Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner; Photo courtesy National Geographic

As spring looms on the horizon, so does National Geographic Live’s new season. For the third year in a row, the National Geographic Museum is offering WeLoveDC readers a monthly chance to enjoy one of their premier events. We’re giving away two pairs of tickets to readers and entering is simple. Look through the great programs coming up in February and pick two you’d like to attend. Then in the comment field, simply enter your choices. (Make sure you use your first name and a valid email address!) Winners for February will be chosen at random in the afternoon on Tuesday, January 31.

All programs (unless otherwise noted) will take place in Grosvenor Auditorium at 1600 M Street, NW.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.nglive.org, via telephone at (202) 857-7700, or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 am and 5 pm. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for all programs that begin after 6 pm.

Uncovering Hidden World ($20)
Tuesday, Feb. 7; 7:30 pm

As a staff photographer with National Geographic, Jodi Cobb has worked in more than 60 countries—celebrating the best of the human spirit and spotlighting some of its worst abuses.

She is best known for lifting the curtain on worlds closed to outsiders, such as Japan’s geisha, Saudi Arabian women, the grim underworld of human trafficking. Experience a retrospective of her most important work as she also shares images and stories from her most recent assignment, a story on twins for the January 2012 issue of National Geographic.

Dennis Luxion-Michael Raynor Quartet; Photo courtesy National Geographic

The Rhythm Road – American Music Abroad (Free; No Tickets Required)
Thursday, Feb. 9; 6:00 pm & 7:15 pm

The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is designed to foster cultural exchange worldwide. Between March 2011 and February 2012, ten talented American jazz, urban, gospel, blues, and roots music artists will visit Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. International tour activities include concerts, workshops, demonstrations, and collaborations with local musicians. The program also incorporates free performances by each group at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and for National Geographic Live.

6 pm: Ari Roland Jazz Quartet This New York-based group takes inspiration from the Golden Age of Jazz. The ensemble’s repertoire includes pieces by jazz legends Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday, as well as their own original compositions.

7:15 pm: Mountain Quickstep Combining the bluegrass, and early country music of the Adirondack,Appalachia, and Smoky Mountain regions, this group showcases the diversity of American rural music, through lively fiddle tunes, lonesome folksongs, and fancy footwork.

A Portable Life ($20)
Friday, Feb. 10; 7:30 pm

Travel writer Pico Iyer brings a unique perspective to the issues of cultural globalization. His essays appear in National Geographic Traveler, Time, and Harper’s, and he has authored a dozen books, including The Open Road: The Global Journey of the 14th Dalai Lama. Join Iyer and Traveler magazine’s Don George, former Global Travel Editor of Lonely Planet Publications, for a conversation about the challenges and rewards of letting yourself be vulnerable in foreign places.

Conquering the 14 ($20)
Monday, Feb. 13; 7:30 pm

A decade ago, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner worked as a nurse saving money for cherished climbing trips. In August 2011, she became the first woman to summit the world’s fourteen 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen with her daring climb of K2, to be featured in the April 2012 issue of National Geographic. Meet this intrepid mountaineer and share her odysseys to the world’s highest places.

Jim Davidson; Photo courtesy National Geographic

Global Glimpses: Foreign Language Film Nominees ($8 per Film)
Feb. 17 – 19; times vary; check www.nationalgeographic.org/allroads for titles and schedule

Join us for elite screenings of the five films nominated as Oscar® winners for the 2012 Best Foreign Language Film Award, one week before the 84rd Academy Awards ceremony. All screenings include receptions before or after the films.

The Rhythm Road – American Music Abroad (Free; No Tickets Required)
Thursday, Feb. 23; 6:00 pm & 7:15 pm

The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is designed to foster cultural exchange worldwide. Between March 2011 and February 2012, ten talented American jazz, urban, gospel, blues, and roots music artists will visit Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. International tour activities include concerts, workshops, demonstrations, and collaborations with local musicians. The program also incorporates free performances by each group at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and for National Geographic Live.

6 pm: Dennis Luxion / Michael Raynor Quartet This Chicago group plays original, hard-swinging jazz inspired by saxophone improvisation, from introspective solo explorations to powerful group performances.

7:15 pm: Legacy From East Orange, NJ, this group creates music about faith, love, struggle, and the pursuit of beauty in life. Legacy’s alternative hip hop sound is influenced by various genres of music including West African, house, jazz, and breakbeat.

The Ledge ($20)
Wednesday, Feb. 29; 7:30 pm

Descending from the summit of Mount Rainier one day in June 1992, Jim Davidson fell through a snow bridge, dragging his climbing partner with him into a hidden 80-foot deep crevasse. Davidson’s new book The Ledge, named one of Amazon.com’s Best Outdoor & Nature Books for 2011, tells the dramatic story of how he witnessed his partner’s death and survived the fall, making an impossible climb up a sheer ice wall.

I’ll admit, I struggled a bit trying to figure out what to write a “Best of…” article around for this week. Sports? Covered. Food? Taken. I had to look deeper than the usual fare: what was it about DC—and about WeLoveDC in particular—that I really enjoyed over the past year? I realized that one of the perks we have is the slew of interview opportunities we’re given for the site. So why not look at some of the more interesting interviews we’ve done over the course of 2011?

Often, I find that through the glimpse of someone else’s eyes and perspectives, we’re given a mirror to gaze into our own lives and see where we are, what we’re missing, and what we can hope to achieve. We wrote quite a few interviews and features on people who live, work, and/or visit the DC area this year and I wanted to take a moment and point out some of the ones that really stand out. I hope you take a moment to dive into these great features and either revisit some old friends, or find your own inspiration to make a better 2012.

Chef Allison Sosna of DC Central Kitchen. Photo by Marissa Bialecki.

First off, there’s Capital Chefs: Allison Sosna of DC Central Kitchens. I admit, I love reading about people who do inspiring things and help others in our community. I completely forgot about Marissa’s interview of Chef Sosna until I was looking through our past articles and remembered that she was also on a November episode of Chopped on Food Network.

Dedicated to helping kids form a better relationship with food and healthy eating, her mentoring of the DCCK chef staff and commitment to the organization’s mission is something of note.

Michael Darpino had a chance to get a few words from the tight-lipped Henry Rollins back in February, scoring an interview that was very lively to read. Not one for a lot of words, Rollins spoke volumes about himself and his views of life with his clipped answers. Through that, we were treated with a glimpse into his mind and methods.

Probably the more odder interviews I’ve had in quite a while came from Annie Jacobsen, author of a new book on Area 51. The assertions and “revelations” in her latest work (Russian midgets in a saucer!) were definitely eyebrow raising. And of course, the discussion of secret programs and other projects at the classified area in Groom Lake, Nevada is always fodder for the water cooler.

"Standing with Japan"; courtesy NCBF

My interview with National Cherry Blossom Festival President Diana Mayhew back in March revealed just how complex planning for the DC’s annual tradition can be. The Festival heavily relies on volunteers to make things happen and the upcoming 100 year anniversary is no exception.

The NCBF battles weather and bloom forecasts each year but found itself facing a different challenge in 2011 because of the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan. Mayhew and her team went into overdrive to collect donations of all kinds for the affected people and still managed to present our area’s beautiful blooms to visitors and locals alike.

Back in August, Chris caught up with Jason Mendelson, the “Metro Music Man.” Around here, Metro usually invokes images of packed platforms, late trains, and constant misery. But for this Alexandria resident, our transit system was the inspiration for a series of songs, a musical mission to encapsulate the flavor of every station on the circuit. Fascinating stuff.

Rachel’s self-interview about the National Mall is also worth a mention. Written more as an introspective into her own memories of the Mall and the Lincoln Memorial, it causes us to pause and reflect on our own pathways to the present. How many of us have places in this city that gives us similar pause? And how much have we changed since we first laid eyes on them?

