 Pig's
Eye Parrant Returns!
Retired voyageur, illegal whisky trader
and inadvertent founder of the City of St. Paul (first called Pig's
Eye Landing), Pierre Pig's Eye Parrant is back!
What Stories Does He Tell?
Pig’s Eye tells about his life in the fur trade, and the lives of James Aird and the two Grey Clouds in a lengthy narrative which Duke Addicks wrote down and has made available as part of this web page. This is the most complete account of the life of Pig’s Eye Parrant published and made available anywhere. (PDF)
After the narrative, Duke lists the sources he uses when he tells about the fur trade era, especially those sources that provide information about Pig’s Eye, who was quite a character.
The narrative is interesting reading, and may be duplicated if proper credit is given to Duke Addicks as noted on the beginning of the narrative.
Pig’s Eye himself is available to tell his stories, just contact Duke Addicks for details about his appearances. You can call Duke at 651-643-0622.
Click here for Duke's
Flute Player Page
Eagle
News: Keller Lake Eagles Rebuild!
On July 10, 2008, a severe windstorm
blew away the nest the Keller
Lake bald eagles had built and
been using for four or five years.
After the storm, we were amazed
to see the two young flightless eagles still in the same
location where their nest had been, perched in the tree
waiting for their parents to bring them fish. The parents
did bring food for several weeks until the young
eagles achieved adulthood and flew away on their own.
The parents remained in the area,
just as if their nest was still there, and they have
rebuilt! Most of us feel the tree was unsuitable for
an eagle’s
nest. True, it was taller than the neighboring trees
and close to Keller Lake and Sucker Lake which have abundant
catfish, one of an eagle’s
favorite foods.
But the tree is slender and appears
to be dying. The eagles bond to each other and to the
nesting site, so they are back and have built a very
fragile looking nest, not at all like the large, first-year
eagle nests we see being built in many other locations.
They will lay their two eggs, take turns incubating them
and raise one or both of the young eagles to adulthood.
They grow from a three- ounce chick to a ten-pound adult in twelve
weeks, so it seems like all the male eagle does is go catch a fish,
bring it to the nest, and go catch another one all day long.
I’ll
be watching them on a more or less regular basis, usually
from an hour before sunset until sunset on Wednesday
evenings starting in April. See elsewhere on this page
for the location of the spot where they may be safely observed, away
from the superhighway traffic which flows just beneath them, and
to which they seem oblivious. Directions
to Keller Lake
Watch eagles at Keller Lake with Duke.
Last updated on
9/1/09
Duke
Addicks’ Powerful Presentations have fascinated hundreds
of audiences of adults and older children.
Read
comments about
Duke by other storytellers
Duke's Powerful Presentations include:
Bagpipes
used by Scottish fur traders and Native American
Indian drums and flutes are often played by Duke
as part of his storytelling.
He begins each presentation by playing a conch trumpet in a ceremony calling the Powers in the West, North, East, South, Earth, Sky and the Self to be present.
Invite
Duke to tell his stories at your group’s next meeting, special
event, festival, campfire or outing.
Contact Duke at
(651) 643-0622
or by email at
dukeaddicks@earthlink.net
About Duke Addicks
References
Publications
Native American flute information
Mississippi River Overlooks
Links
Visit Living History Worldwide
Friends
of the Minnesota Valley
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Events Calendar
Friends of the Mississippi River
Friends of the Upper Mississippi River Refuges
National Eagle Center
More Upper Mississippi River information
The Raptor Center
Effigy Mounds
Ramsey County Historical Society
For more information about storytelling and storytellers: visit Northstar Storytelling League and Northlands Storytelling Network
Duke plays his Great Highland Bagpipes
on the steps of Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
Duke playing "Indian Blues" on
a Conch Shell Trumpet on stage at the Conference of the International
Native American Flute Association, August 2006, accompanied by Dr.
Michael De Maria on drums.
Directions to
Keller Lake
From
Highway 61 turn west at the first set of stoplights north of
Highway 36, onto County Road C. Go west to the lake and turn
south (left) at the T onto Keller Lake Parkway. Follow the Parkway
to a stop sign and go left and park in the Spoon Lake fishing
area parking lot. Walk east fifty yards along the lakeshore to
the viewing station. |
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Duke Addicks playing Celtic/Indian
jazz while the Thunderdrum rests.
