Olympian Drive is important: it’s how the local powers see the future.  At last week’s meeting, at which the Champaign City Council put its imprimatur on the project, City Manager Steve Carter was quoted as saying “this road is probably the most important economic development project in the county that we’ll see in the next 25 years.“

Tarr brings up the ideology of progress that posits farmland as a devalued form of land use – a belief system that leads to planners stating that it’s “just farmland.” He also points out the fact that Urbana’s Common Ground Co-Op has a surprisingly low percentage of local food – surprising given the abundance of fertile soil and water here. Something fairly limited in Southern California, where most of the nation’s organic produce originates.

While Tarr and others seem to conclude that the plan is pretty much a sure-thing, if you’re at all interested in stopping such outdated and shortsighted planning policies, see the list of resources on the Prairie Fruits Farm website.

Seed Swappers

Block By Blockers worked with other community members to produce “Respect Native Hosts” yard signs, in response to attacks on the public art exhibit “Beyond the Chief” by Edger Heap of Birds. See full press release below.

Respect Native Hosts, a grassroots campaign in support of Native American artist’s public art installation

Student groups, local activists, and concerned citizens join today, Thursday, June 25, 2009, with the Native American House (1206 W. Nevada Street) and the American Indian Studies program (1204 W. Nevada St.) on the University of Illinois campus to confront racism with a creative and heartfelt response. The response takes the form of declarative yard signs that read: “Respect Native Hosts: Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Piankesaw,” explicitly showing support for “Beyond the Chief,” a public art exhibit of twelve signs by the internationally exhibited Cheyenne-Arapaho artist, HOCK E AYE VI Edgar Heap of Birds. The “Respect Native Hosts” solidarity yard signs will be available for free at the Native American House until they are gone. Drop by the yard of Native American House (1206 W. Nevada Street) between 10AM and 11AM and pick up yours today!

“Beyond the Chief” was installed along West Nevada Street in Urbana in February 2009 and asks viewers to reflect on political and social histories of central Illinois, especially those related to indigenous peoples. Since their installation, there have been six separate incidents of vandalism followed by the theft of two of the signs, the latter resulting in the June 18 arrest of a recent University of Illinois graduate. Despite these egregious instances of violence directed toward the artwork, there has been little official response from University administrators.

With “Beyond the Chief,” Heap of Birds adapts his text-based artwork, at least in part, to respond directly to the local campus community and the ongoing conflict surrounding the use of the sports mascot “chief Illiniwek” that promoted University of Illinois intercollegiate athletics for 81 years. Though the “chief” was retired as an official mascot in 2007, music and graphics still appear at Illinois sporting events in an unofficial capacity. On each of the twelve “Beyond the Chief” signs, “Fighting Illini” is printed backwards above the words “Today Your Host Is…” followed by the name of an indigenous group such as the Peoria, Kaskaskia, or the Wea, to inspire reflection on those American Indian communities that formerly lived in this region and the complex histories of this landscape.

“One thing I have thought about the ‘Beyond the Chief’exhibit is that it marks in specific ways previously unmarked and unnamed removals, ” said Robert Warrior, Professor and Director of the Native American House and American Indian Studies, and curator of “Beyond the Chief.” “Perhaps the local signs can do the same sort of naming, remembering and respecting the Peoria, Piankesaw, Wea, and Kaskaskia specifically.” Responding to the continued defacement of the artwork, a group of Champaign-Urbana citizens came together to design a reproducible sign to extend the original message of the Heap of Birds artwork to the community at large.

The design for the “Respect Native Hosts” yard signs was created with the input of Warrior and the artist, Edgar Heap of Birds, who expressed appreciation for all efforts to counter negativity towards the exhibit. It is hoped that the yard signs will open up private spaces for public discussion, and quickly show that homes all over Champaign-Urbana are working to build a community based on inclusivity and justice.

If you cannot make it and would like to obtain a sign to promote an anti-racist message in your own yard please contact Sharon Irish, via email: shrnirish(at)yahoo(dot)com  If you would like to donate to the “Respect Native Hosts” project contact Sharon Irish as well. If we receive enough funds, we will print another run of the signs.

Click to download and print postcard PDF.

We are having a garage and plant sale at 706 E. Fairlawn Drive. Proceeds from the sale will go to benefit the Home Birth Safety Act. You can download the postcard which has additional information on it. Please help spread the word, drop off things to sell, or stop by and get some good stuff.

We will also be making an exhibition in our garage (aka Garage & Garden) of images from the Great Unhistoric East Urbana Maple Tree Tap of 2008.

On Groundhog’s Day Eve we, a group of neighbors from Un-historic East Urbana, organized a seed swap at the Common Ground Food Co-op . We wanted the swap to be open to all even if you had never saved seeds before. Kit Condell from Revolution Seeds spoke about the fine art of seed saving. There are many ins and outs if you want to save seeds to reap the same fruit the following year, Kit explained a few. Our group was excited to learn new things about growing.

We were most interested in the idea that seeds should be shared, not patented, and used to grow food every year! Once you start saving seeds and growing, then you can learn more about the ways to cross-breed and preserve varieties, but first you have to start.The 1rst annual Groundhog’s Day Eve was all about getting started. Lisa Bralts-Kelly gave a seed starting demo, complete with a giant lamp fixture, for regular flourescent bulbs-no expensive grow lights nesseccary.

About 60 people attended the event. Folks brought seeds that they had dumpstered, seeds that they had saved from purchased produce, seeds that they had saved from private gardens, seeds from collective gardens, and many more. There were seeds for edibles and non-edibles alike. We can’t wait to do it again next year.

Stay tuned to Blocksteady for upcoming events and info about local food growing and sustainability efforts.

Photo By Bonnie Fortune