate family. Since less than 2% of all donors are Native the chances of locating that perfect match is difficult.

Natives have not had much success battling leukemia. Not only do most reservation dwelling Natives have limited access to health services but only 20% of those who need bone marrow transplants actually find a matching donor.

This is further qualified by the high rates of diabetes among most Natives since diabetics who take insulin are excluded from becoming donors as are those over 60 years of age or anyone who has had cancer, heart disease or HIV. Non-insulin taking diabetics, or those with pre-diabetes, may join.

This did not deter Taylor's family, friends and community from initiating bone marrow donor drives throughout the region. Clinics were held at Onondaga and Oneida territories in which hundreds signed up for the initial test which consists of four swabs of the inner cheek and, once the questionnaire has been completed, takes less than 10 minutes for the entire process.

Donor drives are planned for other Iroquois communities with the assistance of the Wiliam G. Pomeroy Foundation, a central New York organization whose president is a leukemia survivor. The Foundation has enlisted the help of Joanne Shenandoah, the GRAMMY winning Oneida performer, to spread the word through a series of radio and television commercials to be disseminated throughout the northeast.

Meanwhile, Taylor has been able to go home for short periods, to be with her high school class. She will not be playing with her club team for the Ethix league or wearing the Cazenovia High School uniform this season but as aggressive as she was on defense she will be with leukemia. She is grateful for those who have tested to become possible donors and is optimistic that somewhere in Native country there is the perfect match.

For more information about leukemia or to arrange a donor drive contact: www.giftoflifeonline.org ; or call Paula Miller at the William Pomeroy Foundation at 315-476-300 ext.2576.

Doug George-Kanentiio is the former editor of Akwesasne Notes, was a member of the National Museum of the American Indian Board of Trustees and is the author of "Iroquois on Fire". He resides in Oneida Castle with his wife Joanne Shenandoah.

Michelle Kinsey Video Guide for the Muncie Weekend 3.3.10

Here's my sister Michelle Kinsey's video feature "Get Out: Your Weekend Guide (03.03.10). She's good. Way to go sis!

Brian Francis performs "Little White Dove"

Hondo Mesa Records Recording artist, Brian Francis, performing "Little White Dove" at Blue Frog in Cortland, NY (3/5/10). Video from Fuzzacious via his YouTube channel.

Photos Hondo Mesa and Midnight Mike

Hondo Mesa and Midnight Mike played at the Wescott Community Center in Syracuse, NY as part of the Second Saturday Series music concerts sponsored by Folkus. Christiane Marthe Pagé captured us on video doing our original, "You Lied To Me." Thanks Christiane.

Also at the show was photographer, Juan Junco, snapping away. He generously gave us permission to post some of the images on the blog and twitpics. Thanks Juan. We love these shots. Please come to the next gig and do your thang!

Cowgirl Museum & BBQ demo

Hello Friends,
Hondo Mesa and Midnight Mike hit the recording studio about 1 month ago. Here is one of the tunes we recorded. We just got it back from mastering process. How's it sound to you?
Best regards.

Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces coming to Syracuse

"Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces From the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales" is hitting Syracuse, NY on October 9, 2009. I can't wait. Here is a clever video that the Everson Museum produced to promote the exhibit. Clever.

Midnight Mike Petroff Blues Harp

Here is a short clip of my friend, Mike Petroff, showing my children a little blues harp on August 25, 2009. Mike came over to discuss HondoMesa & Midnight Mike gigs, rehearsal schedule, etc. This boy can play!

David Hajdu on The Cobert Report (June, 2008)

My friend David Hajdu appeared on The Cobert Report (June 11, 2008) discussing his latest great book, "The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America."

One of David's best received quotes, during the show, was directed at Cobert, "you're kind of a miracle of consistency, but in the natural world things change."

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
David Hajdu
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

New Film By Anna Pera

The latest film by my friend, Anna Pera, features the music Sumus Vicinae Flamma Flamma from the album, Flamma Flamma The Fire Requiem. Please enjoy Expulsion from Paradise featuring Anna Pera and Clyde Slade.