Native Max Magazine - Heritage Issue

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Rest in Love & Power

Zoe Friday It’s been an honor to work with Zoe Friday.

Our sincerest condolences to her loved ones.

Until next time, Zoe. 2 | NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE

Welcome to our List of Content, everything that we have in every issue.

LIST OF CONTENT

FEATURES

1.

Peshawn Bread & Mistress Red Comanche screenwriter, director, and fashion creative Peshawn Bread makes her directorial debut with a complex and brilliant film about sexuality and humorous experiences. (Photo by Karalyn Radford)

2.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids We kick it with Snotty Nose Rez Kids on their Denver stop during their tour. (Photo

by Joe Pekara)

REGULARS THE EDGE

OXDX: New Spot, New Drop

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Indigenous Beauty Cece Meadows

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Warm Essentials

12 THE INSIDER

Donell Barlow: Helping Heal the People

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Native Art News

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The Indigenous Inclusion & Involvement of Meow Wolf

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ON RADAR

Film You Need to Watch this Native American Heritage Month: Pure Grit

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Reads by Native American Authors

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THE NATIVE HERITAGE ISSUE Welcome to the Native Heritage Issue, featuring Comanche screenwriter, director, and fashion creative Peshawn Bread on the cover. Also featured in the issue are Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Indigenous Beauty Cece Meadows with a fashion editorial featuring Teton Trade Cloth and Urban Native Era, and more.

THE EDGE

OXDX: New Spot, New Drop After a hiatus, Native apparel brand OXDX returned with a new spot and a new drop of fresh design releases, including Corn Sovereignty.

PHOTOS: JOSH LERMA

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@oxdxclothing

O

XDX opened a new storefront in October, where they celebrated with a soft opening that included live screen printing and catered pizza. Located in Tempe, Arizona, the headquarters offers a warehouse, office, and showroom where you can shop OXDX pieces.

Along with the new spot, OXDX also has a fresh drop of design releases, such as Corn Sovereignty. Corn Sovereignty is a piece that OXDX founder Jared Yazzie made to celebrate the harvest season. “When fall time hits, I’m always thinking back to the days at the cornfield with my late grandparents in Black

Mesa, Arizona,” Jared explains. “There wasn’t much else that mattered when harvest hit but family, gathering, and eating.

It was nourishment, a feeling I think we all crave to regain and hold on to.” Though the design sold out in less than one day, Jared says that he hopes to rerelease and reprint another batch of Corn Sovereignty pieces in November.

OXDX’s storefront is open Thursdays through Sundays from 11am to 7pm and is located at 1425 E. University Dr. STE 104 in Tempe. You can also shop online at www.oxdxclothing. com.

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Kelly Holmes Writer Darklisted Photography Photos

@pradosbeauty

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Indigenous Beauty

Cece Meadows Cece Meadows' (Yaqui/Comanche) is shaking up the mainstream beauty industry with Prados Beauty, her inspiring and vibrant makeup brand that boasts colorful hues, beautiful packaging, and high-quality ingredients; and it's her people who inspired it all. She shared with us her Prados journey, her survival story, the importance of manifestation, and the inspiration behind her newest release, The Matriarch Collection.

Cece Meadows' (Yaqui/Comanche) is shaking up the mainstream beauty industry with Prados Beauty, her inspiring and vibrant makeup brand that boasts colorful hues, beautiful packaging, and high-quality ingredients; and it's her people who inspired it all. "We're colorful, bright, beautiful people, and I want people always to experience that," she shares.

Besides bringing Indigenous representation to the makeup world, Cece also uses Prados Beauty to amplify Indigenous makeup artists, something she didn't have when she started as a makeup artist and influencer. Cece's journey up until this point hasn't been easy.

She survived domestic violence, abuse, and cancer and overcame hardships to find the happiness and healthy support she has today.

Along with her husband, Cece gives back a significant portion of their profits to the community who need help and hope, things that she needed before. Her people are a priority for her, so much so that despite the added costs for high-quality formulas and packaging of Prados they’re known for, Cece still ensures that her products be accessible and affordable for her people. Receiving two rejections from mega beauty stores, Sephora and Ulta, left Cece crushed and in depression.

However, she was invited to join Thirteen Lune's cohort of BIPOC-owned beauty brands sold in JCPenney, making her the first Chicana and Indigenous woman-owned beauty brand in a mega box store. In between launches, interviews, and social media posts, Cece never sits still. She's always working on making Prados Beauty better; as a person

who loves the earth, Cece moved the lashes from mink hair to synthetic and made everything Prados has 100% recycled. Though she finally sees success after all of her and her team's hard work, Cece remains humble and continues to be an example and lead the next generation of Indigenous beauties.

Cece and I chatted for almost an hour. She shared her Prados journey, her survival story, the importance of manifestation, and the inspiration behind her newest release, The Matriarch Collection.

Kelly: I visited the Prados Beauty popup shop in Santa Fe, and I was in awe of the setup! What do you want people's experience to be when they visit Prados Beauty pop-up shops?

Cece: We take that experience like our brick and mortar here in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

So what we do is we take pieces from the store. All of the vibrancy, that's just Prados Beauty in general. Like it's just very colorful.

So to create that experience for people, it's not for us; it's for them. I always stay true to who we are as a brand and our motto and our premise, which was always to amplify who we are as a people. We're colorful, bright, beautiful people, and I want people always to experience that. I'm probably always going to get on nerves because of my attention to detail.

Kelly: I love your mission and everything that your brand stands for. I love how you all reshare the makeup looks

of your fan base who use your products. How does that make you feel?

Cece: When we first started, we used to push for them to tag us whenever they would buy and use our products because we didn't have a lot of marketing dollars. Big beauty brands have all of this money: advertising money.

We didn't have that stuff, so one of the ways that we created a good base and a good relationship with our influencers was to repost them and amplify them as makeup artists.

One of the things in the makeup community is that if you don't have like 10K plus followers and reach out to beauty brands, they're not going to repost you. Your engagement rate has to be high, and your following has to be very diverse. That would push out people like us, like Chicana and Indigenous makeup artists. I started as a makeup artist, and all that would push us out of the chance of being able to be reposted or even be put on PR teams. So when I was doing all the legwork to start the trademark and the copyright for Prados Beauty, I was still an influencer and a makeup artist working professionally like in Manhattan. I said to myself, "you know what, when I start my beauty brand, I'm going to use it to amplify my people and smaller creatives who do phenomenal artwork and phenomenal looks, which will never get the time of day on these big social media and big beauty companies' platforms because they don't meet the criteria." Our mission was always to give back and do more for our communities. So our marketing dollars are freed up for us to spend money on other things like

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beautiful packaging and to formulate and create more products because we already have a base of people who tag us and buy our products because they know that we're going to repost and reshare them.

Kelly: And this motivates you to make your products affordable?

Cece: It's a humbling experience to go through something like that and then know that makeup artists and creatives go through the same thing because a lot of the makeup they get from these companies is because they can't afford to buy it. I couldn't afford to buy their makeup, so I was always trying to get on lists to get some makeup to create.

A lot of the beauty brands' products are expensive. Ours is super affordable. It has high quality and amazing formulas, but we always make it affordable. We don't have to sell it for an arm and a leg because that defeats the purpose of being an Indigenous, Chicanoowned beauty brand when your people can't afford it.

Kelly: So you're all about accessibility and making your products affordable for everyone. Now Prados Beauty will be sold in JCPenney! How long has this opportunity been in the making?

Cece: So we found out about JCPenney back at the end of June. So we've been sitting on this for a minute. I was a part of an accelerator program through this group called Beauty United, and I was asked to apply to be in another accelerator through Sephora and Ulta. I went through the accelerator and did everything that they wanted. It was supposed to open up an opportunity and a conversation for them to carry Prados Beauty in Ulta and Sephora. Sephora rejected us. I took that hard. Two weeks later, we got the rejection letter from Ulta. I was beyond devastated.

I was so depressed because that was the ultimate goal. As a beauty brand, your goal is to end up in a big megastore, like a big box store. At that time, it wasn't even about being the first because, you know, there's Cheekbone Beauty and Ah-Shí Beauty, and I'm always rooting for those two girls because we're all Indigenous creators. We're Indigenous beauty brands, and we're not in any of the stores, and I'm like, "if it's not me, then hopefully it will be one of them."

Long story short, they put me in a different accelerator with a company called Thirteen Lune. Thirteen Lune is [an e-commerce destination designed to inspire the discovery of beauty brands created by Black and Brown founders that resonate with people of all colors] founded by co-founders Patrick Herning and Nyakio Grieco. She said, "Cece, I want you to come on and be a part of this cohort and what we're going to do is help you improve your brand decks and your presenta-

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tion." In June, Nyakio called me with some pretty top secret news that Thirteen Lune will be in JCPenney to take over their beauty counter. She said, "I want Prados Beauty to come with us." I was already on the Thirteen Lune website selling our products through their website, and they already work with 150 brands. She was like, "we're only going to take twenty-nine brands, and we want you to be one of the brands."

Kelly: How exciting! How were you feeling at the moment?