‘Metro Blogger Roundtable’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

As I mentioned earlier, Metro is one of this area’s most confounding organizations. A necessity for many and convienence for others, it is most identified as a source of commuter headache. Back in February, WMATA named Richard Sarles their new CEO, and Samer had a chance to sit in on a “blogger roundtable” with the new chief. Their discussions gave a semblance of hope to all of us at a time when the agency was embroiled in fare hikes, route changes, and other issues. It’s a very interesting look at the man who inherited a mess of a transit system, and what his game plan would be moving forward.

Probably one of my most interesting and fun interviews this year was one with Emil Her Many Horses of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Conducted during a preview of the museum’s newest exhibit (A Song for the Horse Nation), it was both educational and personal. To discover a thread that weaves not just an individual life, but that of community and society, is an epic journey we should all strive to undertake. Our lives are more colorful and vibrant for it.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the many glimpses we’ve given in these and other people’s lives over the last year. We look forward to new faces, new voices, and new opportunities to share, educate, and inspire in 2012. Have a great New Year!

The Capitals won their first game in regulation under new coach Dale Hunter, and their second victory since the bench boss’ debut. Like the last win, this one came against the Ottawa Senators. We’d also like to take a moment to welcome back Alex Ovechkin, whose goal last night was reminiscent of seasons past, when he actually played like a superstar.

The game wasn’t an easy win; the Caps had to rack up four goals in the third period in order to finish the comeback. But a win is a win right now, with the Caps having stumbled their way down the Southeast Division standings.

The good:

• Ovechkin showed up on the score sheet after a five game drought; he scored on a beautifully skilled play in the third period to give the Caps a 3-2 lead.
• Returning veteran Jeff Halpern knocked in his second of the season, putting the Caps on the scoreboard.
• Troy Brouwer had his second Gordie Howe hat trick of his career, assisting on Halpern’s goal, scoring the team’s fourth marker, and taking on Jesse Winchester in the first period.
• Nicklas Backstrom’s power play goal in the third ended an 0-for-24 slide in the special teams department; it was also the team’s first road PPG in over a month.
• The Caps had 44 shots on goal.

The bad:

• Inconsistent play kept Ottawa in the game, even late in the third.
• The Caps still racked up the penalties, giving the Senators seven chances throughout the game (not counting Brouwer’s fisticuffs).
• The power play still sputters; the Caps had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:47 in the first period but failed to take advantage of it.

The quote:
“I glad [sic] we got the win and of course it’s nice it to get a goal, finally. Last couple of games I tried to score, but this time it worked.” Alex Ovechkin, on ending his goal drought.

The Washington Capitals dropped another game in their latest skid, losing to Southeast Division rival (and current leader) Florida. The Panthers held off a late-game rally by the Caps for a 5-4 victory and now lead Washington in the division by seven points.

The loss is the team’s ninth out of their last 12, and third in four games under new coach Dale Hunter.

The good:

• The Caps played a solid 20 minutes. In the third period, but still – they almost pulled out a win.
• Jason Chimera’s scoring touch continues; he tipped in a John Carlson shot with 1:44 remaining in the game, sparking some spirited (but fruitless) Caps play. Mike Knuble, Cody Eakin, and Brooks Laich also scored. Captain Alex Ovechkin had four…hits.
• The Caps held Florida to six shots on goal in the final frame.

The bad:

• Penalties. The Caps got a lot of them early, and Florida capitalized with 3 PPGs in the game.
• The Caps power play is now 2 for 50 in the last 13 games. They failed to convert the two chances they had last night.
• The team continued its inconsistent play, waking up only in the third period and putting in a solid effort to force a comeback. Too little, too late.

The quote:
Brooks Laich (via Tarik El Bashir): “It’s not acceptable to play hockey for 20 minutes and not execute for the other 40. We’re not here to try, we’re to win.”

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Hunter played 19 seasons in the NHL, appearing in 1,407 games and tallying 1,020 points (323 goals). He is one of only four players to have their numbers retired by the Capitals. The new coach, recently of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League, will make his bench debut tomorrow night as the Caps host the St. Louis Blues.

Under his guidance, the Knights won their first Memorial Cup Championship in 2004-05. Hunter is the fastest head coach in OHL history to record 300 and 400 career bench wins; he also possesses the highest winning percentage in league history with a record of 451-189-23-24 (.691) in his 11 seasons with the team.

We wish the new coach well in jump-starting the Caps back to their winning ways; he definitely has his work cut out for him.

Winnipeg Jets winger Evander Kane scored twice against Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth and shut down captain Alexander Ovechkin en route to a 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in Manitoba, Canada.

The good:

• Alexander Semin scored the lone Caps tally early in the first period.

…and that’s about it.

The bad:

• The Caps blew a 59 second 5-on-3 power play in the second period that could have turned things around after the Jets’ scoring spurt that saw three goals in just under five minutes.
• Ovechkin had five shots on the night but remained scoreless for the third consecutive game. His current season tally of 7 goals, 14 points is a career low after 17 total games.
• The third period was insipid.

The quote:
“The best way to slow it down is to score a goal,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “The best way to stop a crowd from cheering is to not making stupid mistakes in your own zone and giving them opportunities to score.”

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This Friday at 4:30 pm, the International Spy Museum, in cooperation with the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, is hosting an event on Stalin-era espionage. The free event includes the opportunity to view unique artifacts from the life of one of the Soviet Union’s most famous spies, Dmitri Bystrolyotov, as well as a chance to interact with the Museum’s historians and several panel experts.

Dmitri was the Soviet Union’s real life James Bond, earning a reputation as one of the greatest Soviet Spies of all time. He was a sailor, doctor, lawyer and artist recruited by Stalin for his dashing good looks and ease with languages to seduce secrets from willing targets during the 1920s and 30s. However, after falling out of Stalin’s favor, Dmitri was sentenced to the Gulag for 16 years.

‘F Street – Rendezvous – 01-31-11′
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

In this behind-the-scenes event you will see powerful artifacts from Bystrolyotov’s life in the Gulag donated by his family, including:

• Winter Gloves – The winter gloves that Bystrolyotov wore in the Gulag.
• Wooden spoon and cigarette holder – that he bartered for in the Gulag and then decorated himself.
• Manuscript – An account of Bystrolyotov’s adventures in Africa, handwritten in the Gulag in a combination of ink and iodine taken from the camp infirmary.
• Self-portrait – made in iodine.
• Typescript – Entire first volume of Bystrolyotov’s memoirs with handwritten author’s corrections.
• Copper ashtray – hand made in the shape of a goat from Bystrolyotov’s desk.

Guests have a chance to meet the Museum’s Historian and Collections Manager, Mark Stout, and hear from a panel of top experts on the subject of Stalin’s spies, including:

• Prof. Emil Draitser, author of Stalin’s Romeo Spy, is Professor of Russian, Department of Classical and Oriental Studies, Russian Division, Hunter College of the City University of New York.
• Stephen Schwartz, is a well-known journalist and independent scholar and author; his books include Intellectuals and Assassins: Writings at the End of Soviet Communism and Sarajevo Rose: A Balkan Jewish Notebook.
• Prof. Susan Weissman, is Professor of Politics at Saint Mary’s College of California and hosts a weekly drive-time radio program on KPFK in Los Angeles. She is the author of Victor Serge: The Course is Set on Hope.
• Peter Katel, is a veteran journalist who previously served as Latin America bureau chief for Time magazine, in Mexico City, and as a Miami-based correspondent for Newsweek and The Miami Herald’s El Nuevo Herald.

This special afternoon concludes as speakers, staff, and guests continue the discussion over drinks with complementary light appetizers just around the corner at the Riot Act Comedy Theater.

The International Spy Museum is located in Penn Quarter at the corner of 8th and F Streets, NW. The closest Metro is Gallery Place/Chinatown, which services the Red, Yellow, and Green lines. For more information, call the museum at 202.393.7798.