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Explore
This Website!
Invite Duke to
Play his blend
of ancient melodies and modern jazz on native American style flutes,
and
Tell flute legends
and lore. The emphasis can range from just flute music, to flute
music with some tales between the tunes, or flute stories illustrated
by flute music. Click here for Duke's Flute Player Page
Experience
Watching eagles with Duke
Duke's upcoming programs that are open to the
public
A Native American flute circle
The Conference of the International
Native American Flute Association (Duke's presentation/performance
is on playing Celtic tunes on the Native American flute)
Learn
Find
useful information about
The Fur Trade Era from Pig’s Eye Parrant: a lengthy narrative about his life and the lives of James Aird and the two Grey Cloud Women. (PDF)
Watching bald eagles: their habitats throughout the year
The Native American flute and its music
How
high are the Mississippi River overlooks from St. Paul to
Dubuque
The two Grey Cloud women who dominated the fur
trade on the Upper Mississippi |
THIRD FRIDAY STORYSHARING
WITH DUKE ADDICKS AND HIS
NORTHSTAR STORYTELLING FRIENDS
AT POLLY’S COFFEE COVE.
Polly’s Coffee Cove is at 1382 Payne Avenue in St. Paul, between
Maryland Avenue and Wheelock Parkway. Phone 651-771-5531
March 20, 6:30
pm
A World Storytellng Day Event and a Celebration of Spring Equinox
hosted by Duke Addicks with Special Storytelling Friend for March,
Pam Schweitzer.
THIRD FRIDAY STORYSHARING is a re-occurring event, every
third Friday of the month, beginning at 6:30 pm with Duke playing jazz
and blues on Native American Indian flutes as people gather.
Then after
Duke and his storytelling friend of the month demonstrate storytelling,
Duke will host at least an hour of storysharing (open tell). Stories
should be on the monthly theme, which in March is Spring. Duke will
always open with a story about an event, that changed the course of
history, in the life of an American Indian who lived or is associated
with Polly’s neighborhood, the Phalen Creek chain of lakes, which
emptied into the Mississippi at St. Paul.
Each month a different one
of Duke’s Northstar storytelling friends will also be asked to
demonstrate storytelling. Northstar members who want to share a seven
minute story on the evening’s theme should just show up and sign
up to share.
THEMES FOR SPRING AND SUMMER 2009 THIRD FRIDAY STORYSHARING WITH
DUKE ADDICKS EVENTS AT POLLY’S COFFEE COVE.
April 17, Eagles. Duke
will share the legend of The Girl Who Married an Eagle Duke’s
friend should demonstrate storytelling through one or two stories
about eagles.
May 15, Thunder and Storms.
Duke will share a personal story. Why Thunder is His Friend. Duke’s
friend should demonstrate storytelling through one or two stories
about thunder or storms.
June 19, Summer Solstice Celebration.
Duke will share The Boy Who Built the Medicine Wheel. Duke’s
friend should demonstrate storytelling through one or two stories about
summertime.
July 17, Native American Indian Music.
Duke will share The Boy Who Dreamed the Flute.
August 21 Drum. Duke
will tell Tailfeather Woman and Her Gift of the Dance Drum. Friend’s
stories should be about drumming, a drum, something drum related.
September 18, Fall into Winter.
Fall Equinox. |
Native American Indian
Flute Music and Stories
Duke’s authentic Native American
Indian stories illustrate the spiritual background
and the mysterious gift of the flute. Duke
gives voice to his flutes with his unique
music — a blend of ancient Native American
Indian melodies, Celtic and other modal tunes
from many different cultures, and blues and
jazz. His breath enables the spirit that
lives within the flute to sing. More |
Duke Addicks is a member of the International Native
American Flute Association, and was honored
to give a general session presentation /
performance of Native
American Flute Tales and Tunes at the International Native
American Flute Association's 2006 Annual
Conference in San Francisco.
Duke is once again honored to make a presentation
at the 2008 conference of the International
Native American Flute Association in Eau
Claire, Wis., July 9-11, 2008, on Playing
Celtic Tunes on the Native American Flute. For conference
information, click on the logo above. The
list of performers and presenters is truly
impressive and the conference fee for attending
is very modest.
