Thursday, September 27, 2012

Autumn Corn Medicine Kernels of Truth - Uncovering History of Ethnic Prejudice in the Minnesota State Capital Basement!

I responded to a Meet UP invite on line about using on line technology to solve world problems.  This was begun by a man named David S, who had some ideas about how to share information on line.  I decided that not having photos taken would be respectful, who you see here, what you hear here, stays here.  It was format where we each can take turns speaking and share our experience, strength and hope with the power of technology, would build trust and here is the recent harvest from my garden.  Corn medicine from a pow wow from the  Onieda given to me by my elder friend Mato Howie.  A group of 4 of us checked in and I offered the seed as medicine to the men there to plant seeds.   I like to start out with groups that have no financial or other control issues, no old issues to project on others.  There were four of us,  Dan Z,  Sean and David S for this first meeting. 
This wording and the vines that look like grapes more than hops to this man's eyes, uncovered in the cafeteria, once like in the German Rathskeller (Rathaus Basement) likely had some alcohol served to mellow out the politicians perchance, lest they take the EGO's to seriously :-) "TRINK GUT UND REIN ZU VIEL LASS SEIN" I think translates to DRINK PROPERTY AND PURELY AND NOT TOO MUCH."  Above looks like the eagle of the US of A.   Reading the history, it looks like the building was built around 1905, before the War to End All wars, WW I, when it became uncool to be German and then of course prohibition when having any alcohol was verboten.  Hmmm

Go to this link to learn more. 
http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/rathskeller.html

 In the basement my friend Dan Z who is from China and my Chinese teacher from the U of M, found a construction worker who shared in the plans for the tunnels to the capital building from the light rail work now going on.  It seems as if folks will have direct walking in the the Rathskeller. Gosh, I wonder  if good local beer will be one of the offerings again when this opens up in 2014.  Sharing a beer might be just the way to loosen up the fundementalist liberals and conservatives to have things start being bi partisan more often.
 Here we are up on the roof to see the rear ends of the four golden horses, covered with gold leaf as it were.   Fun tour and proud that our capital building is open to all the people.  There were Russian speaking tour guests as well as Dan from China along today.
Here is the rotunda of the capital where there is access to all three chambers, the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court. 

Fun to me to learn that not only is there the usual Greek and Roman references to the law in the Supreme Court one of the paintings is of Confucius of China with a scroll that alludes to the law in ancient China.  This got Dan Z's attention to take a photo.  Hope his image turned out better than mine.