Lost Nation: The Ioway

Ioway Artist/Writer Lance Foster Appears with "Lost Nation: The Ioway" in Helena, MT January 24

Lance Michael Foster, Ioway artist, scholar & writer.

Ioway artist and writer Lance M. Foster will appear with the award-winning documentary Lost Nation: The Ioway on Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at Plymouth Church, 400 South Oakes, Helena, Montana.

A member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Mr. Foster created original art, provided extensive interviews, and served as a scholar and consultant on the award-winning documentary series Lost Nation: The Ioway 1, 2&3 (2007-2013)--produced by Emmy-nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films.

Lance Foster sits for an on-camera interview for Lost Nation: The Ioway 1.

In addition, he served as a consultant and appeared in the award-winning documentary America’s Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie (2005) produced by documentary filmmaker David O'Shields.

Lance is a celebrated artist and the author of The Indians of Iowa (Bur Oak Books) and Sacred Bundles of the Ioway Indians.  He has a B.A. in Anthropology/Native American Studies from the University of Montana, an M.A. in Anthropology, and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University.

He currently teaches fine arts, archaeology, and environmental ethics as adjunct faculty at the University of Montana-Helena. He also researches sacred landscapes and the paranormal.

Mr. Foster will take part in a Q&A session following the special free screening of Lost Nation: The Ioway 1 at the Plymouth Church in Helena, Montana on January 24, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.  For more information, call 406.442.9883.  The event is sponsored by Rev. Dick Weaver and the Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC.

For more information about Lance M. Foster visit: http://lancemfosterstudio.blogspot.com/.  Visit http://ioway.nativeweb.org/index.htm for information about the Ioway.

To purchase the Lost Nation: The Ioway 1 DVD or pre-order Lost Nation: The Ioway 2&3, click HERE!

The Ioway Indians and "Les Misérables" - How are They Connected?

Courtesy Universal.

The separation between the new hit film Les Misérables and the Ioway Indians isn't six degrees.

It's Victor Hugo.

Hugo's French historical novel Les Misérables was published in 1864 and the fictional story he told starts in 1815 and ends in 1832 with the June Rebellion in Paris.

But how and where do the Ioway and Victor Hugo intersect?

In 1844, fourteen Ioway Indians and an interpretor set sail for Eurpope.  In England they ran into their old friend, artist George Catlin.  Catlin was traveling with his Native American portraits and a group of Ojibwe.  But the Ojibwe were gone and Catlin asked the Ioway to join his exhibition.

Hugo first met the Ioway after their arrival in France and later attended the funeral of the wife of Ioway Little Wolf.  His baby son and his best friend Roman Nose also died while the Ioway were in Europe.

Catlin published a two-volume account of his European travels entitled Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Being Notes of Eight Years' Travels and Residence in Europe with his North American Indian Collection.

It's hard to watch Les Misérables without recalling similar depictions of extreme poverty observed by the Ioway during their time in Europe.  Catlin documents the generosity of the Ioway who he said gave "...many pounds sterling..." to the poor they encountered on the streets.

More details regarding the Ioways' dramatic trip to Europe are featured in the new historical documentary films Lost Nation: The Ioway 2 & 3.

Preorder the new Ioway films here: http://iowaymovie.com/dvd.htm