Cece: I was like, "holy!" We're a small brand, and we're independently owned. We've applied for loans, grants, all kinds of, and they always reject us. It's sad, but it's a norm for BIPOC-owned brands and businesses. We even went to tribes asking for funding or investments the and same thing; so much red tape. I didn't know if I would be able to scale in time to be in JCPenney. Nyakio said, "let's start with the first ten stores." They're starting with ten stores, and then by 2023, it'll be six-hundred stores. She also said, "another

“At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where we end up as a brand. What matters to me most is who comes after me.” thing we've been researching this already for a couple of weeks, but if this happens, you will be the first Chicana and Indigenous woman-owned beauty brand to be sold in a mega box store. So you need to prepare yourself." So since the end of June, we've been hitting the ground running and trying to scale as a small brand. It's not easy because it costs a lot of money to produce products and get them manufactured. We're always trying to expand our line and create more products that we can expand into.

Kelly: And although you're scaling your brand, you're still about the people?

Cece: We tell people all the time because it's true. We couldn't have done any of this without the people. This is a brand for the people, and this is why we're independently owned. The people are the ones that buy it and amplify us as a brand, and they share our stuff. We've made so many great relationships and connections through the years, like our friends who use their platforms to amplify us and help us scale. I'm so grateful to them. For

example, you were one of the first magazines that ever wrote about us like you guys. I've also made really good friends with Tatanka Means and Supaman. Right now, I'm working with my good homie, Steven [Paul Judd].

Kelly: I remember when I first learned about Prados Beauty and you; I was so intrigued with your story and the brand that you built. Could you share your journey of hardships and all that you've overcome?

Cece: I am a domestic violence abuse survivor. Before I met my husband, I was in a very, very abusive relationship. That relationship caused me a job and to become homeless.

I went through a lot of trauma and verbal, physical, mental abuse. I always wondered why I allowed myself to be put into that situation or go through that relationship. It all stems from your childhood, right. I carry my heart on my sleeve, and I always think everyone is good at heart, and I give people the benefit of the doubt, and sometimes that's caused me to be in relationships or stay in relationships that aren't healthy.

I grew up in a very abusive home, and I think for a long time, I was being really strong and trying to numb what happened by being very successful. When all of that was gone, I only had myself to deal with, and that's when I got into that relationship.

Then I ended up getting cancer, and that was hard. I had stacked some pretty big chips and made some pretty good investments in my twenties. By the time I was 28 years old, it was all gone to pay for medication, treatment, and operations then I could not work. It took a toll financially, and I lost a lot of what I had worked so hard for. I think the hardest part, though, is having a newborn baby and sleeping in your car and being afraid that they were going to take them away, trying to explain what's going on, and trying to make a good time out of it. We were in the Walmart parking lot. I would stay there in the parking lot, where it was well-lit with my daughter for as many days as I needed until I could go stay with a friend. That was so hard on my little boy.

I was single for a long time after that until I met my husband and my whole world changed. I was going through therapy before I met him, but one of the things about therapy is that you don't ever stop therapy; you have to continue to keep going. You have to keep nurturing your healing and changing perspectives and the way that you see things.

Kelly: Wow, that’s a lot! How does your husband support you?

Cece: He has always just been so supportive and so loving, caring, and kind. He’s so quiet when we’re in settings like powwows or at shows. He tells me,” it’s not my place to

speak; I’m here to learn and to respect and honor your culture.” There’s a way for you to be an ally without putting your perspectives on where they’re not needed. That’s powerful and healing because it means that I’m valuable and what I think, what I say, and where I come from is important.

I have always had this crazy dream about doing something really big ever since I was a little kid. I didn’t know what it was when I was younger, but when we were stationed in New York–I just had this love and passion for makeup. I got to go to New York Fashion Week for the first, second, and third time. I always just thought, “this is it right here; this is something that’s going to take me, my family, and my people places. To have that love and support from him and for him to take care of the babies and allow me to go travel and do stuff, that’s a blessing.

Kelly: Together, how do you and your husband give back to the people?

Cece: We created the Prados Life Foundation together, which is our non-profit. We give back a big portion of our profits. I call it our little project of love. We buy shoes and coats and donate them; we donate money to kids who need money for scholarships or kids who need to pay school registration fees or books for college. We've paid for funerals, light bills, and rent. We do it because we just want to help. I know what that emptiness, worry, and anxiety feel like, so to be able to give back and to help makes me so happy.

Kelly: Wow. That's amazing that you're able to give back, and you're able to help others too. When I was a little kid, I had the same dreams that I'd do something big.

Cece: It's us. We were manifesting our dreams and our life before we even knew that that's what we were doing. I'm a huge person of manifestation.

Kelly: You are right! I love that!

Cece: I think for people like us who have been through really hard things, it makes the journey even more fulfilling because you have this humble pride; it doesn't matter how hard or horrible the journey was because, at the end of the day, we're doing what we were created to do: be an example and to lead. We're examples to people that are going to come after us.

Kelly: How do you remain humble?

Cece: People tell me all the time, "how come you're not more on the Prados Beauty page?"

It's my business and company, so I don't need for you to know that I'm the first this or that like, what's important to me is who comes after me. How did I pave the way for someone else? I get DM's all the time from girls saying

Cece pictured with her team Hannah Manuelito and John Cañas.

they're starting their own lash company. I tell them I admire them. I don't feel any type of way about that, where I've seen other Native entrepreneurs hate on each other. They've done it to me, and I don't need to be like that. We're here to inspire. We might be the first of many things, but there's a problem if we're the first and we're the last. We have to keep it going and continue to create the space and opportunity to teach others so that they can come after us because we're not going to live forever. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where we end up as a brand. What matters to me most is who comes after me.

Kelly: That is so true. Now, tell us about the new Matriarch collection that just dropped.

Cece: I wanted to come out with the matriarch collection because I wanted to honor all the matriarchs in our life. I also wanted to honor ourselves if we're the matriarchs in our families. Being a matriarch is hard because you don't have a responsibility for yourself but your family and those who look to you.

Sometimes we're put in this position unexpectedly. I wanted to create a collection that honors every matriarch in every family. It's just a vibrancy of beautiful purple shades and colors.

Kelly: What was the inspiration behind the imagery on the packaging?

Cece: I had this wild dream about a girl on a horse. We found a Diné model and rented a horse. I sent all of the proofs, and everything to Steven was I like, "I want this color. I want these different shapes."

Kelly: What else is new with this collection?

Cece: This time around, we're going to come out with more products like the bronzer and not just have the highlight and the blush.

We're also going to have eyelash glue and the eyeliner, and two new lashes that are synthetic. We're moving away from the mink lashes to synthetic lashes.

Kelly: Your eyeshadows in the palettes are known to be vibrant. What's different about the colors in the new palette?

Cece: We put more fall-like winter neutral tones into it. I love a bright palette, but I also like to have neutrals. Yes, the first two palettes were just very vibrant, so this new palette has more neutral, contrasting tones.

It also has shimmers, mattes, and highlights.

There are also pearls inside the blush and the highlight. Beautiful products that are high quality yet affordable.

Kelly: Amazing Cece! I’m so proud of you, your journey, and your success!

Thank you for chatting with me.

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Warm Essentials Colder weather calls for warmer essentials. We’re updating our wardrobe for this winter with fresh pieces by Teton Trade Cloth, Urban Native Era, and Garrett Etsitty.

STYLED BY KELLY HOLMES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARALYN RADFORD

Models: Talon Diallo Long (Lakota) and Alyssa Merrival (Lakota)

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Talon is wearing Powwow Varsity Jacket by Teton Trade Cloth, $185, tetontradecloth. com; Blanket by Teton Trade Cloth; price available upon request; tetontradecloth.com NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE | 13

Alyssa is wearing Oversized Flannel Shirt by Urban Native Era, $160, urbannativeera.com; Red John Murie Satin Scarf by Teton Trade Cloth, $40, tetontradecloth. com

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Patches

by Teton Trade Cloth, $10, tetontradecloth. com

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< Chenille

<

Alyssa is wearing Sovereign Sunset Women’s Long Sleeve, $110, urbannativeera.com

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dana by Teton Trade Cloth, $15, tetontradecloth.com; White Cotton Bandanas designed by Josette Bluestone by Teton Trade Cloth, $15, tetontradecloth.com

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< Green John

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Murie Satin Scarf by Teton Trade Cloth, $40, tetontradecloth.com; hat: stylist’s own

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< Green Kira Murillo Cotton Ban-

Talon is wearing Beauty of Balance T-Shirt by Garrett Etsitty, $31, garrettetsitty.com; Green Cotton Bandana designed by Josette Bluestone by Teton Trade Cloth, $15, tetontradecloth.com

Green Overlook Winter Weight Blanket by Teton Trade Cloth, $200, tetontradecloth.com

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THE INSIDER

Helping Heal the People Donell Barlow suffered ailments growing up with no real help. Now she’s empowering and healing her people emotionally, physically, and spiritually through health and wellness.

Photo by Cami Bradley 18 | NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE

Donell Barlow’s (Ottawa Tribe/Yurok) diet was far from balanced growing up.

She usually ate processed foods unless she was with her grandparents, who had access to traditional foods. In her teens, Donell suffered ailments from her terrible diet, which led to her being seen by experts and doctors. Though she was only told she had IBS, no one provided her a new diet to try or allergies she may have been suffering. Then, Donell decided to take her power back, gain control of her health, and begin her nutrition journey. Once Donell’s passion for good health grew, she needed to share her knowledge and life experiences to heal others dealing with the same frustrations. She graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition as a Certified Holistic Health Coach and now works as a health and wellness coach with services spanning from customized meal plans and yoga classes to sharing healthy DIY recipes and baby care. Donell’s journey taught her food is a medicine; heal the gut to heal the body. Now, she incorporates some of

her traditional foods into her recipes, shares her culture, and inspirits her relationship to nature while enhancing the quality of life and empowering her people.

