hello?

We turned off our video cameras out of respect for the first part of the ceremony - the sacred sweetgrass smudge, the elder's prayer and the drumming and singing of the victory song. It was pretty quiet in there, for a press conference. I guess something about the room and the air in it had settled the media pack for a moment. No sense being impatient. Just breathe and let it be. The singing was big-hearted, organic; it felt like a hot, dry prairie wind blowing sage and sun through the room. Those drummers cast a spell over us for a moment.

Until the perky and polyphonic chirp of one of their cellphones snapped us out of it.