A beat-up Capitals squad hit Nashville last night and stumbled out with a 3-1 loss to the Predators. Don’t let the score fool you; the game remained scoreless for over 55 minutes. Early in the third, Troy Brouwer wristed a perfectly-placed cross-ice pass from Marcus Johansson past Preds goalie Pekka Rinne and the game looked like it would finally break open in the Caps favor. Thirty seconds later, Martin Erat solved Tomas Vokun and it went downhill from there. Colin Wilson’s game-winning goal came with less than 30 seconds on the clock, and Shea Weber’s empty netter five seconds later was the nail sealing the coffin.

The good:

• Tomas Vokoun was stellar for most of the evening. Stopping 28 of 30 shots, he was in top form with some specatular saves.
• The Caps second line (Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich, Alexander Semin) accounted for 14 of the Caps 40 shots.
• Marcus Johansson and Cody Eakin continue to shine on the third line.

The bad:

• The power play went 0-for-3; the team has the 7th-best power play in the league.
• The Caps are now 1-3-1 in their last 5 and 3-5-1 since their red-hot start.
• The team dominated through two solid periods but once Brouwer’s goal tallied in, it seemed like there was a complete shift in tone. Erat’s tying goal came when the Caps thought there was an offsides but with no whistle, the Predators played on. As a result, Erat scored. The Caps never seemed to recover from that momentary lapse and the Preds made the most of it.

The quote:
“I think guys are as upset as I’ve seen,” said Mike Knuble. “That was frustrating. We really battled to get that lead. They tied it right away, but the least we should have done was force overtime.”

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After the debacle against the Dallas Stars last week, the Washington Capitals needed a rebound. Coach Bruce Boudreau punished the team with some nasty practices and in the first of this home-and-home series against the New Jersey Devils, it seemed to have made an impact. The Caps finished strong in their 3-1 victory at Prudential Center.

The good:

• The Caps overcame a sloppy and slow first half of the game, erasing the Devils’ early lead with a couple of opportunistic goals by Alex Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson.
• The game turned in the second period after some solid and consistent play by the Caps kept the Devils from capitalizing on any opportunities.
• Jason Chimera’s game-winning goal was a combination of power and grace, plowing through a pair of Devils and outskating Devils’ rookie Adam Larsson to the goal mouth, then faking goalie Martin Brodeur to snap home a shorthanded goal. It’s easily the pivot moment of the game.

The bad:

• Alexander Semin had just over 8 minutes of ice time in the game, with only 16 seconds coming in the final 35 minutes. Semin took a 2 minute hooking call halfway into he first period.
• The first period start was hideous for the Caps, who took only 3 shots in the first 19:50.
• Mike Green, who had just returned after missing six games with an ankle injury, went down late in the first period in a collision with New Jersey’s Ryan Carter. According to the Caps, the injury is not the ankle and Green will likely be out short-term.

The quote:
“If you look through history, and I wouldn’t want to do the calculating, but when you score a shorthanded goal in a tight game, that team almost always wins,” said Coach Boudreau when asked how important Chimera’s shorthanded goal was.

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The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian opened its doors this past weekend to a new exhibition, “A Song for the Horse Nation.” The exhibition, nestled on the third floor of the museum, tells the epic tale of the how the return of the horse to the Americas changed Native culture, from lifestyle to war to art and beyond. “For some Native peoples, the horse still is an essential part of daily life,” said exhibit curator Emil Her Many Horses (Ogala Lakota). “For others, the horse will always remain an element of our identity and our history. The Horse Nation continues to inspire, and Native artists continue to celebrate the horse in our songs, our stories, and our works of art.”

To walk the exhibit’s path is to walk side by side with the conjoined path of Native and horse. Though horses were introduced to the Native Americans relatively late in North American history—the early 1700s saw the initial widespread explosion of the horse from captured Spanish mounts in the southwest—the image of Indians astride these graceful animals is one that is common to modern Americans. The “Horse Nation” quickly entwined themselves with Native communities, forever altering tribal culture and the Indian way of life.

The Smithsonian’s exhibit seeks to give us a view into that not-so-distant past. But it’s more than just a simply history lesson: subtly but surely, “A Song for the Horse Nation” reveals how interwoven both horse and man became among 38 tribal communities from the Plains and Western United States. The horse was more than a beast of burden or a tool; the animal became a part of Native culture that still resonates among the people today.

‘beaded coat’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

It opens with historical context, showing the arrival of the horse to the North American continent from as early as the 1500s. Believed to have returned to the continent after evolving and moving westward through Asia and Europe, the horse made its return among the exploratory ships of the Spanish and British. The first appearance of the horse was quite the shock to the native peoples and helped the Spanish to quickly overcome any opposition. Natives had never seen an animal that could carry a person and many struggled to come up with a name for the new creature. Many Native names for the horse ended up being a derivative of “dog” such as the Cree’s “big dog” (mistatim), the Lakota’s “mystery dog” (sunkakhan), or the Blackfoot’s “elk dog” (ponoka-mita).

Natives quickly turned their fear of the horse into desire for them. In 1680, the Pueblo Uprising opened up the floodgates as hundreds of captured Spanish horses were traded to nearby tribes. The horse population quickly expanded north and east across established tribal trading networks. Historians often note that as the acquisition and absorption of the horse moved west-to-east, the rifle’s debut and spread among Indians moved east-to-west. By the time of the country’s western expansion in the 1800s, both rifle and horse were fixtures among the encountered Native communities.

‘DSC_0014′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

The exhibition quickly recounts the historical narrative, however, moving from scholarly education into that of cultural definition. By the time of America’s expansion into the West, horses had made their mark among the Indians. Their likenesses decorated shirts, dresses, tipis, blankets, and toys. Because the Native perspective sees creation around them as a partner in life rather than an obstacle to overcome, the horse was a fellow creature to share the land with. It’s grace and beauty were respected and honored by Natives; to own a horse was a mark of prestige and blessing. The practice of “giveaway” became an honored tradition and a symbol of wealth. Owning several horses was one thing; generously giving them away in times of ceremony and to those less fortunate was the ultimate gesture in prosperity and humbleness.

Of note is the lengths the exhibition goes in pointing out the importance of horse capturing to these communities. Young men would often go out either solo or in small groups and raid an enemy’s encampment through taking horses. Several artifacts on display show a warrior’s personal record or stories to that effect, decorating their blankets or clothing with these heroic exploits. A young man who could return to the camp with a captured horse received praise and honor from family and friends. Horse capturing was elevated to an art form. And there was no greater honor for such a young man to return astride such a prize and then give it away to a widow or other unfortunate member of the community. Such actions manifested the man’s generosity of spirit, as well as his bravery.

When seen from this point of view, it isn’t hard to page back through the history books in our minds and remember the stories taught about “Indian horse thieves” and how it was a scourge upon the Western colonists. From the white man’s viewpoint, it was breaking the law. From the Indian view, it was a cultural norm. These contradictory viewpoints were but a part of the constant conflict that clashed repeatedly between the ever-expanding Americans and the Natives of land.

‘cree saddle beadwork’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

Even as the West was lost and the reservations became the norm, the horse never left the Native communities. By the 1900s, the horse was irrevocably tied to Native culture, honored in beadwork and drawings in both art and personal belongings. Though many horses were confiscated by the U.S. government (such as the vast herds of the Nez Perce), they remained an undeniable part of the community. As the exhibition winds through the last days of the frontier and the ends of the Indian Wars, the horse is seen more in cultural symbols and traditions of the tribal communities than as a weapon of war.

It becomes obvious that the cultural shift remained permanent. Even as the reservation lifestyle forever altered Indian ways, it did not sever the connection Natives had to the horse. More and more, Native peoples honored the horse through their beadwork and crafts, creating elaborate decorations and ornamentations for use in celebrations, parades, and powwows. The Smithsonian’s exhibition blooms at the end with artwork from the turn of the 20th Century through the modern day. Contemporary artwork using traditional methods such as beadwork and quillwork, as well as ceramics and oil painting, still convey the respect and honor Natives have for the horse. At the very end, a short film highlights the Nez Perce’s continued efforts to rebuild their horse herds through the Young Horsemen’s Program, which seeks to preserve the Appaloosa made famous by their ancestors. Their dedication to not just breeding but in respecting the animal speaks volumes of the attitudes of many tribal communities today.