Donell’s maternal grandmother was Yurok and a master basketweaver.

Donell watched her spend a lot of time foraging materials for her baskets and traditional foods to eat. “She made jams and jellies with combinations of berries, acorn mush, and very dense bread she called “Indian bread,” says Donell.

“When I would spend time with her in California, we ate a lot of seaweed, salmon, and shellfish.” Donell’s paternal grandparents, who were Ottawa/Otter clan, made one dish that she treasured the most–a traditional corn soup they made on the stove that cooked all day.

Donell was raised by her father since she was seven years old. After her mother passed away, Donell ate mainly processed food, like fast food and microwavable meals, but not with her extended family. This eating style eventually caught up with Donell when

she was a teenager. “I experienced a lot of bloating, constipation, nausea, indigestion, and other related symptoms to IBS [Irritable Bowel Syndrome].”

Donell went to the gastrologist for help, but they only treated the symptoms, not the diet. It took an additional two years for Donell to understand and unpack her relationship to food, which was making her sick. That’s when she began eliminating specific foods from her diet and realizing instantly that dairy and processed sugar were responsible for most of her sickness. “As Indigenous people, we didn’t have these ingredients in our traditional diets; for this reason, we tend to be more sensitive and have a more challenging time digesting foods introduced after colonialism,” Donell explains. “This journey of listening to my body began to heal my gut, and I then understood what foods worked for me.” This entire ordeal is what fueled Donell’s passion for becoming a health coach.

It’s no surprise that the consumption of processed food is so prevalent in Native

Photo by Ben Fowler

@nativefox17

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communities. “The high consumption of processed foods in Native Country is directly related to the lack of resources when our traditional foods were taken away.” Donell continues, “thus, this time period was actively trying to sever our intimate relationship to the foods our ancestors ate.” According to Donell, this horrible period of time forced Native people to utilize ingredients such as lard, sugar, and white flour, which initiated the addiction to processed foods.

Unfortunately, these new relationships with processed foods were passed to the next generations. Food scarcity and lack of resources in Native communities also contributed to the problem, making processed food a staple in our diets. For Donell, the answer for change begins with unpacking our relationship to food.

“This means foraging, hunting, and growing communities gardens, being mindful of how we feel emotionally, physically, and spiritually when we eat certain foods,” says Donell. “Just as we can pass on intergenerational trauma onto the next generations, we teach our relationship to food to our kids by example.”

Donell’s work is all about nutrition, and she’s on a mission to share this knowledge with Native communities to educate them about how processed

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food negatively affects us. “We are all familiar with the quote, ‘you are what you eat,’ well, that holds with how we feel emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

The choices we make every day on what we eat and drink either initiate disease or support the prevention of inflammation.”

Donell explains that our gut is our second brain and has its own central nervous system that sends chemical messages to the brain, triggering bloating, constipation, reflux, rashes, and even migraines. Ignoring these messages by using over-the-counter medicines to mask the symptoms will lead to the gut becoming compromised and leaking partially-undigested food and harmful bacteria through small holes that form in the intestinal lining.

“This is called inflammation, and it can travel to any part of the body and ignite chronic disease,” she says. “For example, if it travels into the joints, it shows up as arthritis, and in the brain, it becomes Type 3 diabetes, also known as Alzheimer’s or Dementia.”

The problem with eating healthier is it can be costly, especially for those who live on the reservation. Eating clean requires access to fresh vegetables, quality meat, and whole grains. These resources tend to be expensive in some remote communities, so traveling some distance

Donell with her daughter; photo by Ben Fowler

donellbarlow.com

THE INSIDER

“I wanted to empower them to heal themselves. I love working with the youth to form a healthy relationship with food that will support them for the rest of their lives.”

is necessary to acquire them. This is why Donell highly recommends growing our own foods.

“The most affordable option is to grow food and trade varieties within your communities,” she explains. “This promotes food sovereignty and promotes a more intimate relationship to food.

Farmer’s markets and eating in season is also a good option for a more affordable meal plan.”

Incorporating traditional foods into our daily diets and taking control of our health and nutrition is considered a step towards decolonization. Per Donell, we can heal our gut by utilizing traditional foods, which is a direct action towards reclaiming our intimate relationship with food. “Our ancestors used plant medicine to prevent and treat disease; this was the first form of medicine,” she adds. “Many of the symptoms we experience through poor diet can be treated without Western medicine if we are committed to making the change. Relying on prescription medications for long-term care kills the good gut bacteria that protect us from disease.

This step doesn’t have to be complicated.

Donell understands that not everyone has access to traditional foods, so she suggests looking in our backyards to begin the process.

“As long as it’s not chemically treated or close to congested traffic, you would be surprised what kind of plant medicine is growing around you,” Donell explains. “For example, most of us have access to dandelions, purslane, and lambs quarters. These plants provide countless health benefits and grow in most rural areas.”

Making medicinal teas is a great start to include traditional foods into your diet; these greens can also be incorporated into a salad.

Through her work, Donell is helping her people by sharing knowledge and life experiences of proper health and nutrition to heal others dealing with the same frustrations. Donell’s journey through battling IBS and healing her gut by unpacking her relationship to food is how she uncovered her passion for this work.

“I knew that so many people suffer from similar circumstances, and I wanted to empower them to heal themselves. I love working with the youth to form a healthy relationship with food that will support them for the rest of their lives.”

Besides being a nutritional consultant, Donell is also a health coach, author, and facilitator.

With so much happening, Donell practices several forms of self-care to feel balanced. “I’m lucky that my creative expressions have become another source of income. Writing has always been a positive way to channel my emotions and express myself.” Though Donell never imagined becoming an author and sharing so much of her personal life experiences, she’s learned that being vulnerable about her past promoted additional healing for not only herself but all.

“There is no better compliment than when one of my readers feels seen and can relate to my words; it makes my heart dance.” She’s also enjoyed creating children’s books that represent our Native communities, where she’s witnessed the positive impact, which makes the work so rewarding.

Donell is always willing to help. She also helps non-Native people with her holistic health work, where she applies similar concepts as they must unpack their relationship to food. She usually inquires about their ancestors’ heritage and traditional foods and what their diet was like growing up. “They appreciate my perspective and are willing to learn. When people come to me for support, they have reached a point where they are fed up with Westernized medicine treating only symptoms and are willing to do the work it takes to heal themselves.”

This summer, Donell released her newest children’s book, Creature Teacher Yoga that includes yoga poses with Salish translations.

“While diet is important, it’s also essential to be physically active, and yoga consists of a mindful approach that supports an overall balanced lifestyle.”

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THE INSIDER

ART NEWS:

November/December 2021 Here are some Native art news in celebration of Native American Heritage Month.

All Images courtesy C&G Partners, exhibit designers.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York opens its newest long-term exhibition, “Native New York.”

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York, opened its newest long-term exhibition, “Native New York,” on Monday, October 25.

Designed for all ages and with content and experiences that meet New York state curriculum standards, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey to 12 significant Indigenous places in New York, stretching from the shores of Long Island through Manhattan to Niagara Falls. The exhibition uses objects, media, interactives, and narrative comics to demonstrate how New York is and always has been a Native place.

“Because Native American histories and cultures are still affected by inaccuracy and stereotyping, it is critical that the museum not only offers more accurate stories of the past but also shows how those histories impact contemporary life and Native people today,” said David Penney, the museum’s associate director

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for museum scholarship, exhibitions, and public engagement. Penney curated the exhibition with Gabrielle Tayac (Piscataway), whose years of consultations with Native communities (2013–2015) provided the exhibition’s scholarship foundation.

Through immersive environments, original illustrations, and first-person accounts, “Native New York” shows visitors that the region’s story is far more complex and compelling than outdated myths. Large-scale graphics create a sense of place, and a wooden path leads to 12 locations identified with their English and Native place names: • • • • • • • • • •

Battery Park/Kapsee (the sharp rock place) Long Island/Poospatuck (where the waters meet) Shinnecock Nation/Shinnecock (stony shore) Beaver Street/ Tëmakunk (place of beaver) Inwood/Shorakapkok (the sittingdown place) Van Cortlandt/Keskeskick [translation unknown] Empire State Building/ Tiotenonhsáte (the tall house) Manhattan/Manahatta (the place for gathering wood to make bows) Onondaga Nation Fieldhouse/ Tsha’ Thoñ’nhes (where they play ball) Onondaga Lake/ Onoñda’gega’ (people of the hills)

• •

Aurora/Chonodote (they grow peaches there) Niagara Falls/Niagara (thundering water)

Each location serves as a jumpingoff point for visitors to encounter a wide range of topics, from an Iroquois Nationals lacrosse game to the intricacies of the 17th-century furtrade economy. Woven throughout are narratives of resilience, cultural change

and continuity; connection to home and community; and the exercising of sovereign rights. The exhibition also features the six-minute film “The Trouble with History.”

In conjunction with the exhibition, the museum’s education initiative, Native Knowledge 360°, released a module on the “sale” of Manhattan in summer 2020. To support the lesson, the museum currently offers virtual field trips led by staff cultural interpreters.

The field trips will be available in person once circumstances allow.

In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples.

