a a aa) “INSIDE “COMMUNITY “EVENTS B2 CHARLYNN TOEWS On being orange ne day, about twenty years ago, ait elderly gentleman came up to the till where I toiled as a cashier in Reimer Pharmacy in Steinbach, Manitoba, He paid for his purchase then looked at me augrily. ‘Why you paint your hair like that??’ he demanded. He was, I think, exercising his prerogative — nay, bis duty — as an elder of the community to point out the error of young people’ s ways, in this case, he thought, dycing otje’s hair. I am what is commionly referred to as a red- ' bead, although it’s certainly not my whole head that’s red, just my hair, and in any case, it’s not red so much as, say, orange. For example, if you have your basic cight-colour box of crayons, you could use yellow for blondes, and brown or black for brunettes, but the crayon best suited for my hair would be orange. Auyway, there | was behind the counter in Reimer Pharmacy with my mouth agape. I was shocked at the man's vehemence, his righteous indignation, when I was the one who was false- ly accused. He was sure be was right, he had no doubt, which means he thought the colour of my hair so odd it was obviously not natural. I felt defenseless because, as you know, it is very dif- - ficult to prove you have not done something as your evidence is thal there is no evidence, He walked away, shaking his head. I stuttered a denial at his receding back: ‘‘Na, I didn’t, na...”” then added, much more loudly, okay I yelled (and J still wonder at my choice of words today), ‘You can ask my dad!” ] mean, although my dad was a man of many “varied interests and wide-ranging -expertise, hairdressing was not one of them. What was I thinking? Did ] imagine my accuser would turn around and come back to the counter and phone ny dad right then and there? ] suppose I thought I'd hear the man say, “Oh, you’ve known her since birth and she’s always looked this way? I'm so sorry,” Wouldn't life be simpler if we could fell what people’s characters were like Just by looking at them? Of course, thinking about this exchange over .. the years, | have come up with much better ‘retorts. Snappier, much more culling and clever, beautiful rhetoric to show him how wrong he - was. I could have said, ‘‘Well, never un- {. derestimate the power of Mother Nature,’’ That’s .a good one. Or how about, ‘Well, ] gucss you haven’t got much faith in God if you think He can’t come up with such an amusing hue all by Himseif.’’ Having had twenty years to ponder what I did say, | have concluded that I must have been ap- ”_pealing to familial authority. And I was using my middle-aged father as a link between that old Mennonite and myself, a member of the younger generation, with ine not even under- _ Standing low German, only temporarily at home to finance semesters of sociology in the city. More recently, in the line-up at Copperside, a mature woman of my acquaintance commented on my little boy’s colouring, ‘He's going to have some temper with that red hair,’’ she said, Hoo bay, Now, having had this same comment directed at me for decades, ] bad a practiced and in- telligent answer ready, But ] was thrown off guard by the sting of having that negative stercolype flung pell-mell at my innocent toddler. Nonetheless, I kept my cool and said, ‘Wouldn't life be simpler if we could tell what people’s characters were like just by looking at them?’ Either she didn’t catch what I said, or perhaps I was not as calm as I recall and-had said it though gritted teeth. .. “Well, you have a temper, dou’t you?" she asked. By this time it was my turn and J distracted by the clerk, “‘No, I do not,’ I said to her over my shoulder. Then my sweet little angel started pulling down cartons of candy and yanking on my kice so T had to tend to him, the clerk, and the woman, who was saying, “Yes, you do." “No, Ido not!’? [ said, I admit with a bit more , emphasis than was strictly ilecessary. as + Oh, tnaybe we did charge out of the store, maybe we. did raise some dust exiting the park- ing lot, 1 don’t remember, Let me tell you, it isn't casy being orange. . Masks goin THE SHED is a place where niasterpieces are created, It’s where world Tenowied carver Dempsey Bob just finished carving two masks that are going on display in the Vancouver [n- - ternational domestic terminal, Two other B.C. native art- isis, Rober! Davidson and Richard Hunt, were also commissioned for the air- port’s sky, land and sea ex- hibit, Bob, a Airport's Tabiltan-Tlingit from Telegraph Creek, was: asked to create artwork for the land theme, He made two enormous - masks, on which he com- bined twa images, the hu- man being and the bear. “What's happening to the bear is happening to the en- viroument,’’ Bob said, ex- plaining why he chose that: specific land animal. ‘The bear is a part of my crest, tao.” He carved a human being because of the special rela- tionship bumans have with the environment, The masks, which were created from the same red cedar tree, pieces of work. The bold, round features of the bear and human are: exact. And the sparse use of colour Bob uses on the eyes, mouth and flared nostrils is striking. What’s really remarkable aboul the masks is their size. Bob has never made masks this big before — the largest mask is seven feet Jong and the smalfer_one is five feet long.. “T don't know if anyone has done masks this big be- . fore,”” he said. “‘It's been a are powerful’ challenge for us.”” Bob has had help from his nephews, well-known north- west coast carvers Ken McNeil and Stan Bevan, and Titus Auckland. MeNeil said working on the masks has been difficult because large pieces of wood contain different stresses, “The wood can crack,” McNeil said. “‘It’s very. tricky. You have to care- ful.’’ ; _ Bob said he chooses to do things he’s never done be- fore to keep his artwork evolving. “You've got to keep learning,” he said. ‘'In art when you step learning, you’re finished.”’ He said he’s done so many things that if it’s not a chal- lenge he doesn’t want to do it.- Bob tries to respond to the heavy demand for his work, but he said all the travelling involved is difficult. Last year he promoted his artwork in Evrope, Japan and all over the United States. Last May at the re- opening of Canada House in London, England, which displays a collection of 18th Century and contemporary Inuit and native masks, he met the Queen, Bob said he's happiest when he’s home in north- western B.C. because he’s inspired by the people and the land. “Nobody bothers us here,”’ he said. ‘You need time to be creative.’"' Bob_said he carves to keep his people’s art- alive, He has been teaching others since 1972, Public speaking event a success By KEN ADAIR THE SHAMROCK 4H Club and the boots and Saddtes 4H Club recently held club and district-level public speaking contests, Placing first at the Junior Club Level for the Shamrock 4H Club was Joshua Durand with his speech on ‘My Ac- cident.’ * Brendan Bode placed second. For the Boots and Saddles 4H Club, Ellie Bone was first with her speech entitled “Me at 52.’? Heather Lorenzo placed second. Three of these Juniors competed at the Skeena District level, with Joshua Durand placing first, E}- lie Bane second, and Heather Lorenzo third. At the Senior Level, the public speaking theme this year was ‘‘Safely.”? For the club level public: speaking, Doug Adair placed first with his speech about “Lawn Mower Safely,’’ aud Phillip Durand placed second. _ Kirsten Muller was the top public speaker for the Boots and Saddles Club, with her speech, Dayna Siddall was second. “Horse Safety,”’ These four senior speakers competed al the Skeena Dis- trict level with Doug Adair placing first, Dayna Siddal sec- ond and Phillip Durand third. Doug and Dayna will be pro-. ceeding on to the 4-H Regional Public Speaking Contest to be held in Kilimat Feb, 27, Nine volunteer judges helped to make these events a great success. Donations from local businesses provided — prizes for all club participants. TAKE THAT: Marge Drahorad practices defense - moves with R.A.D, instructor Sheila McDonald. SECTIONB ALEX HAMILTON 638-7283 MASTER CARVER: Northwest coast artist t Dempsey Bob declined to say how much his two masks, which will be displayed In the Vancouver airport, are worth. “As well as carving, wood, jewelry in silver and gold — biankets. and produces drawings, silk- Bob designs aud cngraves screen prints and button “Art is my life,'’ he said, “Its what [ do,”’ ARROGANT WORMS * Friday, March 5 *§ p.m. * R.E.M. Lee Theatre. * Tickets are available at Erwin’s in the Skeena Mall. THE WORMS are com- ing! Not the Jong, slim, slimy wriggling kind of worms, but the funny, musical, Arrogant Wornis. The three man comedy troupe, Which calls itself . (be Arrogant Worms, Wit be performing bere March 5. Playing guitars, sing- Comedy team coming WORMS: Mike McCormick, Trevor Strong and Chris Patterson are wriggling into town. ing silly songs, ad- and clean libbing and even line dancing, the Worms are propriate for any venue. The Worms are regu- guaranteed to entertain, larly heard on CBC harmonies. Their songs range radio = programs like They ave four albums from acoustic rock to Basic Black and lo their name: The Ar- gospel, Although their — Nightlines. rogant Worms, Russell's humour can be absurd, Their performances Shorts, C'est Cheese, their language is always have a reputation . for and Live Bait and ap- their high energy, bril- liant lyrics, playful wit and wonderful ]- senior citizens learn to protect themselves YOU’RE NEVER too old to learn how to defend yourself. Take it from the 14 senior citizens, all women over the age of 65, who took the RA.D, (Rape Aggression Scif-Defense) course this month at the Happy Gang Ceutre, These women leammed to kick and punch where it counts. They also Jearned how to escape from choke holds, wrist grabs and how fo gel away when pinned to. the ground, “It’s goud to know that if anyone grabs you, you know a few tricks to get free,” said sixty-five-year-old Marge’ Drahorad, who was the youngest woman in the group. Drabozad said she wanted to learn sell- defense moves to boost her self-esteem, “Pm not worried about. being attacked,” "she sald. ‘But ] want to know what lo dovin : Case ¢ somelhing happens.’ She said often attackers prey on elderly people because scnior citizens won't fight back, “Just the fact that we've taken the coarse Incans we're going lo walk with our heads up and not act like victims,” she said, Drahorad said she's noticed a change in her friends since they’ve taken the course, “Others have got more self-esteem and more conlidence,’’ she said, Sheila McDonald, R.A.D. instructor, said wonel offen are empowered after learning how to defend (hemselves. Senior citizen. Tina Brouwer said she feels safer now that shic knows how la pro: tect herself.” If anyone Is interested. in laking ‘the R.A.D. course; which is free, contact the Tertace Wonien' s Resource: Centre for registration dates... - The course is for wonen only.