By showcasing modern artwork through everyday items such as martingales and blankets, masks and paintings, the exhibition ties together and drives home just how important the horse truly is to Native culture and relevance. It is a syncretistic blend of the old and new, adaptation and growth, and a shining example of the spirit of today’s Native people. The Horse Nation is alive and well because of their efforts and will remain an integral part of the history, culture, and understanding of Native America for generations to come.

A Song for the Horse Nation will remain open through January 7, 2013. The National Museum of the American Indian is located at the corner of 4th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. The closest Metro station is L’Enfant plaza, servicing the Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Green lines. For more information, visit the museum’s website. You can see some of the items in the exhibit on my Flickr site.

out of the earth / I sing for them
A Horse nation / I sing for them
out of the earth / I sing for them,
the animals / I sing for them.
~a song by the Teton Sioux

Emil Her Many Horses is, by first appearance, a quiet, unassuming gentleman. A museum specialist in the office of Museum Programs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), he is responsible for the facility’s latest exhibition “A Song for the Horse Nation.” A member of the Ogala Lakota nation of South Dakota, his expertise on the Northern and Southern Plains cultures is well served and seen in the exhibit that opens to the public tomorrow.

NMAI’s latest offering is a touching and brilliant display of how the horse has deeply impacted and affected Native cultures since their introduction to the Americas in the 17th century. “The exhibit tells the history of the horse; that they were here once before, migrated to Europe, and returned as the horse we know today,” explained Her Many Horses. “They changed Native culture. The horse had a major impact on hunting, warfare, travel, spirituality. These were big changes.” Changes that extend beyond the European vision of the animal.

Seen as a beast of burden, a tool, a weapon, the horse was brought and used by European explorers and colonists early in America’s “New World” history. And their introduction, according to many Natives, was probably one of the biggest positive changes brought about by the white man.

Emil Her Many Horses, NMAI Museum Specialist (photo courtesy NMAI)

Exploding across the Plains after the Pueblo Uprising in 1680, the value of the horse was readily apparent to many tribes. Their acceptance quickly altered the very fabric of tribal life and culture as Natives admired the animal’s grace, beauty, bravery, and determination. “When American Indians encountered horses—which some tribes call the Horse Nation—they found an ally, inspiring and useful in times of peace, and intrepid in times of war,” said NMAI Director Kevin Gover (Pawnee). “This exhibition shows how these splendid creatures came to represent courage and freedom to many tribes across North America.”

“The horse really became a fellow creature that lives with us,” explained Her Many Horses. “They are a comrade, ally, friend. What we try to establish is a relationship with a fellow living being, something that really reaches into the realm of companionship, as opposed to that of a simple tool or resource.”

That relationship can be seen in Her Many Horses’ own family history. The name is Lakota and that of his paternal great-great-grandmother. “More accurately, the English translation would be ‘Many Horses Woman,’ meaning she owned many horses,” he said. When the first census was made on the Ogala Lakota reservation in South Dakota, her name became the family’s last name. The census takers, however, had mistranslated “Tasunka Ota Win” into English as “Her Many Horses.” And so it stuck.

‘DSC_0123′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
Among the Lakota, horses were a measure of wealth, but not in the traditional European sense. To the Lakota—and many other tribes—a more important demonstration of wealth came from giving away horses or other items in honor of a family member. Possession was not as important as generosity. Horses could be given away at naming and memorial ceremonies, or at giveaways, which celebrated anything from the return of a war veteran, honoring a graduating student, or the marriage of a daughter.

In the exhibit is a piece familiar to Her Many Horses. It is familiar because he made the toy painted tipi himself. “I made it to talk about the origins of my last name. It shows a woman—my grandmother—surrounded by many horses. To me, it became an honorable name to have.”

The opening of the exhibit is exciting to Her Many Horses. An expansion of the original exhibit at NMAI’s New York City George Gustav Heye Center location, this one adds an additional 15 major objects. One of the centerpiece displays is a 19^th century 38-foot round tipi that stands 16 feet tall. Cavorting across the surface are 110 hand-painted horses, both with and without riders, all in full gallop. “The tipi is Hunkpapa-Lakota, showing horse raiding and battle scenes all along the outside,” said Her Many Horses. His glee at being able to set it up for visitors was evident. “If you look at the drawings, you can see who’s the enemy. It’s Lakota versus the Crow—you can tell because of the hairstyles. It’s kind of a war record of the warrior who lived within.”

‘DSC_0023′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
The tipi was a challenge for the staff to set up, taking them four afternoons. “We knew it had been re-sized, plus it wasn’t being set on open ground but a slick display surface,” he said. It’s safe to say the effort was worth it; the tipi is an exquisite testimony to how personal the horse was to one individual in the tribe; a sentiment still shared across the Native landscape today.

Other objects of life and culture of the Plains tribes decorate places of honor in the exhibit. “We included pieces that are associated with famous people, such as the rifles of Geronimo, Chief Rain-in-the-Face, Chief Joseph,” said Her Many Horses. “And we have photographs of many of these people, showing that link between the object and the person.” These placards are entitled Honor In the Name, introducing them to visitors and providing a glimpse of past lives to those in the modern day.

But primarily, the horse dominates. So entwined into the lives of tribes, they are the subject of beaded artwork on tipi bags, shaped into dance sticks, decorate jackets. Objects of everyday use with the horse, such as saddles, saddlebags, and horse masks, are given individual touches of color and life, providing an intimate look into the relationship between the owner and the animal. “I want the public to walk out of there understanding not just how the horse revolutionized Native life, but how that thread continues even today,” Her Many Horses said.

‘DSC_0096′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
Bridging that gap of history to the modern, Her Many Horses invited Native artists to create their own contemporary art for the exhibit. He believes it’s critically important to show that continued thread of relationship still impacts Native life in today’s world. “We may no longer depend on the horse for travel, for hunting, for warfare – but it’s still important to us, our culture.”

To that end, NMAI will celebrate the opening of its new exhibit with a variety of events on Saturday, October 29. Partnering with the Washington International Horse Show, celebrating its 53^rd year through this weekend at the Verizon Center, both WIHS and NMAI are providing free programs and activities at both locations. (A free shuttle will run between the museum and the Verizon Center on Saturday only.)

Central to Saturday’s events is a presentation of the U.S. and Crow Nation flags on horseback between Crow equestrian and artist Kennard Real Bird and the DC Mounted Police. Following the presentation, K.J. Jacks of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma will sing the U.S. national anthem. The presentation will happen in the museum’s outdoor Welcome Plaza.

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courtesy of ‘bhrome’

Award-winning bead worker and porcupine quill worker Juanita Fogarty Growing Thunder (Assiniboine/Sioux), whose own art is displayed within the exhibition, will hold demonstrations throughout the day. Children will be able to “dress” a full-sized horse mannequin using pieces that simulate many of those in the exhibit. S.D. Nelson (Lakota/Standing Rock Sioux), a children’s book author and illustrator, will host special storytelling sessions and lectures for both kids and adults.

It’s a jubilee worthy of the exhibition, and one that Emil Her Many Horses and the museum’s staff have worked tirelessly to bring together. It’s a celebration of the horse through many pathways, one that gives a glimpse into the history, life, and culture of many of the 38 Native communities represented.

‘beaded horse mask 1′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

In the exhibition’s companion book of the same name, Her Many Horses points out one particular piece that succinctly symbolizes the power and value of the horse in the Native community. A beautiful and elaborate Lakota horse head cover is on display. Covered in exquisite designs among a glimmering background of white beads, the cover was used at a 1904 Fourth of July parade at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Alone, it is a fascinating work of art in geometric design and stitching.