Visit americanindian.si.edu for more information about the museum and exhibition.

instituteofamericanindianarts

Several IAIA Students from the Reemergence 2021 Exhibition

IAIA 2021 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition “Reemergence 2021” The IAIA 2021 Fall BFA Senior Graduating Exhibition, Reemergence 2021, will run from November 10–December 10, 2021, in the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery on the IAIA campus. This year’s senior exhibition, Reemergence 2021, features IAIA’s eighteen graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies seniors. Reemergence 2021 is the first in-person senior exhibition that IAIA has held since November 2019. IAIA’s Fall 2021 graduating seniors weathered the COVID-19 Pandemic with admirable persistence—constantly creating and patiently waiting for the IAIA campus to reopen. Some students even deferred a semester to wait for a physical exhibition rather than a virtual one like the last three IAIA senior exhibitions. Now, in this capstone exhibition, IAIA’s graduating BFA in Studio Arts and Museum Studies students have the opportunity to reemerge into the art world as they showcase the culmination of their course of study in a physical exhibition.

Students’ senior year work closely with faculty, staff, advisors, and colleagues to create and articulate their conceptually driven body of work. Each student’s comprehensive body of work is then showcased in the senior exhibition.

Reemergence 2021 examines a wide

range of concepts spanning from identity to the effects of COVID-19 and a deep individual reflection of practices and medium. “Reemergence 2021 is the title because reemergence was something all these seniors mentioned,” says Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery Director Mattie Reynolds (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma). “A common theme with this exhibition is perseverance—finally crossing the finish line on top of going through a pandemic. These seniors persevered and committed so hard to finishing.”

Reemergence 2021 will include works in the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery, throughout the Academic Building, in the Allan Houser Haozous Sculpture and Foundry Building, and two virtual exhibitions by off-campus Museum Studies seniors, which will be viewable from IAIA’s website in the coming months.

“It feels so good to have a senior show physically in the gallery again,” says Reynolds. “Perhaps we’re starting to come out of the dark of COVID a little bit—into the light. This exhibition is a reflection of that.”

Studio Arts Students

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Brandon Armijo (Jemez Pueblo and Santo Domingo Pueblo) Chelsea Bighorn (Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux/ShoshonePaiute) Renee Chavez (Isleta Pueblo) Kelsey Frosch Fuku Ito (Japanese) Jonathan Loretto (Jemez and Cochiti) Joseph Maldonado (Tlingit and Ottawa) Jazmin Novak (Navajo) Kelly Tungovia (Hopi) Suni Sonqo Vizcarra Wood (Quechua Nation) Kelly L. Dale (Navajo) Amalia Sparks Lx Lewis (Cheyenne River and Diné) Tiffanie Irizarry (Ihanktonwan Dakota)

Museum Studies Students • • • •

Darvin Descheny (Diné) Johnny Gordon (Chemehuevi) Paloma Mankus Dawna Walters (Diné)

Keep up to date with the exhibition at iaia.edu.

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THE INSIDER

Photo by Nikki A. Rae Photography

The Indigenous Inclusion and Involvement of Meow Wolf This fall, Meow Wolf, the arts production company known for creating immersive experiences that transport audiences into fantastic realms, opened Convergence Station in Denver. We find out about the Indigenous inclusion and involvement of the new location.

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Meow Wolf began in 2008 as an informal DIY collective of Santa Fe artists who were considered outsiders of the Santa Fe art scene. These collaborative roots lay the foundation for Meow Wolf’s distinctive style of immersive, maximalist environments that encourage audience participation.

Now, Meow Wolf is an arts production company that creates immersive, multimedia experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms, and has four art installations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, and now Denver, Colorado.

In the Denver location, Meow Wolf’s third permanent exhibition called Convergence Station officially opened to the public in September 2021 and is considered unforgettable and transformational.

At Convergence Station, you discover immersive psychedelic, mind-bending art, and an underlying rich narrative as you take a journey of discovery into a surreal, science-fictional epic. Attendees can expect a brand new experience, otherworlds-ly art, and plenty of opportunities to get lost through portals and wormholes.

Meow Wolf is different from any other attraction or exhibition. Meow Wolf employs numerous full-time artists on staff who work in a wide range of media including sculpture, painting, fabrication, digital art, writing, film, and many more.

At each location, Meow Wolf prioritizes collaboration with local artists in the area of each exhibition. Meow Wolf also gives back to and participates energetically in the surrounding communities of the locations, actively supporting innovative, communityfocused art and social projects. In addition, Meow Wolf acknowledges and celebrates Indigenous people today and every day.

Meow Wolf’s three locations all sit on the ancestral lands of the Pueblo, Southern Paiute, Southern Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Arapaho, Northern Cheyenne, and Oceti Sakowin (Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota) peoples. Meow Wolf has taken steps to include Indigenous people in the creation of Convergence Station. As with the other Meow Wolf locations that have built relationships with the local Indigenous populations in the area, Convergence Station included the Denver Native community in the planning, making, and launching of its newest location.

To help me understand this effort I talked with Meow Wolf Community Engagement Specialist and Nuwuvi Artist Fawn Douglas, who is a member of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. We discussed the many levels of Indigeneity in Convergence Station: Sand

Creek Massacre remembrance room, IAIA [Institute of American Indian Arts] and UNM [University of New Mexico] Internships with Native American students, opening ceremonies, land acknowledgments, cultural appropriation training for employees, and more.

According to Fawn, Meow Wolf established their first official internship in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which took place over the course of eight weeks. The internship was propelled forward by the work that came out of our Inclusion Diversity Equity Accessibility (IDEA) team, putting words to action in efforts toward achieving equity in our company and community. For this effort, Meow Wolf partnered up with the IAIA and UNM to select nine interns from diverse artistic backgrounds, ranging from sophomores to graduate students.

More than half of the interns were Native American: Jazmin Novak (Diné), Gilbert White (Diné), Britney King (Diné), Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache), and Lindsey Toya-Tosa (Jemez Pueblo).

There was a land acknowledgment and Indigenous dance performances at the opening of Convergence Station. The land acknowledgment portion of the program was read by Meow Wolf manager Alex Bennett, followed by a prayer song by Howard Bad Hand. Robert Hawk, Stephanie Jerome, Travis Goldtooth, Shotae Teveter, Jourdan Kee, Huitzilopochtli, and drum group Colorado Singers were a part of the opening ceremony’s performances. The land acknowledgment is also a part of the building. Meow Wolf has a permanent sign with a land acknowledgment in the lobby of the Convergence Station, which they consulted with local Indigenous leaders to create. It reads: “Meow Wolf Denver is on the ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute people. We pay respects to the Indigenous people: their ancestors, their thriving communities today, and their knowledge keepers of tomorrow.”

Amongst the gorgeous exhibits created by Indigenous artists and creators, Colorado’s historical treatment of Native Americans is on display at Convergence Station with the Sand Creek Massacre remembrance room. Additionally, there are exhibits that combine elements of visual art, film, music, storytelling, and design which allow guests to participate in multi-ethnic, multisensory, and intergenerational experiences unlike anything done before.

Meow Wolf took it a step further with cultural appropriation training for the employees. “We met with an open heart. I started with a question if anyone had ever

Meow Wolf opened their newest location, Convergence Station, close to the heart of Denver. Photos by Meow Wolf.

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been guilty of appropriation, I discussed my embarrassment of that from long ago and how I learned from it,” Fawn shared with the employees. “That’s when others opened up. We had a conversation about the topic and how we move forward as humans. I lectured on history for context and understanding.”

The Indigenous inclusion and incorporation involved language as well. The interior signs of the building included not only English and Spanish translations but Arapaho as well. For example, a sign on the fifth level read: “5 TEEXO’OOWU’, PISO 5, LEVEL 5”.

Meow Wolf consulted with the Denver American Indian Commission to use the Arapaho language on all directional signage inside Convergence Station.

This joins English, Spanish, and Braille to promote inclusion at the Denver facility.

Of the exhibits created and led by Indigenous artists that are currently on display at Convergence Station, we spoke with the person who wrote the narrative and concept for the

room “Help Save My World,” Erika T. Wurth (Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent). Her novel, White Horse, is forthcoming from Flatiron/Macmillan.

How did you become involved in helping bring this exhibit to life at Convergence Station?

Erika: The people at Meow Wolf have been very inclusive. But I’ve got Lee Francis (Pueblo descent) to thank for my involvement. He worked tirelessly to connect me and others. What’s great is that there are Natives from completely different backgrounds who wrote and designed for Meow Wolf Denver.

Ah, so cool! So it was a long process in the making. That’s good to hear.

So tell me about your exhibition.

Erika: I wanted to write something that would be fun, speculative, and cool and fit in with Convergence Station. But I wanted it to be grounded in something local and Indigenous in a way that was not just visual, but also narrative. Grace Dillon (of Anishinaabe descent) created

this concept of Indigenous futurism.

I wanted to incorporate and use that to build the room around the idea that Native people had been given some opportunity to have a life unfettered by colonization on another planet.

In the room, you’re on another planet where all the vegetation is red and pink.

The visual designer and I designed one of the murals around the three sisters–a system many Indigenous people use– beans, corn, and squash growing together. Then for the other side of the mural, I looked at different and current contemporary Native American architecture. Therin (the visual artist) drew buildings that were speculatively based on that. So the idea is that on this other planet, Native people and their technology have been able to advance organically.