Click here for Duke's Flute Player Page |
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Duke's
Native American Indian Tales CD
AVAILABLE NOW !
 THE
TWO EAGLE STORIES on the hour-long
CD are the following:
Burnt
Face (also called Scar
Face). Centuries ago this young
man followed an eagle and built
the solar observatory we call
the Wyoming Medicine Wheel.
Fawn. This
young woman, whose village was on
a tributary of the Minnesota River
at Kaksiza Sica, or Sica Hollow,
near Sissiton, South Dakota, survived
the Great Flood and married Big Eagle.
They are the ancestors of all of
the Dakota Indian people, perhaps
of us all. Pipestone is the flesh
turned to stone of those who died
in the flood. The Thunderbirds who
brought the flood waters are the
guardians of the Pipestone Quarry
in Minnesota.
Duke's
next two CDs entitled Who Haunts
Here: true ghost stories of the Upper
Mississippi River, and Who Haunts
Me: personal ghost stories of a ghost
hunter, are in production and will
be sold by Duke and should be available
by May. Click here for Duke's Flute Player Page |
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Who Haunts Here?
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Duke
tells true ghost stories selected from
the hundreds of hauntings by American
Indians, explorers, fur traders, pioneers
and the recently deceased, that he has
investigated throughout Minnesota, Iowa
and Wisconsin, and also tells about his
own encounters with ghosts.
“Duke
is without a doubt the Minnesota
Master of real ghost stories. He
makes the stories of ghosts seem
natural and believable.” - fellow
storyteller
Duke's audio CD
containing several of his best personal
ghost stories will
be released in the spring of 2009.
Please watch this space for details. |
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Watch
Eagle Nests With Duke
Current
Eagle Nest-Watching programs
Honor
the Eagles!
Watching
Wild Eagles in the Minneapolis/St.
Paul Area
Watch
Eagles with Duke
Wednesday
evening eagle watch at Keller
Lake
Most
Wednesday evenings, April through
August, 2008
One hour before sunset to sunset
Watch
the Keller Lake eagles that nest
on the south side of Highway 36
and west of Highway 61 in Maplewood,
Minn. directions When
bringing a group, contact Duke
at 651-643-0622 beforehand to make
sure that he expects you. |
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Fur
Traders James Aird and Pig’s Eye Parrant tell the story of
The Two Grey Cloud Women
Two Mdewakanton Indian (Dakota Sioux) women,
mother (1765 to 1844) and
daughter (1793-1849),
both named Grey Cloud
Whose Lives Changed the Course of Upper Mississippi
River History (an island in the Mississippi bears
their name)
more |
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James Aird, portayed by Duke Addicks,
stands in the yard of Aird's 1770s house near Prairie du Chien,
Wisconsin. This is the oldest structure in Wisconsin still on its
original location.
Duke Addicks, portraying James Aird, tells
an audience of 200 people at Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien,
Wisconsin, to not forget Zeb Pike.
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Duke Addicks
portrays Scottish-born fur trader James Aird who tells
stories about his own Mississippi River adventures and those of his wife, Grey
Cloud; his brother-in-law, Chief Wabasha; his
protégé Ramsey Crooks, who would eventually lead the American
Fur Company; his partner Robert Dickson, who led the Indians in their
efforts to keep the Upper Mississippi in British hands during the War
of 1812; his partner Murdoch Cameron, whose ghost may still haunt the
far shores; and his other partners, including Archibald Campbell, who
was killed in a duel due to an argument with Dickson.
Aird also tells the stories of Zebulon Montgomery
Pike and Lewis and Clark.
More |
Don't
Forget Zeb Pike!
Duke tells the true
story of this extraordinary young hero of the Upper Mississippi.
At the same time Lewis and Clark were searching for the source
of the Missouri, Pike was sent to search for the source of
the Mississippi, to establish sites for forts in the Northwest
frontier and to establish peace between the American Indian
tribes. By the time he was made a brigadier general in 1813
at age 34, Pike had become a national hero and was so highly
regarded as a military leader and explorer in his own time
that, had he not met an untimely death, he likely would have
become our nations President.
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