Columbus Day is upon us, once more evoking questions about US heritage and how we choose to honor those who contributed to our national heritage. Today more awareness exists about Columbus’ dark history and in several US states and cities Indigenous People’s Day has been created to honor the indigenous history and future of the United States. You’re not here for a history lesson (and we’re not qualified to provide it in this case), but if you’d like to learn more, History.com offers a brief primer on Columbus Day. 

What we can offer is the first of a series of modern and ancient indigenous Artifcts, with useful details about their origins, the concepts and people portrayed, and how and why they were made. As always, we started local, turning to a holy man of Cherokee and Apache heritage and resident of Corpus Christi, Texas, to learn more about indigenous Artifcts he’s been honored with. 

Indigenous "Treasures"

Growing up in Wisconsin farm country, kids would find arrowheads in creek beds and freshly plowed fields. It was not an unusual occurrence in the least, but still special enough to create excitement. Only in preparing this piece for ARTIcles did I learn that indigenous people who come across these artifacts leave the artifacts in place, sprinkle tobacco (“the ancient one,” the oldest of herbals) onto the artifact in blessing, and move on. In modern times, outside of reservation and national park lands, leaving an arrowhead in place would not likely be possible. The better course in these situations is to contact the nearest tribe and share the discovery with them so that they can manage the artifact. 

I share this to emphasize that while a child’s choice to remove an artifact as a treasure is in no way malicious, the act fails to honor the spirit and history of the artifact. Picking up that theme of honoring our past, today we are privileged to share with you two Artifcts from the collection of Larry Running Turtle Salazar. 

In my first 30-minute discussion with Running Turtle I must have encountered themes across a dozen topics I wanted to explore ­about his life and learnings. His casual discussion of his self-described 10-year-pilgrimage into ­­Tibetan Buddhism, including a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Plum Village Monastery in southern France … via an introduction facilitated by Steven Segal … who Running Turtle had studied aikido, his 4^th and final blackbelt, with back in the 90s … is an example of the tangents we found ourselves on and that I wished we could explore further. But today, let’s focus on Artifcts! 

Indigenous Artifcts Old and New 

Don’t tease me. Show me the Artifcts > 

Running Turtle describes himself in part as a wisdom seeker. (In part? He is human after all and lives many realities: artist, healer, parent, entrepreneur, neighbor, author, and so many more.) Through sharing these Artifcts, opening his ceremonies to non-indigenous people, sharing his artistry, he provides us the opportunity to be wisdom seekers, helping to bring rest and truth about the past and future of the indigenous people of the United States. 

Let’s start with the old. The first Artifct is a bust of an indigenous man molded in clay by Running Turtle himself when he was 14 or 15 years old. In this artistic rendering, the indigenous man is crowned with a golden eagle feather ­­war bonnet that is approximately 95 years old. The necklace and pedestal carry with them much longer histories. Read on.  

Modern monument from a master. The second Artifct is also a bust, but this one was created by internationally known sculptor and bronze artist Dave McGary shortly before his passing in 2013. Read on. 

Closing Thoughts

We encourage you to make the choice to learn more about the indigenous people’s history where you live. Or, if traveling in Texas and by luck it’s the last Saturday of the month, be a guest at Running Turtle’s drum circle and experience what may otherwise feel for most of us like lost heritage. Take an active role in preserving history, too, whether it's yours or that of your local community, country, or far-off places in the world.

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© 2021 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It's Fall, y’all. That means college sports are in full swing and students across the country are celebrating Homecoming with their friends and families. Here at Artifcts that means class rings and letter jackets and sweaters along with other school spirit gems. What better way to showcase your school pride and preserve and share memories from ‘back in the day’? (Or maybe it wasn’t that long ago!) 

The Artifcts we are featuring today all have fascinating stories. Each represents a ‘piece of me’ for their respective owners and recalls fond memories of school pride and identity. All also offer a history lesson of sorts, although that was not intentional. The beauty of Artifcts is that you never know what you’ll discover! 

Want to show your school pride? Artifct your class ring, letter jacket, school sweater, or any other school swag and tag it #SchoolSpirit. Artifcts will donate $250 to the top Artifct'ed school as part of the Artifcts Homecoming Challenge! Check out the ones that @Wendy and @Matt have already Artifcted.  

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© 2021 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday was launch day. Today we turn to inspiring entrepreneurs. We’re sharing with you four Artifcts from four entrepreneurs. Meg Willis, Skip Mills, Teresa Smetzer, and Matt Ramsey live colorful lives filled in part by their entrepreneurial endeavors. Each has offered an object, an Artifct, that helps us learn more about their lives as entrepreneurs. 

• Meet Meg whose time on her bike allowed her mind to relax and her to create Good + Simple Wellness. View Artifct.
• Skip's Sky Pilot logo came from his passion for flying and now adorns his custom woodwork. The logo is also representative of many of his life and career choices, from mechanical engineering, piloting aircraft and commanding troops in the Air Force, to managing an applied university research lab. View Artifct.
• Teresa has spent a career addressing national security missions in one way or another from her positions as a civil servent and corporate executive. View Artifct.
• Meet Matt, whose father’s mortality crystalized for him the perils of waiting and the need to act now to change how he could give back to the world and simply be a cool dad. View Artifct.

Entrepreneurs as a group take risks, but to do so they themselves must first be inspired to set off into that world. Sometimes it is the people in their lives and other times events outside of them that provide that spark, but no matter the inspiration, we find there is also some physical representation of that choice – an Artifct. 

So, today, we celebrate all of you entrepreneurs! What objects in your lives speak to your entrepreneurial experiences and dreams? Start free or sign in to create your own Artifct and tag it #entrepreneursunite.

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© 2021 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.