In the center of the room is a gigantic red tree with a mirror, projecting three stories. The first is me as a character named Naiche (a traditional Apache name). She asks people to help save her world and tells them about the

Exhibit “Help Save My World” Lead Artist: Therin Zimmerman Lead Narrative: Erika T. Wurth Photo by Nikki A. Rae Photography

Erika T. Wurth

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opportunity her ancestors were given and how they have this relationship, this new planet, Mother Liche–the Mayan word for red. And they grow their technology instead of ripping it from the earth. The second video features Stephen Graham Jones, a Blackfeet citizen and a local professor, and New York Times bestselling horror writer. In it, he’s talking about Denver and how he’s a professor and a writer. And then the last video is my cousin Abner Goodbear, a Cheyenne/Arapaho citizen, talking about how some of his family died in the Sand Creek Massacre, which occurred not far from where Convergence Station is standing now.

I wanted to have some really beautiful, fun, speculative, and contemporary elements with a little bit of history that I think is important.

Meow Wolf partnered up with the IAIA and UNM interns from diverse artistic backgrounds Meow Wolf established their first official internship in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which took place over the course of eight weeks. These interns had the chance to help with Convergence Station.

First photo: Interns at orientation. Second photo: Meow Wolf Community Engagement Specialist Fawn pictured with intern Jeanette DeDios. Third photo: Intern Gilbert White in the paint booth.

Photos by Meow Wolf.

Wow! That’s a lot of unique elements. How does Help Save My World tie into the whole Convergence Station?

What is the relationship to the station’s story?

Erika: Essentially, it’s just part of the speculative dreamscape that Meow Wolf is. They have their own larger narrative. People can go quantum teleporting to different parts of the universe from the Convergence Station. So my room, “Help Save My World”– theoretically would be a world you would teleport to.

That story sounds like it could be from a sci-fi movie!

The story is so interesting. Will you consider writing it into a novel?

Erika: I’d been writing a science-fiction novel, but, it had died. So I was able to bring it back to life with this opportunity.

Exploring futurisms allows us to look to the future instead of always thinking about our past. Also, we love Natives in science fiction.

Erika: Oh yeah. Every once in a while, a Native character would show up in a book I’d be reading, and usually, they were pretty two-dimensional. What’s coming out now, I think, would have blown my mind. In the work I’m reading by Indigenous speculative authors, we’re allowed to be in the future and to dream forward.

My forthcoming novel is speculative, but specifically, it’s horror.

Horror has always fascinated me.

We’re glad to see opportunities like this, especially for you as an author, to branch out and participate in an interactive exhibit.

Erika: I love watching Native folks interact with my room in Meow Wolf, take pictures, comment. That makes me really happy.

Something else we also noticed was when we went to Convergence Station for the first time, we saw the Arapaho language on the signs.

Erika: I approached Han Santana-Sayles [Director of Artist Collaboration] and said, “Meow Wolf has Spanish, English, and an alien language on it’s walls. I’d love to include Cheyenne, Arapaho, or Ute, and I will facilitate it. I will do whatever I need to do to.” So I found an elder through an acquaintance, Eugene Blackbear Jr., who translated for Meow Wolf.

That is very important.

Erika: That really mattered to me. I love my room, and it was so much fun, and it’s moving, but to me, that made me feel the proudest.

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Peshawn Bread

& Mistress Red

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Comanche screenwriter, director, and fashion creative Peshawn Bread makes her directorial debut with a complex and brilliant film about sexuality and humorous experiences.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARALYN RADFORD (OGLALA LAKOTA)

@the.pbread

Essentially, Peshawn Bread’s The Daily Life of Mistress Red took almost ten years to bring to life. The emerging director’s first few submissions to Sundance's Native Filmmakers Lab Fellowship were rejected, which inspired the two-time Sundance alum to passionately pen a story about a Native blogger who finds out her role model is a dominatrix for hire. The Daily Life of Mistress Red is a mockumentary that explores the world of kink, the power of Native women, and defeating white supremacy. The film’s lead character Marie Callingbird is a Native fashion boutique owner by day but dominatrix-for-hire Mistress Red by night. Marie takes the effects of racism, sexism, and colonization into her own hands by educating white supremacists through pleasure.

Thank you for joining us! Please share with us a bit of yourself.

The short, 10-minute film is packed with entertainment, education, and humor. It features Native art, culture, and fashion alongside topics that many Native communities have issues addressing, even considering shameful: BDSM, sex, and sex work. Unfortunately, the taboo of sexuality in Native communities is still prevalent, including homophobia, which Peshawn hopes to tackle with The Daily Life of Mistress Red. Peshawn enlighteningly addresses things like interracial dating, LGBTQ+ relationships, and slutshaming, to name a few, all in a brilliant manner. There are even mentions of sexual acceptance and empowerment.

Considering this is Peshawn’s directorial debut, Peshawn is primed to be the sharp, stylish, and successful Indigenous queer filmmaker the world needs.

Fashion has had a massive part in my life and has been another creative outlet for me. Aside from modeling, I’m now a creative director and stylist! I work with Teton Trade Cloth as their Creative Director, and I style all the shoots for them.

Lately, I’ve been working with different designers to help create direct campaigns and photoshoots. As well as working in collaboration with brands to bring in Indigenous creatives, with my fashion endeavors I do my best to bring in an array of representation and bring in Indigenous models, designers, and talent.

Haa Maurwee, my name is Peshawn Bread, and I’m a filmmaker creative director from the Penatuku (sugar eater) and Yapuruka (root eater) bands of the Comanche Nation. I love creating stories that center around Indigenous women, themes of sexuality, and coming of age stories. I graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a BFA in Screenwriting in 2020. I currently live in Albuquerque, NM, with my partner and my wild tabby cat Louis.

You’re also a well-known fashion creative. What fashion endeavors have you done?

What inspired you to pursue filmmaking? Did you work with any Native filmmakers starting?

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I’ve always been interested in filmmaking. I used to watch a lot of dramas and romance movies with my mother. She was a single mom raising three kids and Friday nights were our Blockbuster nights! She would ask us to pick two movies, and she would pick a movie for herself. I loved sneaking into her room or the living room past my bedtime to see what she would choose. I loved the intensity of the emotions the actors portrayed, the cinematography, and the use of color in all the films she watched! I knew I wanted to be a part of it when I was a kid. I started working on short film sets with Native filmmakers when I was in high school. Eventually, I was given the opportunity to work with Sydney Freeland on her first feature, Drunktown’s Finest, as her assistant! Her film helped me cultivate my love for filmmaking. I loved being on set and seeing so much creativity come together.

You are widely known throughout Indian Country as a stunning fashion model; now, you are stunning the world as a film director and screenwriter with your film The Daily Life of Mistress Red. How are you feeling right now, and how are you making a statement with your directorial debut?

I feel ecstatic and, in less good ways, to put it, “shook”! Positively, though! I think that I’ve been waiting to find the perfect story to tell. I’ve been writing for years, and when the energy of this story hit me, it told me, “to write...write...write” until it left my mind. This story isn’t about me or for me; it’s for everyone who hasn’t had the space to feel their sexual liberties and is looking to accept those things about them.

The statement I’d like to put out as a director is the following: I’d like to make stories for those in our communities who never felt like they fit in, who were comforted by films and are looking for a media that they could feel seen in. My films are for the Indigenous nerds, whether you’re into fashion, BDSM, comic con, or just like to nerd out about subliminal messages in films.

You’re a recipient of Sundance’s Native Filmmakers Lab Fellowship. Explain your journey of applying for the program and working with Sundance.

My journey with Sundance goes back to 2012 when I joined their screenwriter’s lab in Santa Fe. Then I was introduced as a Kellogg- Full Circle Fellow in 2014, where I had the chance to learn about the festival, what it’s like to get into filmmaking and how to become a filmmaker. When I heard of the Native Filmmaker’s Lab, I made it a goal to apply to it. It was my first year in college, and my first story was a 15-page period drama about my mother being raised by her grandparents in Oklahoma and encountering racism. I had submitted it to the program, and they liked it, so I advanced to the next tier: making a mood board, budgeting, picking a scene to workshop, and creating storyboards for the scene. I made it to the top four, but I wasn’t a recipient that year. I felt defeated but motivated to get it again, so I applied the following year with a story highlighting MMIW [Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women]; a Mom driving back from a powwow with her children stops at an abandoned gas station and is faced with the choice to save a Native woman seeking help or to continue along her trip. The story made it to the top four again but wasn’t selected. I took the next year off from applying, but in 2019 I wrote The Daily Life of Mistress Red and thought, “They probably won’t like this at all, but I’m going to do it because I love it!”

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The Daily Life of Mistress Red dominated the Indigenous team; they loved it, and I made it to the top four again. They called me one more time and finally asked, “Would you like to join us in Santa Fe for the Filmmakers Lab?”. At first, I thought I didn’t make it and that they just wanted my company there, but Bird Runningwater said, “You’re a fellow!”

I kept my composure on the phone but cried as soon as I hung up the phone! I workshopped my scene in Santa Fe and learned from mentors such as Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skins, 2019), Gregory Nava (Selena, 1997), Shaz Bennett, and Sally Fields!

In your very own words, what is The Daily Life of Mistress Red about?

The Daily Life of Mistress Red is about a Native blogger named Taylor who finds out her role model is a dominatrix for hire. The story is about her accepting Mistress Red and accepting her very own sexuality and being sexual. It’s a story about many things, but it depends on which character you feel closest to. I think everyone can relate to Taylor the most because we were Taylor at some point in our lives.