What stands out, however, is that it appears to have been made with the intention to be recycled later on as different objects. A critical Native eye can discern where a pair of women’s beaded leggings could be fashioned from the “face” of the horse. A pipe bag, from the “cheeks.” Tipi bags (or, “possible” bags, because pretty much anything possible could be stored inside them) and moccasins could also have been made from the upper and lower neck areas.

The resourcefulness of the artist is evident; fortunately for us today, never followed through. The union of gifts never passed on and remains a delicate and intricate symbol of traditions brought together through the celebration of the horse. It stands as a beaded and colorful declaration of the art and the grace of the animal.

To Emil Her Many Horses, it is an expression of life and of culture that will hopefully never fade. “The Horse Nation continues to inspire, and Native artists continue to celebrate the horse in our songs, our stories, and our works of art.” With the opening of this latest exhibit, Her Many Horses honors his Lakota roots. Through the blend of art and artifacts, stories and characters, community and culture, he presents the public a valuable gift worth more than a simple object. He gives away to all of us a view into part of the past, the present, and the future of Native America.

And that is a song worthy of the Horse Nation.

A Song for the Horse Nation opens on Saturday, October 29 and will remain open through January 7, 2013. The National Museum of the American Indian is located at the corner of 4th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. The closest Metro station is L’Enfant plaza, servicing the Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Green lines. For more information, visit the museum’s website. WeLoveDC will have a full review of the exhibit on Monday; you can see some of the items in the exhibit on my Flickr site.

Photo courtesy National Geographic

For November, the folks at the National Geographic Museum have put together some great programs before the holidays, including photographers, authors, and speakers. If you’d like to win a pair of tickets to an November program, simply list the two events you’d like to attend in comments before 2pm Friday, October 28. Make sure you use a legitimate email address and your first name. We’ll contact two winners (as determined by random.org) Friday afternoon.

If you’re interested in attending one of these events, visit NatGeo’s website or their box office (800-647-5463), located at 17th and M Street, NW. Keep in mind that parking in NatGeo’s underground lot is free for any programs beginning after 6 pm.

Lost Gold of the Dark Ages: The Mystery of the Saxon Hoard ($20)
Nov 1, 7:30 pm

In July 2009, amateur treasure hunters searching with metal detectors on a Staffordshire farm made an amazing discovery: hundreds of precious gold and silver objects from the seventh century. The trove of treasures and battlefield items remains England’s most important Anglo-Saxon archaeological find—a time capsule revealing new stories from when Germanic invaders were laying modern England’s ethnic foundations. Join us for a screening of the New National Geographic Channel film Secrets of the Lost Gold, followed by a panel discussion including Caroline Alexander, author of the new Nat Geo book and magazine article about the discovery, David Symons from the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, and Deb Klemperer from the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

Mattias Klum; photo courtesy National Geographic

The Genographic Project Update ($18)
Nov 2, 7:30 pm

Since 2005, Dr. Spencer Wells, Nat Geo Explorer-in- Residence and director of the Genographic Project, has led scientific teams in collecting and analyzing DNA samples from hundreds of thousands of participants, creating a genetically based map of human migration from our African beginnings 60,000 years ago. Get an up-to-the-minute report and look over the horizon at the next steps to be taken in this groundbreaking research.

The Unconquered: Brazil’s People of the Arrow ($20)
Nov 3, 7:30 pm

In 2002, National Geographic sent journalist Scott Wallace into the recesses of Brazil’s Amazon to track an indigenous tribe—the People of the Arrow. Hear his gripping first-person account of adventure and survival as described in his new book: The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes.

Being There ($20)
Nov 5, 7:30 pm

Get breath-stopping perspectives on Earth’s most glorious vistas—the Okavango Delta, Iceland’s glaciers, and the rain forests of Southeast Asia—with one of the greatest natural history photographers of our time, Mattias Klum. His incomparable work earned him a medal from the King of Sweden. Through his lens, marvel at the beauty of our planet captured in striking new photographs and high-definition video.

The Soldier’s Sketchbook ($18; discount for military and veterans available)
Nov 8, 7:30 pm

Joseph Farris in his new Nat Geo book A Soldier’s Sketchbook: From the Front Lines of World War II tells the story of life in the foxholes as a young Army photographer, before becoming a renowned cartoonist, whose work has appeared on the cover and in the pages of the New Yorker magazine since 1971. Farris will converse with Anthony Swofford, author of the critically acclaimed Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles.

Photo courtesy National Geographic

The Big Idea: Who Lives? Who Dies? ($20)
Nov 11, 7 pm

Why do only certain species survive? How can our growing knowledge of genomes reveal a deeper understanding of Life’s cycles and secrets? Hear a conversation between Martin Chalfie, 2008 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, who pioneered using a fluorescent protein to track cancer, and Nat Geo emerging explorer Beth Shapiro, who uses ancient plant and animal DNA to study evolution. Nat Geo Weekend host Boyd Matson moderates.

Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr ($16)
Nov 12, 1 pm

Take a thrilling ride through the world of wildlife with Brady Barr, reptile expert and host of the National Geographic Channel series Dangerous Encounters. The first person to capture all 23 species of wild crocodiles, Brady has risked his life to preserve some of the world’s most amazing animals. Go behind the scenes with Brady and hear about his most exciting adventures.

Ocean Soul ($20)
Nov 14, 7:30 pm

Using his camera to tell the oceans’ stories, Brian Skerry has spent more than 10,000 hours underwater, often in extreme conditions. His images celebrate the mystery of the depths and offer intimate portraits of elusive sea creatures. Join him for a journey beneath the waves with images from Ocean Soul, a landmark retrospective of photographs published by Nat Geo Books with support from Conservation International.

The Untold Civil War ($20)
Nov 16, 7:30 pm

Marking the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, distinguished historian James Robertson’s new Nat Geo book, The Untold Civil War: Exploring the Human Side of War, offers compelling new stories behind the traditional battle narratives. Dramatically illustrated with archival images and contemporary photography, Robertson’s talk will deliver surprises at every turn.

On the Trail of the Tiger ($20)
Nov 30, 7:30 pm

Steve Winter is an award-winning wildlife photographer known for innovative technology and his uncanny ability to get up-close images of the world’s most elusive animals. He recently traveled through India, Sumatra, and Thailand to document the dwindling population of Asian tigers. Winter’s powerful and moving images of these beautiful animals will appear in the December 2011 issue of National Geographic.

Many in the hockey world saw last night’s match-up between our Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers as a heavyweight showdown. In one corner, the undefeated Capitals who’ve won despite stretches of sporadic play and missing superstars. The other, a rebuilt Flyers squad looking to prove their makeover wasn’t just for show.

And then enters Alexander Ovechkin. Consistently successful against the orange-and-black, Ovie didn’t disappoint as he helped the Caps blow the game wide open and stuck the Flyers with their first regulation defeat.

The good:

• The Caps remain undefeated in one of the team’s better starts in recent memory. They are the sole Eastern Conference team without a regulation loss; the Detroit Red Wings remain the sole undefeated team in the West.
• Alex Ovechkin slammed home two goals (one in the power play) after only netting one in his last five games.
• Mathieu Perreault continues to shine, getting the Caps’ first goal (unassisted) in the opening period and assisting on Roman Hamrlik’s first goal of the season in the third.
• Goalie Tomas Vokoun is proving he’s the Caps’ number one netminder, stopping 40 of 42 shots thrown at him.
• The Caps beat the Flyers. That’s always a good feeling…

The bad:
It’s hard to find anything to really nitpick about with this game. If we had to jump on something, then going 1 for 6 on the power play would be it. But seriously, the Caps looked pretty solid last night – and they beat the freakin’ Flyers.

The quote:
“He’s not going to go through the season with one goal, one deflection,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “At some point he’s going to score some goals – it’s Alex Ovechkin.”

Whenever the Capitals take on the Penguins, the game is always an intense roller-coaster ride from start to finish. Last night’s contest in Pittsburgh was no different. The Caps squeaked out a 3-2 overtime win despite being dominated much of the game.

