((PKG))  BURNING SCULPTURE      
((Banner:  Ancient Flames for Modern Times)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  Arturo Martinez)) 
((Native American flute:  Aldean Ketchum)) 
((Map:  Bluff, Utah))    
 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
I used to come down here when I first moved to Bluff in 1983.  I 
was climbing two trees and sitting up there in the crotch of the 
tree with a drawing pad.  I looked up and I saw a mammoth and I 
got choked up.  I mean, I had just discovered the first Pleistocene 
rock art in North America. No other rock art depicting mammoths 
have ever been found in North America or South America.  They 
are approximately 14,000 years old.  I actually cried out loud 
when I saw that that was a mammoth and that there were other 
tusks on the panel.  It's inspiring, you know? 
((Courtesy:  Wayne Ranney))   
((NATS)) 
About 20 years after the discovery, I built the life size mammoth to 
commemorate that mammoths were near the town of Bluff.   
((Courtesy:  John Gregor))  
((Courtesy:  Stephen Strom)) 
After the mammoth, I've done nine other effigies that were burnt 
on Winter Solstice,  
((Courtesy:  Dan Meyers))  
the beginning of the astronomical year.  When you start a new 
year like that, your spirit is raised and it will be uplifting to all 
cultures that come.   
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
This year, I have decided to make two ravens embracing.  It's 
something that I saw on a river trip.  I thought it was one of the 
most important things I'd ever seen. Our country, especially now, 
needs to express love in any way that it can.  So, this is really a 
good subject for this year. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
Those are the two ravens that I feed every morning.  I've been 
feeding them for about 20 years.  Here's one flying around. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
This is a good one.  Maybe this one. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
We are a few days away from Thanksgiving now and it's gotten a 
lot colder.  We still have a lot of work to do. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
Yeah, one person could not do this alone.  It's impossible. We 
have about 25 volunteers show up.  I feel great about having the 
community come down.  I like the idea that they feel that they've 
invested time and that this is part of their celebration.  So, I want 
that to happen.  It's important. 
((NATS)) 
((John Gregor, Volunteer))   
You know, this town has only got a few hundred people but 
there's probably easily a significant majority of them that are 
involved in this at some point. 
((NATS)) 
((Kelly, Volunteer))   
We harvested these from our farm which is called the Historic 
Curtis John's farm on highway 162. 
((NATS)) 
((Neighbor)) 
Joe is my neighbor.  He's a really great sculptor and it's kind of an 
honor to be able to work with Joe Pachak.  Some people come 
around and want to tell him what to do and he kicks them out. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
We're looking for willows.  Can you cut this one?  These died 
during a flood.  You can see it’s plentiful. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
Yeah, free sticks, makes it nice.  I've probably spent at the max. 
$300 on wire and a new saw and plyers. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
There's too much commercial stuff in our lives, you know?  We 
don't do anything because we truly love it and I don't want to do 
this as a commercial thing. 
((NATS)) 
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member)) 
Good morning.  How are you doing? 
((José, Volunteer)) 
How are you? 
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member)) 
What was your name?  
((José, Volunteer)) 
José.  Good to see you. 
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member)) 
José. 
((José, Volunteer)) 
Good to see you. 
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member)) 
Yeah.  The raven, you know, it dissipates whatever bad is.  That's 
what we practice. 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
How would you want to set them on fire? 
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member)) 
When we want to burn this, we will say, “All the bad things that's 
going on in the world, we're going to burn it right now.”  
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
I really do try to involve the Native American cultures that I live 
around.  I want to make artwork that is culturally sensitive that will 
bring people together.  
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member)) 
Okay.  Ahe’hee’. 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
Ahe’hee’. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
This is Winter Solstice morning.  It's a happy day for me.  After 
two months and two days, we've finished the sculpture and we're 
ready to celebrate.  
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
When this burns, it will come to life. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
I feel so exhilarated.  I feel so energized.  I'm ready to take on 
another year.  I'm ready to take on my 70th trip around the sun. 
((Crowd)) 
Oh, God.  It's too bad.  
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
They just took a nap.  Yeah. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
They're taking a nap.  I don't feel bad about it.  Not one bit. 
They're still embracing. 
((Friends)) 
They are.  Well, it was beautiful when it was standing.  It's 
beautiful now.  
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
Yeah, it's beautiful now. 
((NATS)) 
((Courtesy:  Michael Ramsey)) 
((Aldean Ketchum, Ute Flute Player)) 
Tog'oyak.  Thank you. 
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member))   
Winter Solstice for Native Americans is our new year, so 
Happy New Year.  
((Crowd)) 
Happy New Year. 
((Curtis Yanito, Navajo tribal member)) 
The Raven, you know, it provides healing for like nightmares and 
sadness and tonight, when the light is fired, say "pah", so we 
send all the bad energy off.  That's it.  Thank you. Pah. 
((Crowd)) 
Pah. 
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
I believe the collapsing embracing ravens may be a metaphor for 
what is happening in our world, in our creative process of the 
industrial age.  With that in mind, I want you all to have a good 
year and I want you to come back next year after you've traveled 
around the sun, standing on this Earth.  Thank you very much for 
coming. 
((NATS)) 
((Courtesy:  Dan Meyers)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
When you sacrifice or burn something that you've worked hard 
on, it remains in the memory of all those people who watch it 
because there's more profound aspirations in the crowd.  
((NATS)) 
((Joe Pachak, Artist and Rock Art Expert)) 
We don't need a lot more objects in the world.  We need 
experiences to help us grow. 
((NATS))