The Daily Life of Mistress Red is a unique story. What is the inspiration behind The Daily Life of Mistress Red? The inspiration for The Daily Life of Mistress Red came from many places. It came from my love of my culture and BDSM and my anger at how Indigenous women are treated these days and at the time, in the era of Trump. It came from my love for the BDSM community and how the dominatrixes I knew were taking on white clients and whipping apologies out of them! It came from a deep place of vulnerability. The inspiration also came from my sexual journey and dealing with trauma. Throughout the pain I felt writing this, I thought of who I wanted to see in media and what position I wanted to put Indigenous women in. It hurts when I see filmmakers putting Indigenous women and LGBTQ+ characters into situations where they get abused, raped, or killed. Why do I need to see violence on a screen? I know it happens every day and has happened to me. In a media that allows you to create your word, why continue putting Native women through pain?

I want people to look at The Daily Life of Mistress Red and know that we have someone on screen who controls everything in her world and laughs along with this crazy story. The inspiration to do a mockumentary came from my favorite movie, What We do in the Shadows by Taika Waititi. I’ve always loved comedy and tend to be “the funny one” in the family, so I thought, “why not change the narrative a bit in film and make a mockumentary about BDSM”? I also noticed in Indian Country that many people like to make jokes about things that hurt them, whether they’re heartbroken or experienced a mishap; Native people use laughter as medicine, and I do my best to hold that close!

A lot of inspiration for my stories comes from visuals, as I love stimulating myself with mood boards. For this film, it was pin-up model Bettie Page, fashion by CreepyYeha, American drag queen and burlesque/aerial performer Violet Chachki, and pin-up art from artists Ruttu [IG: @ruttu_ruttu] and Sveta Shubina [IG: @sveta_has], and of course, my love for Indigenous fashion and art.

What was it like working on the film? From casting to postproduction?

I’d have to take up the whole magazine to talk about this! It was a beautiful kinky journey. It was embraced with love but also brought up anger within the community. I had an online casting call and shared it on Facebook and Instagram in hopes of receiving hundreds of auditions, but I only received a few for Mistress Red. However, I did receive more for the vlogger character Taylor. For Mistress Red, I picked Jennifer Rader.

She’s a very talented actress who was positive about taking on such a role. I also cast Tyra Blackwater for the vlogger character, who fits all of Taylor’s traits. She’s active in her community as an activist and works with Indigenous goddess gang.

Then came the duty of set decorating. I had help from my friend and editor Roberto Fatal, who gathered props from the Bay Area’s BDSM community. I had fifty pounds of gear and toys in my TSA-Checked bag, and I had to write “Caution! Sex Toys! Please wear gloves when handling” on a piece of cardboard inside the bag. It was a crazy trip to Santa Fe where we rented a house via Airbnb to shoot in for two days.

Since we had a whole house to shoot, it meant that we had an entire house to decorate with Native art and a walk-in closet to fill with props and Native-designed clothing. My mother lent some works as well as artists Carmen Selam (Comanche/ Yakima), Brent Learned (Cheyenne-Arapaho), Cody Sanderson (Navajo), and Cara Romero (Chemehuevi). I wanted the set design to be all Indigenous, so you see Indigenous art from paintings, clothing, jewelry, and sculpture in every shot!

The Airbnb was perfect for shooting as well as a hotel for some of the crew. We shot on the weekend and had a crew who came from Oklahoma and Arizona. My cinematographer Sunrise Tippeconnie arrived in a van filled with equipment and camera gear. We haven’t worked together before, but it felt like magic when the two of us worked on The Daily Life of Mistress Red. We both understood each other well and were able to work out scenes together.

Production was tedious, and it took an incredible team to pull off an intimate story that required so much vulnerability on set. My directing style tends to be heavily rooted in trust.

In BDSM, you usually use a safe word when things get too intense and you need your partner to stop. With this in mind, my actress Jennifer and I came up with a safe word we told the crew before we started shooting. I made it clear that if the safe word was ever used, the camera would stop rolling, and all crew in the area would have to leave. The safe word was never used throughout all of our scenes, and I felt proud that Jen felt safe.

Now I’m in post-production with editing and putting all the finishing touches to the final cut. I’m working on a Kickstarter campaign and will be raising funds to help complete the film.

Your film features a Native pro-domme [professional dominatrix]. How does the lead character and film exude empowerment, confidence, and beauty?

Marie, or Mistress Red is everything I wish I had as a young adult. She is strong, understanding, and takes her sexuality into her own hands. She exudes her confidence.

Were you able to apply any bit of your experience as a model to your role as a director, or vice versa?

My experience in filmmaking actually helped me out as a model. Filmmaking in high school helped me out with modeling because on set; you see how a director treats the actors and its take after take, so the actors have to get themselves

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into a certain mode to perform and keep going into emotions.

Whether it’s an emotional scene and delving deep into those emotions and continuing after they say, “take,” then rush back into it. I was also really into cinematography, so learning a camera was helpful with my modeling because I would know where to look and how to pace it. If someone were doing rapid-fire shots, I’d have to keep continuously moving while being kind of in my mode or be a character for the picture. If a photographer were directing me, I would take that direction and do what I could to give them what they wanted for the shot.

Of course, directing my first ever film, I took as much as I learned and brought it into this production since this was my first film and it’s about kink. That’s a massive risk in terms of trust. It takes a lot of trust to bring people into this and create a space where people can safely feel that they can be their whole sexual selves or be a part of the BDSM community. I took the time to talk to the actors, especially the lead actress, to get to know her and create that space. I treated my actors like I would like to be treated on set as a model, with respect and kindness.

What bold artistic choices have you made for the film? How do you use them to make your mark on the thriving Native entertainment scene?

My bold artistic choice would be making this film in a mockumentary style. I feel healing through humor, and I learned that by just existing as an Indigenous person. I learned to take the pain and make it something to smile through and create a relatable story that doesn’t cause harm but carries healing. Laughter is medicine, and I feel that narrative is stolen from Indigenous peoples. I hope my artistic choices of goofy premises and dialogues can be understood throughout Indian Country, even quoted someday. The Native entertainment scene has many wonderful comedies such as Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls these days, and I hope to take this idea and universe to more powerful platforms.

What was your favorite part about making this The Daily Life of Mistress Red? Collaborating with so many Indigenous creatives who took this story as their own and worked hard to make it a reality. I loved being on set and seeing everyone get excited about the BDSM props or be so supportive with each other.

How different was the film from what you originally envisioned it being like to how it eventually turned out?

So the film started off being more focused on Marie, AKA Mistress Red, as a fashion icon with her having a physical boutique and a fashion line while showing the world of Native fashion, but that was cut out due to the budget. Of course, finding the soul of the story, which is the center and what the story is really about, wasn’t a film about Native fashion; it was a film about sexuality, BDSM, and sex work and with having those prejudices within Indian Country and coming to terms with what it is to accept sexuality and sex work.

And this allowed you to focus on your story.

Right. After workshopping a monologue by Mistress Red, I realized this was what I wanted to capitalize the story on. It

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Visit www.redambitionproductions. com for film updates and news.

Dress by ACONAV.

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“I want people to leave theaters feeling emotionally understood and that they’re not alone in life, that a character can be just like them or someone they know. I want to be the ComancheTom Ford.”

Stills from The Daily Life of Mistress Red. Courtesy of Peshawn.

wasn’t Mistress Red’s story, but blogger Taylor’s as well. She’s coming to terms with entering this new world of sex work and pro-domming as someone who’s not comfortable within her own body. So it went from a fifteen-page script to a ten-minute short film.

How does your film enlighteningly address sexuality? Also, how is it liberating? In contrast, how does it tackle the taboo of sexuality in Native communities?

This film shines a light on things I’ve never had conversations with a Native family member about sex: how to be comfortable in your skin, and how to have sexual power of yourself.

Sex work is the most important topic, and people are still judgmental of Native women being empowered through sex or doing sex work. Native sex workers deserve respect no matter what. Doing sex work doesn’t mean anything about someone’s character and doesn’t make them less Indigenous. Although we’re in a new era of social media spreading awareness, there’s still a stigma around sex work and sexually explicit content creators. There’s still shame projected onto each other, and with this film, I hope it brings a sense of understanding and respect that everyone can give sex workers. Not all Indigenous women find sex work empowering, and that’s okay. What’s empowering is supporting one another no matter what and creating a safe space to practice liberties in.

The taboo of sexuality in Native communities is still preva-

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lent. We see it through small aggressions such as someone telling us to hide skin when male relatives enter the room or when we see our relatives “slut-shame” someone wearing a short skirt. Sexuality is a spectrum of whether it’s loving someone of the same gender, opposite gender, or embracing your preferences. It’s time to educate and to tell young girls to be themselves and embrace every part instead of having them conform to what colonized societies led us to believe about the way we carry ourselves.

What other issues does your film combat?

With this film, I wanted to touch on so many things. Most people don’t think about interracial dating and LGBTQ+ or lesbian relationships, which is what Mistress Red and her partner are in this film. It’s an interracial, lesbian relationship.

I wanted to show this film with slut-shaming, but in microaggressions, which means someone not directly saying you’re a slut but being very judgmental. The lead character Taylor is conducting the interview, and as she’s getting all the information, she is so unaware of kink, sex work, the world of sex, and the world of explicit content. She becomes very judgmental towards Mistress Red and gives her some lip at some point.

I wanted to address slut-shaming and where that kind of aggression comes from, which originates from not being secure within yourself.