The good:

• Forwards Alexander Ovechkin and Mike Knuble both posted their first goals of the season. Both players seem to come alive whenever this rivalry is in play. It seems this always-intense rivalry finally got Ovechkin’s motor running. The captain had one goal on three shots and collected five hits and a +1 on the evening.
• Goalie Tomas Vokoun showed a much better side of himself, stopping 39 of 41 shots. He kept the Caps in the game in the first and third periods while the rest of the team lagged.
• The Caps penalty kill shut down four of five Penguin power plays.
• The lone power play for the Caps came in overtime. Dennis Wideman cracked in a nice Nicklas Backstrom pass from the slot. The goal is Wideman’s second of the year.

The bad:

• The Caps were woefully outshot, 41-19. Their best period was the second, where they clearly dominated center ice and sustained great offensive pressure.
• The team did not put in a full 60 minutes. A particularly poor third period allowed the Pens to maintain constant pressure and eventually score, forcing the Caps into overtime for the third straight game this season.
• Troy Brouwer’s holding call with just under 5 minutes left in the third was a bad penalty near the defensive blue line and gave the Pens the chance they needed to tie the game up.
• Jay Beagle came out on the wrong side of a brief fight with Arron Asham, going down after two quick blows from the Penguin forward. Beagle left the ice trailing blood from his face; his status is currently unknown.

The quote:
“Jay got popped a pretty good one,” said coach Bruce Boudreau of Beagle’s fight. “He was playing a really good game, and challenged a pretty tough customer. He got tagged a good one.”

Pneumatic Mail Container; photo courtesy Smithsonian Institution and the National Postal Musem

Today’s Smithsonian Snapshot looks at another method of mail delivery that dominated the early 20th century metropolitan landscape: the pneumatic mail container.

In the late 1890s, networks of pneumatic tube systems were installed under city streets to move the mail. Each pneumatic tube canister could hold up to 500 letters. The canisters, also known as carriers, were air compressed through the system, traveling in a spinning motion at an average of 35 miles per hour. At its peak productivity, 6 million pieces of mail traveled through the system daily at a rate of five carriers per minute.

In 1893, the first pneumatic tubes were introduced in Philadelphia; in 1897, the service started in New York City. Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis also eventually incorporated the system. By 1915, six cities (including Brooklyn) had more than 56 miles of pneumatic tubes pulsing under the streets.

During World War I, the Post Office Department suspended the service to conserve funding for the war effort. After the war service was restored in New York and Boston. By the 1950s, it became clear that the end of pneumatic tubes was in sight as increasing mail volumes and changing urban landscapes made it impractical. While post offices and businesses moved with relative ease, the underground pneumatic system did not.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

A first glance at the title “Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks” would probably invoke visions of bloody feeding frenzies, mouths full of razor-sharp teeth, and the sleek arrow-shaped bodies of deadly sharks. With, of course, the appropriate Jaws theme rolling around in our heads. And we couldn’t be more wrong with that impression.

Juliet Eilperin, a national environmental reporter for The Washington Post, has the spotlight this evening at the National Geographic Museum. And what she’ll be sharing with tonight’s audience will be somewhat removed from that first glimpse of her book. Despite its fearsome title, her work is more of a revelation of this sleek, deadly species that cruise the ocean’s depths (and shallows). Let’s face it: sharks have held a solid spot of fascination in our collective conscious, often as one of fear or as an image of ‘terrible beauty.’ Eilperin shines another light on sharks, however – conservation. Demon Fish strives to expose the intricacies and personalities of the shark-human relationship and reveals it’s not all about blood, teeth, and gore.

The idea bloomed after Eilperin began looking for something to write about. The oceans have had a long pull on Eilperin; they’re a subject she can fill conversations about, and for good reason. “It’s still unknown territory to humans, to a large extent, so that’s what intrigues me,” she confided. “So much of our world has been explored and documented, but when it comes to the sea, we’re still in a period of intense discovery. Also, it’s just so different from the environment in which we operate on a daily basis.” Casting about for the right angle, a colleague suggested the shark and it intrigued her enough to explore further.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

Rather than go the route so many authors have gone, recounting endless tales of danger and triumph, blood and fear, she looked for something different. “We’re at such a critical point with them, both in terms of how sharks are in danger of disappearing, and we’re learning so much about them through science,” she said. “So it made sense to focus on sharks at this moment. They’re also globally distributed, so it allowed me to travel the world and meet people from all sorts of places.”

Over the span of two years, Eilperin traveled the globe in search of different angles to look at the planet’s more deadly aquatic species. She discovered that sharks weren’t the one-dimensional species that exists in today’s common mindset. These were a creature entwined in many cultures for a variety of reasons—and one in danger of finding itself on the sliding slope to extinction.

She easily shared our society’s instant fascination with the shark, despite its dangerous nature. “I think we’re fascinated by their many senses—the fact that they can detect a drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and use electro-reception to spot a fish buried in sand. Plus, the fact that they can eat us is both terrifying and compelling.” But she also discovered much, much more.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

One cultural viewpoint stands out from her travels. Her inquisitiveness took her to Hawai’i, where she found a more nuanced view of sharks among the islands’ ancient culture. “I loved how the Hawaiians saw them as sort of Mafia godfathers, where if you paid proper homage, they would reward you but punish your enemies,” she explained. And yet, in other parts of the world, the shark is nothing more than a prop in a massive culinary scandal. Shark fin soup, she discovered, could be a considered more a culinary scandal than delight.

In many Asian homes, serving shark fin soup is a way of proclaiming the high status of the celebrants and honors the guests around the table. The continent’s growing wealth and population explosion has begun to outstrip the ocean’s ability to provide for the ever-increasing demand of shark fins. Eilperin says that between 1996 and 2000, nearly 73 million sharks were killed globally to supply the fin trade. And the soup? She was floored to find that the fin was nothing more than a “translucent, tasteless bit of noodle.” It added next to nothing to the delicacy; the dish proved to be less a culinary dish and more of a status icon.

That bit of discovery was an eye-opener for Eilperin and presented itself as an obvious solution to simple conservation. “Simply reject the global consumption of shark’s fin soup and the catching of sharks in kill tournaments in the U.S. and elsewhere,” she said. “More broadly, people just need to focus on what’s happening in the oceans.” Because sharks reproduce very slowly, there is no way for the species to reproduce fast enough to prevent overfishing. Sustainable shark fisheries are a pipe dream.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

One cannot go on a two-year trek to write about sharks without getting in the water with them and Eilperin was eager to join in. Shark dives varied in how they were conducted and she had a myriad of experiences. “A typical dive often involved a scientist or dive operator chumming the water with bloody fish to attract the sharks, but in the case of whale sharks, we didn’t do that,” she said. “And with the exception of my one cage diving experience with great whites in South Africa, I just went diving or snorkeling with sharks without any specific protection. And most of the time I was swimming near coral reefs, so there were other great animals and plants to see as well.”

Her first dive was also her most memorable. “The first time I got in the water with sharks in Bimini I was terrified, so that experience is still the most vivid for me. I recall them coming from all directions, and I was shocked by how beautiful they were.” The range of photographs chosen for the book showcase much of the animal’s predatory beauty—and the rawness of its coexistence with humanity.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

By the end of her research and subsequent writing, Eilperin’s perspective on this deadly species had been altered. Her experiences encompassed many different species under the water but also hundreds of personalities across the globe. Her book recounts many of her encounters, from fishermen to shark fin traders to scientists. “I have a much closer connection to the sea now than I did before I started writing the book, which is amazing. And I would do it again in a heartbeat—through I think my family, especially my mother, is happy I’m not in the water with sharks quite as much as I used to be.”

Eilperin’s experiences are winding tale of discovery – not just of the mysterious shark but also of our human interactions with this oft-misunderstood species. More than just a Hollywood “boogeyman,” the shark has firmly planted its toothy bite into the fabric of many cultures. Eilperin shows us that it’s now up to us to return the favor; through even simple awareness and conservation, the shark will not fade as a mystery but remain as a living symbol of this planet’s terrible, graceful beauty.

Join Juliet Eilperin tonight at 7:30 pm at the National Geographic Museum. The Museum is located at 1600 M Street, NW. Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 202.857.7700. There will be a wine and dessert reception after the program. Parking is free for all program attendees who arrive after 6 pm.

For many area hockey fans, the October 13 showdown between the Penguins and Capitals over in Pennsylvania is the start of this season’s perennial rivalry. But this year, it’s something a whole lot more.

Both the Caps and Pens announced a joint effort to raise money for the families of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the KHL team that perished in a plane crash on September 7 in Russia. Caps and Pens players will wear jerseys with the commemorative Lokomotiv patch for the game, then autograph the game-worn and -issued jerseys for auction on nhl.com. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Lokomotiv players’ children and families.

Russian players Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin will participate in a ceremonial face-off before the game. Wives and girlfriends of both teams’ players will also be selling remembrance bracelets at CONSOL Energy that evening.

Demon Fish; photo courtesy National Geographic

The National Geographic Live series is back for the fall and we here at WeLoveDC want to share their great lineup of programming with you once again. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at NatGeo, we’ll be again offering two pairs of tickets for our readers to go and experience some great talks, lectures, and programs over at the National Geographic Museum.

For October, there’s some amazing photography programs, authors, and speakers – some of whom you’ll see interviewed here on the site in the coming weeks. If you’d like to win a pair of tickets to an October program, simply list the two events you’d like to attend in comments before noon Friday, September 30. Make sure you use a legitimate email address and your first name. We’ll contact two winners (as determined by random.org) on Friday afternoon. Note that not all programs are eligible for the drawing.

If you’re interested in attending one of these events, visit NatGeo’s website or their box office (800-647-5463), located at 17th and M Street, NW. Keep in mind that parking in NatGeo’s underground lot is free for any programs beginning after 6 pm.

Here’s October’s offerings…

Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino; photo courtesy National Geographic

Not Ready to Wed: Child Brides
Monday, Oct. 3; 7:30 pm ($18)
Photographer Stephanie Sinclair and writer Cynthia Gorney—in the June 2011 issue of National Geographic—investigated the underground world of prearranged child marriage, where girls as young as five are forced to wed. In conversation with Jon Sawyer of the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, they will share images and stories of a practice that spans continents and cultures.

Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking In France
Tuesday, Oct. 4; 7 pm ($48)
Enjoy a talk and tastes of French Jewish cuisine guided by Joan Nathan, the host of PBS’ Jewish Cooking in America and author of ten acclaimed cookbooks. In Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France, Nathan traces her family’s heritage and explores cooking as culture. Nathan is a 3-time James Beard award winner and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs including the Today show, Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart Show, and National Public Radio. Lynne Rosetto Kasper, host of NPR’s Splendid Table says, “When Joan Nathan decides to dig into Jewish heritage anywhere in the world, we readers should just fasten our seat belts and get ready for a glorious ride.” [Not eligible for giveaway.]

Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World Of Sharks
Wednesday, Oct. 5; 7:30 pm ($18)
Washington Post environmental reporter Juliet Eilperin takes us on a globe-spanning adventure to investigate the ways individuals and cultures relate to the ocean’s top predator. Through her eye-opening images and stories, Eilperin will remind us why sharks remain among nature’s most awe-inspiring creatures.

Music On…Stage: Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino
Thursday, Oct. 6; 7:30 pm ($25)
One of Italy’s best world bands, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino explodes on the stage. This multi-generational group brings alive the music of Italy’s Puglia region—through atmospheric concerts ranging from tender love songs to pagan rites marked by frenzied dance and pizzica tarantata played on guitar, drums, accordion, and bagpipes.

Music On…Photography: Henry Rollins
Friday, Oct. 7; 7:30 pm ($40)
For 30 years, Henry Rollins—spoken word artist and former Black Flag frontman—has traveled to the world’s toughest corners, sharing observations through words, images, and music. His new book, Occupants, pairs Rollins’s visceral full-color photographs with powerful writings, creating a testimony to resilience in the face of anger and suffering.

Music On…Photography: Pattie Boyd
Wednesday, Oct. 12; 7:30 pm ($40)
British fashion model and wife to two of music’s greatest legends, Pattie Boyd experienced firsthand the defining musical events of the 60s and 70s, documenting them intimately in photos. Inspiration for George Harrison’s “Something” and Eric Clapton’s “Layla,” Boyd will share images of their lives together.

Young Explorer’s Salon
Friday, Oct. 14; 7 pm ($25 for tix purchased by Oct 7 / $30 after Oct 7)
Sit back in a casual club setting, sip a drink, enjoy a bite, and share the evening with three extraordinary individuals. These recipients of Nat Geo’s 2011 Young Explorers grants are making their mark on the world of exploration and adventure. Moderated by Hannah Bloch of National Geographic Magazine in Nat Geo’s dining hall! Meet Emily Ainsworth, an Oxford graduate, anthropologist, and photographer who joined Mexican circus troupes to capture “what went on when the curtain fell and the lights went off”; Shannon Switzer, a surfer, photographer, and environmentalist who works to raise awareness of the urban pollution affecting rivers, the ocean, and her local San Diego surfing community; Neil Losin, a filmmaker, photographer, and UCLA PhD evolutionary biologist who studies invasive Caribbean lizards to explain the evolution of territoriality. Alcohol served; ID required.

Kids Euro Festival: Copernicus’ Star
Saturday, Oct. 15; 1 pm (FREE; no tickets or reservations required.)
With more than 220 free events, the Kids Euro Festival, presented through the cooperation of the embassies of 27 European Union Countries, is one of the DC metropolitan area’s biggest family events of the year. Join NatGeo for Copernicus’ Star, a charming 90-minute animated film on the life of Copernicus and his brilliant revelations that changed astronomy forever.

Jewel of Namibia by Frans Lanting; photo courtesy National Geographic

Part Ape, Part Human: The Fossils of Malapa
Wednesday, Oct. 19; 7:30 pm ($20)
In 2008, paleoanthropologist Lee Berger walked with his son near the South Africa site where he’d spent years seeking clues to our ancestry. Suddenly, they tumbled across an amazing find: fossils almost two million years old. Berger will introduce this human family tree addition and possible link between apes and humans as described in August 2011’s National Geographic.

The Jewel of Namibia
Friday, Oct. 21; 7:30 pm ($20)
Join photographer Frans Lanting and videographer Chris Eckstrom on a wild desert journey through Namibia. This southwest African country recently proclaimed its entire coastline as a national park. The husband-and-wife team, who have worked on Nat Geo projects for more than 20 years, will share images and video of unusual animals and stunning landscapes, as seen in the June 2011 National Geographic.

Into The Silence: Everest
Tuesday, Oct. 25; 7:30 pm ($20)
Based on newly discovered documents, Nat Geo Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis’s new book Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest tells the story of the legendary and ultimately tragic 1924 British Everest expedition. Linking Mallory and his comrades’ determination to gain glory in the Himalaya to their bitter experiences in the trenches of WWI, Davis offers a compelling fresh take on history.

The Big Idea: The Power of Choice
Conversations Between Nobel Laureates and Nat Geo Explorers
Wednesday, Oct. 26; 7 pm ($20)
Why do humans make decisions the way they do? And what does that mean in the context of the current threats to our species’ survival? Daniel McFadden, the 2000 Laureate in Economics Studies, whose work focuses on how people make choices and sort themselves into groups, will discuss questions of human choice and their repercussions with Nat Geo Explorer-in-Residence Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the bestseller Collapse, which analyzed the phenomenon of societal failure. Conversation moderated by National Geographic Weekend host Boyd Matson.

Music On…Stage: Sussan Deyhim
Thursday, Oct. 27; 7:30 pm ($25)
Iranian singer/composer, Sussan Deyhim thrills fans worldwide with music drenched in ritual and mystery. Her recordings offer a mix of artists, such as DJ Spooky and Bill Laswell, and U2 features her work in their 360 Tour videos. Bobbie McFerrin says: “Her rich and complex vocals are warm, beautifully sung, and always surprising.”

