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A Report from the As we all know, get a bunch of Indians in the room and there will be some talking going on. And inevitably, some people are going to, very respectfully, disagree. It’s inevitable. It’s a cultural imperative. Much as the outside culture likes to label us all one very general heading "Indians" the truth is that we are over 500 nations, some recognized by the government and some not – but over 500 disparate nations. We may share some elements of commonality (respect for tradition, the mother and a great fondness for nosh) but the truth is that we had very different languages, cultures and beliefs. It is inevitable that people are going to disagree and traditions are going to clash. This is what the Public Theater took on when they started the Native Theater Festival, and in this, its second year, they were treated to the full gamut of Indian issues. It’s no secret that people in Indian Country were speaking up. Questions were being asked – How did the Public choose their pieces? Who and what were the sources and why weren’t locals more involved in the festival? I have to admit it was with a certain amount of trepidation and anticipation that I set out to the Festival. Last year’s had been a bit of an epiphany for me, both personally and professionally, I couldn’t imagine what to expect this year. The Public was premiering three works-in-progress, Eric Gansworth’s (Onondaga) Re-Creation Story, Laura Shamas’ (Chickasaw) Chasing Honey and Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl’s (Native Hawaiian / Samoan) The Conversion of Ka’ahumanu. The last caused a lot of controversy because as many people pointed out – Hawaiians ain’t Indians. Nevertheless, they are Natives, and I always have to wonder whether this argument isn’t part of that age-old thing- Inuit ain’t Indians either, and for a lot neither are any of the nations from south of the border. Then again, I do understand, there are so few forums out there for our voices. However, I hoped the controversy wouldn’t reflect in the attendance. Should tribal politics affect whether an artist gets their opportunity to be heard, whether or not they’re a part of our community? People did show up, though there were a few notable non-attendants. It’s a shame. It was an interesting piece and worthy of attention. Did it edify the Indian experience? I don’t know. I always have issues with the idea that the Indian experience can be generalized. I’m not Chickasaw. I’m not Lumbee. I don’t know their beliefs or experiences; I can only reflect what I know about my culture. That perspective was reinforced at the field discussion about Staging the Sacred. The playwright Daniel David Moses (Delaware) moderated and featured artists were Eric Gansworth, actor and playwright Monique Mojica (Kuna / Rappahannock) and Edward Wemytewa (Zuni) playwright and performer. What I found interesting was there seemed to be a Catch-22. What is sacred to one culture isn’t necessarily sacred to another, and in some ways may clash. What to do when performing your piece for another nation? For some cultures, certain issues are taboo. For others, exploration in an arts medium can be a necessary and cathartic experience. You don’t want to give insult, but there is a fine line between sacred and censorship. It was interesting when Eric Gansworth made the point that the Haudenosaunee people used to be much more open and now certain topics are taboo. Edward Wemytewa pointed out that it was often for protection, but can it hinder open discussion of issues that are necessary to our culture? During the round table, Bringing Native Theater to a Wider Audience, the discussion became very vocal when sustainability became the topic. Who is our core audience? Should Native people care about reaching the mainstream audience? Playwright William S. Yellow Robe (Assiniboine / Fort Peck) made the point that most of the people in his community couldn’t afford tickets to mainstream theater projects. It was suggested that in order to be sustainable, we had to go outside of our core audience. Charles Weldon (Artistic Director of the Negro Ensemble Co.) made an interesting point. When he was reviving the ensemble he chose a play that wasn’t written by an African American and just adapted it for his theater. The play was written by a former Managing Editor at the New York Times and he knew that it would get press from that major publication. The folks in his culture pilloried him but the company developed a following outside of the core community. My question is whether it isn’t worth compromising a little to maintain something that will give later generations further access and a platform? I was sent to cover the artists round table which was moderated by famed actor/director Sheila Tousey (Menominee / Stockbridge-Munsee). Featuring well-known artists from the community like Gary Farmer (Cayuga), Chaske Spencer (Lakota Sioux / Fort Peck), Muriel Miguel (Kuna / Rappanhanock), Martha Redbone (Choctaw / Shawnee / Cherokee / Blackfeet) and Tamara Podemski, (Ojibway) and was the most light-hearted of the festival. The discussion started off with a run-down of how everyone got started. Distinct Tamara Podemski told a funny story of how she started the careers of both herself and her sister. Martha discussed her almost accidental transition from graphic artist to singer. Muriel talked about Spiderwoman’s active career as showbiz Indians before they became more driven to take control of their creative expression. Chaske was the proverbial kid on a bus, with $100 in his pocket, ready to take on the Big Apple (pun not intended) and Gary told of his journey from juvenile delinquent to FBI detective wannabe to film student; all fun and interesting stories told with much humor and a sense of camaraderie. For all intents and purposes, this could be any group of artists from any culture. And then it came up again. If you’re an actor, can you just be an actor who happens to be Indian? Or does all the baggage come along whether you like it or not. Tamara Podemski: It’s part of it sometimes. Sometimes you don’t want to be there – the payoff is great but it still takes a toll. I do it all the time…go there with love and trying to show them you can be happy and strong meanwhile outside my hotel room there are gunshots. It’s part of being a Native Artist, I guess. Muriel: I call it ethnic stress. Sheila: That’s why I live in the woods. Is it fair to expect an individual artist to carry the weight of their community on their back while trying to create? And does that change what we’re doing? Art can address issues in the community but should that be the primary motivation behind a performance? Politics and Performance was possibly the most heated of all the discussions. Touching on such difficult topics as identity, blood quotient and tribal recognition, the panel for this discussion included Terry Gomez (Comanche / Numunu), Alanis King (Odawa), Yvette Nolan (Algonquin Kitiganzibi), Randy Reinholz (Choctaw), Muriel and Gloria Miguel (Kuna / Rappahannock), Oskar Eustis (Public Theater Artistic Director) and Sheila Tousey. They touched on the border question. Is there such a thing as a "Canadian" Indian? Some nations (mine included) have ancestral lands on both sides of the border. Are we supposed to consider one side of the family less Indian than the other? Also Mr. Yellow Robe spoke up and went straight for the taboo of blood quotient. He pointed out that until the issue was addressed, there were members of the community that were still disenfranchised. Later that evening, Eric Gansworth’s piece debuted. It deeply resonated with me. It was a retelling and reinterpretation of the creation story of my youth, the story my grandpa told me while sitting at the dinner table eating meatloaf. And apparently it was one of the most controversial pieces of the festival. People were concerned that the local Nations, and in some instances local artists, weren’t being represented. Haudenosaunee may be slightly more upstate, but we still have strong connections to New York City and state. The other objection was that Eric wasn’t an established playwright – that he was a poet and a painter. People weren’t too happy about a "dabbler" being chosen – no matter how beautifully written. However it was made very clear during the festival that all the pieces were in transition and that all of them were there to be developed. Eric’s piece fit that process. It was interesting to see how the administration at the Public reacted to all the drama and criticisms. You could see they were surprised by the strength of the reactions from the community. It was clear they didn’t realize the potential minefield that is Native Theater. However, to give them credit they encouraged open discussion and stepped up when it was needed. This, for me, was the heart of the festival. As talented as all the writers are, and as rousing and exciting as Martha Redbone’s performance was, for me the true gems of this festival were the field discussions and the voices of our people working together to develop the next generation of theater artists.
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