Many directors have their signature directorial “tones” or “styles” they’re known for that make their works stand out.

What do you hope yours will be?

In my filmmaking, I hope people will pick out my films by seeing my stylistic choices in fashion and by having strong but relatable characters. In The Daily Life of Mistress Red, I tried to have the color red be seen in every frame and scene. I wanted red to be prominent in the film to represent warmth, sex, and Indigenous peoples, as it’s a sacred color to many of us. Stylistically, I hope people will think my films are beautifully curated, and every piece, character, and color is gorgeous. Through tone, I want people to leave theaters feeling emotionally understood and that they’re not alone in life, that a character can be just like them or someone they know.

I want to be the Comanche-Tom Ford–watch A Single Man, and you’ll understand.

After getting to know you, your work and delicate filming process, how do you think your upbringing has influenced your oeuvre as a whole?

As an Indigenous queer filmmaker, I feel like my upbringing has influenced my work and what I want to see in my industry. A single mother raised me, and I’m a middle child who was really into fashion, Lady Gaga, and filmmaking. I feel like most of my stories are stories I wanted to see on TV when I was younger.

Where can your film be watched?

Currently, I’m working on a Kickstarter campaign to finance post-production funds for the film. You can see the trailer on the Kickstarter page or the production’s website, www. redambitionproductions.com. I hope to enter it into many festivals globally, have a festival tour and then release it online to the public a year later.

KICKIN’ IT WITH

Snotty Nose Rez Kids PHOTOS BY JOE PEKARA (CHOCTAW/TSALAGI)

Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce and Darren “Young D” Metz

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F

irst Nations hip hop duo and Haisla rappers Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce, also known as Snotty Nose Rez Kids, made rapping about experiences and struggles as Indigenous people over a blend of hip hop and trap their signature style. The pair received nominations, won music awards, received stellar reviews, picked up press support, and toured heavily in Canada with appearances in New York City, Seattle, and Australia. They quickly gained notoriety for their energetic, inspiring, and thought-provoking performances. Young D and Yung Trybez kicked off the year 2020 with the announcement of a new EP, Born Deadly, accompanied by their first U.S. tour.

Sadly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the duo postponed their tour. They also suffered the loss of many relatives, including a good friend, during the pandemic. Although Young D and Yung Trybez dealt with depression towards the beginning, they found the motivation to experiment with and create new music. In addition to releasing their EP to high anticipation, the duo kept busy with virtual performances and opportunities in TV shows.

They made it through a dark time and rounded out the year 2020 with two single releases and music videos, "Where They At" and "Screaming Indian."

The year 2021 is already packed with success, such as having their music featured in Syfy show Resident Alien and new single "Something Else." SNRK also commenced with their U.S. tour, having sold-out shows across the list of stops, including Denver, Colorado, where we kicked it with Young D and Yung Trybez before that night's concert.

Native Max: It's your first time in Denver?

Darren: Yeah, it's our first time here in Denver. It's cool.

Native Max: What do you think so far? What have you done?

Quinton: We got in mid-day yesterday. We went out for dinner, for burgers, and actually, I had the best burger I've ever had in my life. So there's that. Then today, we just kicked it, went out for brunch. Then we went out to the mall in north Denver. Just chilling, there hasn't been time to do much; that's just how it is when you're on tour. You get out where you can and just do things like this when it comes up.

Native Max: Awesome. So, unfortunately, the pandemic postponed your highly anticipated tour?

Quinton: COVID happened, and I guess me and Darren stayed busy by making music and Life After happened, the album we just made.

Native Max: What kind of music did you guys make in quarantine?

Quinton: All kinds, actually.

Darren: It's what you hear on the album. We had a lot of time to do demos, and with COVID and the uncertainty of how long it's going to last, it allowed us to experiment. We were able to try new things to step outside of our comfort zone and make some dope sh*t.

Quinton: Even down to punk music. We made something that's going to come out soon. We made a punk track with a punk band out of Toronto and like screamo rap, testing out autotune, different kinds of beats samples and tempos, and different styles of the genre. Just a lot of experiments. Like "D" said but had a good time of it at least. It kept us busy.

Native Max: So you guys couldn't move forward with your tour because of the pandemic. Who did you lose during the pandemic that hit close?

Darren: I mean, there's quite a few, to be honest. Our DJ, DJ Kookum–shout out to DJ Kookum–she became a mother this past summer. She's adjusting to that new chapter in her life. So she couldn't come on this tour, but she lost her brother at the beginning of the year. He just played such a big role in the community, and he just had a knack for making everybody feel good and making you feel safe. Just a good f*ckin guy. Kookum lost him, and that affected us as well. I know me and my partner from November to like the beginning of April, we lost like nine family members. It seemed like every week, one of our uncles, one of our aunties, grandmas, or grandpas passed; it was a dark winter for sure. Doing this album helped us not only vent but keep us sane. It's a pandemic. It's not like we were able to go to the gym or something like that, or even go to a restaurant even because things were on lockdown for so long. Music was really like our place of refuge.

Native Max: So you made "Uncle Rico" during the pandemic?

Quinton: Yeah. We made everything during the pandemic.

That's pretty much two years. In the first half of the pandemic, we were going through writer's block, creative blocks because our lives got shut down, and as artists, a lot of the stuff that comes from us is through lived experiences. When you shut that down, you kind of blocked the creative juices. It took us a while to get back into our zone and find our way. And "Uncle Rico" came out of that as well.

Native Max: And did you miss events as well? Because as Native people we love to gather.

Quinton: Of course, like this kind of stuff right here, what we're doing tonight in Denver is what we live for. This is why we do

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@snottynoserezkids

this, so for us to lose live shows and being able to interact with our people and have human-to-human contact, that's what put us into that mindset that we were going through in the earliest stages to the next stage of the pandemic. It put us in a little bit of a shock and then in a little bit of depression; that's what it felt like. For us to do this, this is our life; we love to do this. Live music is what we live for.

Darren: We did have virtual performances, but that's never the same. We love performing, don't get me wrong, but there's just something about being able to give our crowds good energy and safe spaces where they can just have fun. It's another thing for us to receive that energy from them, and it helps us too. It helps all of us as a whole as our spirits get lifted. We're excited as f*ck to be back in it.

Native Max: Let’s talk about the US tour. Was there any place that you're most excited about?

Quinton: I think the thing we're most excited about is just being out with people, just feeling that energy from the crowd and giving the energy right back to them.

Darren: I would say like a lot of artists, especially like us, before the pandemic hit, a lot of these things are taken for granted. I know for me, I had that mindset if I was somewhere and I didn't want to go out and experience it, I'm like, "whatever, I'll be back."

Then COVID hit, and it's like, "Oh sh*t." We took that for granted when people don't even get to do that in their lifetime. So with this tour, we're really doing every show like it's our last.

Native Max: How do you prepare for a show?

Quinton: A lot of the prep work comes months in advance.

We've been prepared for this for our whole lives, I would say. We come up being under pressure in basketball. Like timelines, no matter what it is, there's always pressure. We're kind of used to that, but as far as shows go and as far as prepping for the show, we prep months in advance: putting the set together, rehearsing with one another, and getting ready. As far as tour time, you're already ready, you know? You pull up, maybe go over a couple of songs in your head that you're not like a hundred percent on, then it's just showtime.

Darren: Honestly, after a couple of shows, it's repetition. You get more comfortable, a bit looser, especially even right down before the show. We both have our own rituals that we do. It's just repetition. Stay ready, so you don't have to get ready is that mentality that we have. We'll keep having that mentality for the rest of our careers.

Quinton: Exactly. Born deadly, like we're deadly, you're deadly, like we're all just like that. We're born like killers, just ready to take the moment when it comes for us. Like you said, we don't get ready; we stay ready.

Darren: We're all born with that deadliness.

Native Max: Another question. So this will be for our next issue, which is about Indigenous people and their heritage. So how has your work contributed to empowering our people?

Quinton: I think it comes down to us understanding our role in this massive machine that is the Indigenous movement and the rising of our people. We are a small moving part, and we take that part seriously. We are a voice for our people. You can't go into that lightly; you gotta be ready. Like we said in an interview this morning when you speak for a whole body of people, you have to be ready for negative feedback, positive feedback, all of it. You gotta go in with a mental headspace that says, "this is why we're here, and this is why we do this." People have to understand with a role like ours that we are just two kids from the Rez, from Northern BC who always speak from our own context. As much as we tell everybody's story, we are only speaking from our own context at the end of the day. That's all we can really do, but we are a small piece to a big puzzle, and that's just what Snotty Nose Rez Kids is. We're just a voice.

Darren: We do our best. We may not be perfect; in fact, we're the furthest thing from perfect. Nobody's perfect. We're going to make mistakes, and we're going to learn from them just like everybody else.

Quinton: On our last albums, we talk about land, identity, politics, all that. That's kind of what we built our foundation on. In our last album, we got more in-depth and into detail about who we are and where we come from, the traumas we come from, and the things that made us who we are. We really dig into that; to let people know there are more layers to us than what you see in the last few albums. There's a lot to us. There's a reason why we're not perfect. There's a reason why we do the things that we do or say the things we say. As long as it comes from a good place, I think we'll be all right. We're just trying to find our place in this world and doing the best we can, as "D" said.

Native Max: Anything else that you'd like to share with our readers?

Quinton: Life After is out now, so go stream it. Get those numbers up. New music videos are coming out, so check that sh*t out.

