Keith Secola says Island is a soul sanctuary

20.8.08

We are on Madeline Island in the village of LaPointe where musician Keith Secola, the Anishinaabe artisan is preparing to perform at Tom's Burnt Down Cafe on behalf of Winona LaDuke. LaDuke uses the event to help raise money for several of her projects back on the White Earth Ojibwe Reservation.

LaDuke had presented earlier in the afternoon at the Madeline Island Museum were she talked about renewable energy, wind turbines and social responsibility in use of the earth's resources and it just happens to be her birthday. Secola, who has provided back-up for LaDuke for the birthday bash performance is ready to go with his "rebel music" and the islanders have crowded the dance deck.

You have gardeners, farmers, and social elite all standing together on a warm summer evening and they are talking about the present condition of the earth, social change and politics - some are just plain kicking back as well.

Secola has a few minutes before performing so we ask him his thoughts about his visit to the Island in this five minute digital clip. He wishes LaDuke "happy birthday" in our first take, but the recorder is not on, so we start over.

Secola says the work that LaDuke is doing is important, and he loves to come back to the Island each year to visit friends and relatives. He is staying on the southern end of the Island at the home of historian and anthropologist Tom Venum and Tom does a couple of interviews on wild rice, Lacrosse and his new book about Bill "Bineshi" Baker that is just out, while we sit on his outdoor deck.

Labels: Alternative Energy, Anishinaabe, Art, Winona LaDuke