Halloween Fun With the Jimmies
Saturday, Oct. 29; 1 pm ($16 adults, $12 kids under 12)
“Gimmie Jimmies” is the rallying cry of this NYC-based kiddie rock band, a Parents’ Choice award winner whose clever, creative music gets kids rocking. The heavy guitar groove hooks in parents as well. Come dressed in your Halloween costume— maybe a lion, leopard, or tiger, to support NG’s Big Cats Initiative—and get ready to rock’n’roll.

Skyhook container; photo courtesy National Postal Museum

In the 1930s, U.S. postal officials tried different ways of moving the mail. One technique was called “skyhooking,” which brought the mail to rural towns that had no adequate railway or highway mail routes. Unfortunately, the towns which needed this type of service usually did not have adequate landing fields for planes.

Although a low-flying airplane could simply drop a sack of mail onto the ground, the tricky part was getting ground mail into the moving plane. The Railway Mail Service’s successful on-the-fly mail exchange system provided the inspiration for an aviation experiment. Mail would be “caught” by a plane flying overhead and reeled up into the plane. Of course, catching the mail was not going to be easy.

‘Stinson Reliant at National Postal Museum’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

The mail was placed in a rubber container (as seen in the top photo) suspended between a pair of 15 foot posts. The planes chosen for the service were rugged Stinson Reliants, tight-turning airplanes adapted to flying around hills and through valleys. The pilot would position the plane to hook the outgoing mail container using a 60-foot grappling hook on the airplane’s tail. Incoming mail would be dropped from the plane.

On May 12, 1939, the first scheduled service began flying two experimental routes led by the All American Aviation Co., later known as Allegheny Airlines and now known as U.S. Airways. The first route went from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. The other went from Pittsburgh to Huntington, WV. In the first year of service, All American Aviation flew more than 438,000 miles, making more than 23,000 pickups and handling 75,000 pounds of mail and 6,500 pounds of freight without a single casualty. By the summer of 1941, the line was serving more than 100 locations and picking up roughly 400,000 pieces of mail each month. The airline dropped its pickup operations in 1949 and converted to carrying passengers.

Starting tomorrow, the National Geographic Museum hosts the 2011 All Roads Film Festival. The five-day festival showcases nearly 40 films in 24 countries, created to provide an international platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture artists to share cultures, stories and perspectives through the power of film and photography. This year’s theme is “Stories That Shape Our World” and National Geographic is giving WeLoveDC readers a chance to win a pair of all-access passes to the festival.

The five-day event also will include a “Global Groove: DJ Dance Party,” hosted by DJ Dave Nada and DJ Underdog, panel discussions by a number of the filmmakers and two photography exhibits. One photography exhibit will feature works from three provocative voices in the photography medium, each at different points in their careers; the second is an exclusive view into two cultures where photography by outsiders has been severely restricted. Several filmmakers will participate in two panel discussions, “Latinos in Modern Media” and “Indigenous Communities, Film and the Environment,” as well as discussions following their film screenings where they will talk about their careers and the continuing innovation of indigenous filmmaking.

If you’d like to win a pair of festival passes, simply drop a comment below (using an email address we can use to contact you). We’ll randomly select a winner at noon tomorrow (Wednesday 9/14).

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courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

“The indigenous content in this year’s festival is unprecedented,” said Francene Blythe, director of the National Geographic All Roads Film Project. “Not only are the films and photography exhibits fresh and exciting but they also capture an underlying human spirit of perseverance.”

Some of the year’s stand-out films are National Geographic Entertainment’s “Benda Bilili!,” a documentary from the Democratic Republic of Congo about the journey of a paraplegic street band; “Kawa,” based on the novel “Nights in the Gardens of Spain” by “Whale Rider” author Witi Ihimaera, that tells the story of a man who has everything: a beautiful wife and family, wealth — and a gay male lover; and “Sky Dancer,” director Jody Kemmerer’s documentary from Tibet about the first and only female master incarnate Tibetan monk, Khandroma Kunzang Wangmo.

Other notable films include “Visions of Atzlan,” a documentary by veteran Chicano filmmaker Jesús Salvador Treviño about the 1960s Chicano artists’ movement and its influence on contemporary Mexican American artists; “Matariki,” director Michael Bennett’s first feature film from New Zealand, which tells the story of five lives intertwined by one incident; and “GRAB,” an All Roads seed grant documentary about Grab Day in the traditionally private Laguna Pueblo community, directed by Billy Luther, award-winning director of “Miss Navajo.”

The festival will screen a number of shorts in addition to its roster of narrative and documentary features, including several free matinee screenings and a free family program of short films for children ages 7 and up.

“Road to Kurdistan,” “My Mother’s Daughter” and “Teta (Grandma),” all All Roads seed grant films, and “God Is a Liar: Tradition and Change in Turkana” will be making their world premieres. “Maydoum,” “Tales from the Daly: Nauiyu Nambiyu,” “The Winter Boy” and “Skabmagovat: Tundra of Árvas” will be making their North American premieres. “Benda Bilili!,” “Silvestre Pantaleón,” “Matariki,” “Taku Rakau E,” “Koro’s Medal,” “Va Tapuia (Sacred Spaces),” “Quite an Ugly Frog,” “Reindeer Princess” and “By the Rapids – ‘Invasion at Turtle Island’” will be making their U.S. premieres. “GRAB,” “Run Red Walk: A Navajo Sheepdog,” (an All Roads seed grant film) “Wapawekka,” “When All the Leaves Are Gone,” “Rooz Az No,” “The Rocket Boy” and “Mana I Ka Leo: The Power of the Voice” will be making their Washington, D.C., premieres.

The 2011 All Roads Photography Program exhibit features photo essays from awardees in three categories: emerging photographer Ernesto Benavides (Peru), mid-career photographer Kuang Huimin (China) and pioneer photographer Samer Mohdad (Lebanon). The second photography exhibit displays two essays entitled “GRAB: The People, Land and Tradition of Laguna Pueblo” and “Sky Dancer: Moments of Devotion,” as extensions from two films, “GRAB” and “Sky Dancer,” that are featured in the festival.

For his photo essay “The Fallout of the Guano Fever,” Benavides offers an insightful look at the guano, or bird dropping, industry. His artful images relay the crucial connection between humanity and nature. Huimin’s “Changes during 20 years in the old Miao village – Basha” explores the changes that are modernizing the old Miao village through the growth of China’s economy. Mohdad’s photo essay, “Mes Arabies, 1989-1999,” portrays diversity and contradictions of the modern Arab world.

Photo essay “GRAB” presents the work of three non-native photographers accompanying a documentary crew under the direction of filmmaker Billy Luther. They were given intimate access to Luther’s own Laguna Pueblo, where outside photography is not allowed, but permission was granted to document the pueblo’s preparation for the tradition of Grab Day. “Sky Dancer: Moments of Devotion,” captured during the production of “Sky Dancer,” a documentary film about the life and teachings of Khandroma Kunzang Wangmo in a remote nomadic community on the Tibetan plateau, shows a remarkable woman whose selfless dedication to humanity transcends boundaries and prejudices. These free photography exhibitions will be in the National Geographic courtyard and inside the M Street lobby in the Grosvenor Gallery from Sept. 1 to Nov. 13, 2011.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, All Roads will host “Global Groove: DJ Dance Party,” featuring the electronic dance music Moombahton, a cutting-edge combination of Dutch house music and Reggaeton, from DJ Dave Nada and afro beat music from DJ Underdog. Tickets for this event are $20 for the general public.

Tickets for each All Roads film are $10 and festival passes, which include the Saturday concert, are $100. To purchase, visit the National Geographic ticket office at 1600 M Street N.W., Washington, D.C, call (202) 857-7700 or order online through www.nglive.org.

A full festival schedule is available at www.nationalgeographic.com/allroads.