Native Max: Awesome. And is that what “Born Deadly” means? That you're born ready.

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ON RADAR

Film You Need to Watch this Native American Heritage Month:

Pure Grit

The incredible story of an indomitable Indian Relay champion, a sister, and a leader. Story by By Lori Tapahonso (Diné/Acoma Pueblo)

SHARMAINE WEED IN AN INDIAN RELAY RACE. (PHOTO: MARK CURTIS) 40 | NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE

ON RADAR

Sharmaine and her horse. (Photo: Kim Bartley)

Indian Relay racing is a tough sport that relies on physical strength, athletic ability, and the pure instinct of any athlete brave enough to give it a try. It’s a sport where champions proudly carry their heritage on their shoulders as they become one with their horses. The best of champions will tell you exactly who they race for; many times, alluding to the humility of racing for their families, their departed loved ones, and their ancestors.

28-year-old Sharmaine Weed is one such champion. Her incredible journey is the subject of a new feature documentary, Pure Grit, which premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival on October 24, 2021. It took the Best Editing award at Newport. That honor came on the heels of the Best Irish Feature Documentary award from the Galway Film Fleadh in Galway, Ireland in July.

The film does well capturing the beautiful imagery of the Wind River Reservation and the excitement of the culturally binding experience of Indian Relay racing. Almost juxtaposed, is a human story that is harsh at times, but manages to push beyond being just another story focused solely on damage.

It’s a story about Indigenous survivance the generative space between survival and resistance.

“The moment you hear them announce your race the adrenaline rush hits. Flushing through the body until you get on that horse and it goes away, for me personally”

Sharmaine explains about the excitement of the race. “And I chill calmly so the horse can feel calm with me. He feeds off my energy.

Just how everything else works in this lifetime.”

Sport Imitates Life Sharmaine (Northern Arapaho/Eastern Shoshone) began her racing career at the age of 12 on the Wind River Reservation. She quickly rose through the ranks of the sport, moving in and out of the top spot in Lady’s Indian Relay racing into her mid-twenties.

Her childhood spent living on the reservation was marred with struggle and uncertainty; her story sometimes difficult to hear. “I had things happen in my life that were hard to speak about. Within time, I learned things like that should be discussed. Because what is not discussed cannot heal. Many times we struggle with standing up for ourselves but it can be done.”

The challenges in Sharmaine’s younger life made the danger and unpredictability of Indian Relay a more appealing escape. Her ability to channel her energy and focus made the difficulty of the sport look easy, most of the time.

“It feels like you’re always at risk […] because you never know what muscles you’re about to use, due to the whole fact you’re on an animal with its own mind. So many

positions can be altered with just bumping another horse or having to avoid [other racers] all unexpectedly” Sharmaine explains about how malleable your body has to be in order to race horses bareback.

The same can be said about most important relationships in Sharmaine’s life. The film captures the rapid maturity of this young woman through repeated personal setbacks.

What she learns is that maneuvering through life requires the same rigorous emotional agility as the physical agility she mastered on the track. “No matter how bad a situation gets between you and your family or your love life, try your best to end […] on good terms respecting each other’s wants. We all have individual purposes and accept everyone has their differences. You’re not always going to agree on things but remain open minded.

Bite your tongue and don’t say things until after you’re done being angry. You’ll have less problems to worry about.’ That she is beyond-her-years wisdom is the silver thread throughout the film.

Mirror of Historic Relationships The film was directed by Kim Bartley and produced by Underground Films Limited in Dublin, Ireland. She became familiar with Sharmaine’s story after her own curiosity about female Indian Relay riders led her to coverage of her remarkable championship

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status.

Kim reached out to Sharmaine through Facebook hoping to connect in order to begin working with her to tell her story. Sharmaine wasn’t initially impressed with the offer, “When I became undefeated lady horse racing champion, many people wanted to film my story, but me and my family always said no. It felt important to us that those filming would understand and respect our ways and our culture.”

After declining initial offers to document her racing experiences, an in-person meeting was set up. Kim and her sound recordist, Colm O’Meara, both from Ireland, made the journey to visit Sharmaine and her family in Wyoming and a lasting friendship was born. “When I met […] the producers of the documentary I chose them to tell my story. They came from Ireland to film […] me, and they have become my friends. I would even say they are like family. I trusted them with my story. Together we represented the film to the leaders of my tribe who gave us their blessing. I think through this experience we grew and learned from each other,” Sharmaine says of the immediate connection she felt with her new film crew.

Kim notes, the feeling was mutual, “... there was a chemistry there to begin with and when we met in person we hit it off straight away. We were very lucky to also be invited in and treated like friends from the get go

by Sharmaine‘s family who have really now become like family.”

This project relied on the close bond between director and cast, which is evident throughout the film, “The kind of documentaries I make are always quite intimate and can only be made if the chemistry is right between myself and the person I’m filming with because documentary filming is a collaboration. It’s something we make together,” Kim says

about her style of storytelling. “Sharmaine appreciated that and liked the idea of having a say in how the documentary would be made.

We discussed things at every turn [....] it was a collaborative and very open process from the very beginning.”

This transcontinental relationship may seem an odd connection. It does, however, have roots in reciprocal relationships between Ireland and Native tribal communities that offered mutual support during the hardships of the Irish Potato Famine of the 1800s and Covid-19 emergencies on the Navajo and Hopi Nations. The relationships between the European country and numerous tribal nations are based on reciprocity, empathy and respect. Much like the tie between Sharmaine and her Irish storytellers.

Rider Becomes Coach The film does an incredible job of allowing Sharmaine to tell her story in her own words.

She is the film’s narrator. We hear through the inflection in her voice the pain, the joy and the uncertainty, at times.

Early on in the film, we are introduced to her sister Charity, who like Sharmaine, loves the thrill of a good horse race. Charity was a budding barrel racer who suffered a debilitating injury in a maiden race that caused partial paralysis of the left side of her body. Sharmaine put her life on hold, including racing to care for her sister and her niece, Kiara.

“When I first spoke with Sharmaine on Facebook she was going through a tough time because her sister Charity‘s accident had happened recently,” Kim says of her initial talks with Sharmaine. “So at first she suggested I contact other female riders, but I loved her energy and her openness. I told her I’d be happy to wait as long as it took until she

felt ready and that’s what we did.” The wait wasn’t long and the project was set in motion.

Sharmaine maintains an optimistic outlook throughout the film, despite multiple setbacks.

She explains the important lessons she learned early on that have helped her, “When derails […] happen, I remember my grandfather Crawford White Sr.’s words, ‘When someone is trying to do something good, the bad will always try to get in the way, but don’t let it!’

And just take it day to day, staying positive and working hard.”

Ultimately, it’s through her relationship with horses that Sharmaine learns to manage her energy, calm her spirit. Her respectful and compassionate nature is what connects her to human and animal alike, “Left with choice of reaction from experiences, according to what takes place on the track, I talk to or cheer on the horses I race. [...] And regardless of what place the horse takes I always thank them.”

As the film closes, the journey comes full circle from that of a young self-assured champion to that of a truly humble leader for her family and her community. “I think both myself and my partner Colm, who worked with me, came away feeling humbled by Sharmaine‘s indomitable spirit and attitude,” Kim says of the impact of Sharmaine’s story on her. “I think in the past three years when I’ve hit obstacles in my own life she has inspired me to pick myself up and keep going.”

Through trial and error; setback after setback; and unwavering survivance, Sharmaine realizes that everything she has needed to be successful has been inside all along.

Pure Grit is produced by Rachel Lysaght, Taylor Sheridan, Daryl Ross Begay (Diné), and Elizabeth A. Bell for Underground Films and Frontline Films.

Follow Pure Grit on Instagram (IG: @pure_ grit_film to keep up to date on where to watch.

Cast and Crew: Kim Bartley (Director), Kiara Tillman (Niece), Marilyn Tillman (Mom), Charity Tillman (Sister), Sharmaine Weed, Colm O’Meara (Sound Recordist). (Photo: Jeb Schenk)

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Reads by Native American Authors Books by Native American authors you need to read for Native American Heritage Month.

ON RADAR

50 Plant Medicines Indigenous Oral History & Perspective (EBOOK) It’s hard to protect what you cannot recognize. Many people are aware of herbs and their healing properties but are unable to identify them if they walk upon them on a hike. This book was written with good intent to educate more people so they can understand the value of the plants and protect our earth.

Many of the plants described in the book are used by Indigenous peoples differently from one another. Chenae Bullock shares her oral history can also be similar or different from other communities. The purpose of writing this book is to help share her own medicine to help readers in their journey to learn more about the plant medicines that have been used for thousands of years.

Where to get: www.moskehtuconsulting.com

The Adventures of Star Song A bi-racial, eight-year old, Lakota and African young girl, named Star Song is given special powers to save humanity through the help of two ancestors, an elderly, Lakota medicine woman named Willow and an Ashanti leader, named Baba Tutu. Her powers are activated using a strand of white cowrie shells and a blue feather. What makes Star Song unique is that she does not buckle under peer pressure at school, or when confronted by evil doers. She remains true in her cultural richness in her effort to save the world.

Where to get: www.amazon.com/dp/B09HG4VW8T

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ENHANCE YOUR IHS COVERAGE You may qualify for zero or low cost health insurance!

Get access to providers and specialty care services without impacting your IHS benefits.

855-752-6749 ConnectforHealthCO.com 44 | NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE