SPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2013
SPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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FEATURES
40 POWERFUL, FEMININE & TLINGIT Mother and daughter duo design team Shaax’sani and Mercedes innovatively remix traditional Tlingit sealskin into modern, contemporary accessory pieces
44 MODEL TALK: MARCUS TSO Native Max talks with Marcus Tso, a Navajo male model whose truest passions are education and philanthropy
46 NATIVE MEETS HARAJUKU Up-and-coming fashion designer Jolonzo Goldtooth presents his Harajuku-inspired Spring/Summer collection in this high fashion photoshoot downtown Alburquerque, NM
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NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2013
CONTENTS
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16 STYLE 09 11 12 13 14 16 19 20 22 25
TRENDING: SPRING DRESSES ACCESSORIZE THIS SPRING THE BUZZ: FASHION NEWS SULTRY STONES BY DINE CREATIONS STYLE FILES: JARED YAZZIE / OXDX RELEASE REPORT: INDIGENOUS PRINCESS BRIGHTEN UP YOUR SUMMER SPRING STAR STYLES MENS’ STYLE: BRAND NEW GEAR HIP HOP MEETS TATANKA
HEALTH
25 EXERCISING WITH OUR FAMILY 27 OGLALA PROJECT
LIFE
29 GOOD COMPANY: WE’RE IN BUSINESS 32 AMERICA’S DRUGWAR IS NOT OUR FIGHT
ART 33 34 35 36
SCULPTURE ARTIST CLIFF FRAGUA Q&A WITH MAMA LONGLEGZ AN ARTIST AND TRANSLATOR INDIGENOUS CREATIVITY: KEEPING IT ALIVE
CULTURE
37 PEACE AND BALANCE PROJECT 38 SAVING THE TONGUE WITH DR. ANTON TREUER
RADAR
51 ONES TO WATCH: SCATTER THEIR OWN AND NAKE NULA WAUN 53 MUSIC: SHE KING 54 MUSIC: ISKWEW SINGERS 54 TV/FILM: KIND HEARTED WOMAN
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MAGAZINE
Editor in Chief KELLY HOLMES Executive Editor/Director of Photography DEREK NEZ Executive Managing Editor JOHNNIE SISNEROS Creative Director/Graphic Designer MCKAELA ARVISO Media Relations/Southwest Director MARCUS TSOSIE Marketing/Sales CHRISTOPHER KINNEY Style Editor JOHNNIE SISNEROS Contributing Style Editor JESSICA DEE Current Events/Life Editor BRANDON ECOFFEY Art Editor ANJELICA GALLEGOS Health Editor OLGA GONZALEZ CONTRIBUTORS BROOK NEZ, FELIXIA CHISCHILLY AND FAMILY, MCKAELA ARVISO, HELEN ORO, CARMEN AND GARY DAVIS, GRETA WILLIE, ROBIN POOR BEAR, DAVID SUTHERLAND, CARA WHITE, ABBE HARRIS, RYAN CURLEY, MELINDA NAKAIDINEH, MARCUS TSOSIE, SHAAXSANI AND MERCEDES JACK, DR. ANTON TREUER, KEDA NEAGLE, BRIAN KELLEY, MARCUS TSO, GABRIEL YAIVA, BERT TALLMAN, CLIFF FRAGUA, JOHN GALLEGOS, THOMAS MORADO, SHE KING, JULIANA BROWN EYES, SCOTTI CLIFFORD, FRANK WALN, KODI DENOYER, SANDY SCOFIELD, FARA PALMER, ANDREA MENARD, WHITNEY MINTHORN, JESSICA DEE, AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE SPRING/ SUMMER 2013 ISSUE
NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE is published four times per year by Native Max & Other Media Ventures, LLC. To obtain additional copies, please email info@nativemax.com. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. COPYRIGHT 2013, Native Max & Other Media Ventures, LLC. Published in Denver, Colorado, by Native Max & Other Media Ventures, LLC.
Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, USA
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NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2013
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DON’T MISS NATIVE MAX AT THIS YEAR’S DENVER MARCH POWWOW! March 20th - Denver Coliseum, Denver, CO
EDITOR’S WELCOME It’s time for new beginnings and looking ahead...
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s we add one year to the history books and welcome a new one, we cannot help but feel excited at the ever-growing impact we have in Indian Country. Native Max was born with a desire to create change in the way that we are viewed in the mainstream media. The magazine was born from the desire to prove that we are more than the stereotypes, the tragedies of our past and the struggles of our present. It’s been six years since the idea of Native Max was conceived and only a year in business, and it has been an uphill struggle to overcome the obstacles that we have faced as a business and as a team. Through it all, it was the idea of helping to create change and the idea of showcasing the best of Native fashion, art, entertainment and
education that has driven us to succeed despite the struggles. As we look forward to the future, we are planning to host more events, expand our circulation and readership, and find the next generation of fashion and talent. We are excited to share with you the cutting edge of fashion as told through the designs and accomplishments of Native designers. It has always been our hope to give a voice to the best of today’s talents as they aspire to give an authentic voice to the mainstream’s view of who we are beyond the stereotypes. It has been such an honor to work with the inspirational individuals and organizations that we have featured and we look forward to what will be an amazing sophomore year for Native Max Magazine. The future is here and it looks amazing!
@kellzholmes KELLY HOLMES FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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STYLE
SPRING DRESSES
Once the temperature hits 60 degrees, it’s time to break out a femme dress in a cheery color or bold print
STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY HOLMES MODEL: MCKAELA ARVISO (NAVAJO) SPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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STYLE
WHITE LACE DRESS
Pair a lace dress with a leather jacket or boots for a unique look
GOLDEN ACCENTS DRESS
You don’t have to step out of your comfort zone to show off boldness
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STYLE Cross body purses surely made their season debut at fashion weeks across the globe, and are now our favorite accessory Leopard print crossbody purse, Charlotte Russe, $19.99
ACCESSORIZE THIS SPRING
PHOTO BY DEREK NEZ
Update your spring wardrobe with the latest accessories. NM fashion editors Kelly Holmes and Johnnie Sisneros pick out the perfect spring extras that complement your spring outfit
Chic-beaded medallions paired with vibrant feathers and jewels adds a pop to any outfit Beaded earrings, Erik Ramone, $55
PHOTO BY DEREK NEZ
Earrings with eye-catching graphics add a fun accent to any outfit Printed earrings, Southern Flame Designs, $55
Pastel floral shades, Charlotte Russe, $5.99
3 pack ethnic skinny belts, Tilly’s, $9.99 PHOTO BY DEREK NEZ
What screams spring better than floral prints and sunglasses? We like the floral print on the much needed accessory of the season -shades
We’re liking the ultra-thin belts! Wear one or pile on a few at a time in eye-catching graphics and colors
An intricately-designed necklace pairs with virtually anything Beaded necklace, Butterfly Beads, $55
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The
BUZZ A look at this season’s womens’ fashion news
the woman behind
DINÉ CREATIONS
In January, it was announced that Native fashion designer Patricia Michaels would be one of the 16 competitors on the 11th season of Project Runway, making her the first Native American to be featured on the show. In February, Patricia was also a part of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC, becoming the first Native American designer to be listed on the official program for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
VIRGIL ORTIZ UNVEILS NEW COLLECTION Virgil Ortiz unveiled The Blind Archer: Tahu’s Journey, a visually stunning series of clay pottery inspired by the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
Check out Fallon’s newest collection on the next page
BEYOND BUCKSKIN DEBUTS NEW LOOKBOOK
Beyond Buckskin finished up the photoshoots for their Lookbook, which features fashions by Alano Edzerza, Jared Yazzie, David Sloan and Candace Halcro, and couture by Consuelo Pascual, Bethany Yellowtail, Jamie Okuma and Dick Bernanin.
CHECK OUT NATIVEMAX.COM FOR MORE UPDATED FASHION NEWS 12
NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2013
FALLON SNYDER-MORRIS: DEREK NEZ
PATRICIA MICHAELS MAKES HISTORY
Fallon Snyder-Morris is Diné from Pinedale, NM, a small community outside of Gallup, NM. Fallon is a jewelry designer and has her own fine-jewelry line Diné Creations, a line of contemporary jewelry with a modern twist on traditional Native American jewelry. Made of natural stones such as turquoise, coral, onyx, and lapis, Fallon also works with high-quality beads, Swarovski crystals and sterling silver. Fallon’s designs for her jewelry are inspired by her childhood on her homeland and memories of growing up by the red mesas. “When I was young, I would watch my mother Helen, Grandmother April and my aunt Esther make the most amazing jewelry, hand-woven rugs and beadwork. Watching them use the unique colors from the spring flowers and the colors of the mesas, they taught me to use the colors of our land, trees, flowers and even the sky,” Fallon explains. “I lived in the desert, but there were always so many beautiful colors on the reservation.” Fallon continues to design jewelry and travels to shows and fairs.
STYLE
TREND ALERT
SULTRY STONES Embrace the vibrant subtlety of Dine Creations’ works of arts to accent your summer wardrobe PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEREK NEZ
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STYLE
STYLE FILES
JARED YAZZIE When you see some of the clothing of OXDX, an apparel line making a reputation throughout Indian Country, you can’t help but buy a t-shirt or hoody of your own. With artistic designs in eye-popping colors, every piece of clothing seems to tell a story- a t-shirt “That is clever!” We talk with the Jared Yazzie, the guy behind OXDX
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ared Yazzie, Navajo from Holbrook, Arizona, realized he had a knack for art and designing at a young age. Besides having his own tribal shirts made for him, Jared typically received hand-medowns from his two older brothers. He developed his own style and layered his hand-me-downs with other clothing and matched unique colors combinations together. “There is a lot you can accomplish with a DIY state of mind” Jared started to design his own t-shirts when he participated in clubs like A.I.S.E.S. and Student Council in junior high and high school. “Every year these clubs always wanted t-shirts made and I was the guy with sketchbooks full of ideas, and designs to make them happen” When Jared was in college at University of Arizona, he took his t-shirt designs to the next level and started making over-sized stencils of his art and designed his own tees with fabric paint and a hair dryer. Jared admitted to us that while living in Tucson, AZ, he realized how others around him were losing themselves in the city, especially other Native Americans. “I frequented trips to the reservation so I can still have that close tie to home. I was always taught to never forget my Native culture,
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and to be proud of my people and where I come from” In his second year of college in 2009, Jared was tired of seeing others move into the city and eagerly become part of a system he thought was corrupt and forgetting who they really were.” There is a song in Lupe Fiasco’s album ‘The Cool’ called ‘Baba Says Cool for Thought’ and the song is basically an intro into the album and it’s a spoken word poem about discrimination, violence and historical acts from misguided people that thought at the time, it was cool. In the end the poet recites ‘…freeze. Because the problem is we think it’s cool too. Check your ingredients, before you overdose on the cool’” Those words stuck with Jared and soon inspired him to become successful and make his people proud. He first tagged his works ‘Overdose’ which led to his current clothing line name, ‘OXDX’. Jared is influenced by street style, graphics and story-telling. Jared’s creations depict Native American struggles, street art and music. He makes sure that majority of his designs tell stories that tie into his culture and traditions, and issues that Natives face today. One of his t-shirt designs that’s the most popular in the southwest is ‘Water is Life’, a design that reflects
STYLE a major issue that the Navajo Nation faces today. “This was an important piece I felt had to be made to shed light on this current issue that others are unaware of. We should always be educated on issues that affect our home and our people. With OXDX, I try my best to promote education and truth” Jared sets his clothing line apart by designing with strong ideas, bold colors and graphics that pop with style and stories. When asked where he sees himself and OXDX in five years, Jared just wants OXDX to become one of Indian Country’s hottest clothing lines. “I would like to get to the level of the giants in the street wear industry like designers Jeff Staple and Benny Gold” Aside from being a young graphic designer with a popping clothing line, in which every collection he debuts each season sells out almost immediately, Jared considers himself “cool and confident with style” A fan of fitted caps, Jared also takes inspiration from the colors of most of his own fitted caps. Jared is certainly making a name for himself alongside the dozens of Native designers and OXDX is gaining popularity so fast that it’s considered a threat to some. Even though Jared has been designing and selling tees since his college days in 2009, he feels like 2013 is the first year OXDX will be introduced as a competing business. “We have increased our quality, our reach and our goals. I’ll be releasing over five new designs and launching the OXDX women’s line. Be sure to keep an eye out for OXDX Clothing and OXDX events coming”
Jared designs his graphics either by hand or computer. After designing a handful of graphics, Jared admits he combs through all and decides which ones make it to OXDX
What sets OXDX apart from other apparel lines are the versatile designs, and their availability. Jared’s designs come in mens’ and womens styles of tops
HOW TO STYLE AN OXDX T-SHIRT, JARED’S WAY ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF JARED YAZZIE
“The t-shirt is a classic item anyone can wear. Mine tend to be that armor I suit up before I hit the real world. A clean, crisp tee with a smart graphic inspires confidence in me. Pair that with subtle matching high tops and a turnedNew Era cap and I’m on my way. I’ve designed a lot of tees around the color combos of my fitted caps. If you’re not hitting the streets I suggest fitted denim, nice dress shoes and a hint of turquoise or sterling silver jewelry. Whatever makes you feel unique and confident”
Jared with his “Mis-rep” tee, a popular design from his line. “Mis-rep” is Jared’s twist on MLB team Cleveland Indian’s signature mascot
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STYLE RELEASE REPORT
INDIGENOUS PRINCESS SPRING COLLECTION Cover girls’ Mercedes and Shaax’sani release a new spring collection that rightfully embodies what an indigenous princess means PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANJELICA GALLEGOS
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Seal Spearing Dress, $680; coyote canine, sealskin, Swarovski crystals and metallic leather bracelet, $350; sealskin and seed bead soft bangle, $100; skull band hair accessory, $60; sealskin, Swarovski crystal and walrus ivory earrings, $150; Ermine and metallic leather clutch, $480
STYLE
‘I’m Not Your Pocahontas, Bro’ dress, $220; sealskin, Swarovski crystal and lynx claw earrings, $120; snakeskin cuff, $220; badger claw cuff, $220
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STYLE
Sealskin and satin dress, $960; bear claw necklace and earring set, $150; Love is a Battlefield Part IV scar series sealskin bracelet with tiger’s eye, $320; sealskin and metallic gold leather soft bangle, $100
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STYLE
BRIGHTEN UP YOUR
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEREK NEZ MODEL: FELIXIA CHISCHILLEY (NAVAJO)
SUMMER Sophisticated, simple and ultra femme, it’s all about the details, color combinations, and effortless simplicity. Spring your wardrobe forward with these spring trends EASY BOHO
Style yourself in a flowy, lace blouse for a picture perfect look Peach lace top, white tank, denim shorts, leather and chain cuff, floral headband, all Charlotte Russe
JUICY DETAILS
At this time of the year, it’s all about pops of color to brighten up your outfit Neon blazer, Charlotte Russe; White tank, Charlotte Russe; Purple shorts, Charlotte Russe
CORAL AND MINT
The must-have hues of the season is soft and feminine. Pair them together for that eyecatching tropical look Coral top, Wet Seal; Mint pants, Charlotte Russe; Silver and mint bangles, Wet Seal
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STYLE
< Designer Milleonya
MILLEONYA DESIGNS EDITORS’ SPRING PICK: KACHINA COLLECTION BY MILLEONYA Purse designer Milleonya is a member of the Mashantucke Piquot Tribe, from Mashantucket, CT. For her spring line, she designed Kachina Collection by Milleonya, a line of purses that are inspired the Kachina dolls of the Hopi people. “The Kachina bags are inspired by the Kachina dolls of the Hopi people. My collection started with thinking about the different cultures of our world. I realized when we carry a purse or bag, we carry our belongings that is ‘us’ inside, carrying our spirits with us” Milleonya explains her inspiration for her spring collection. “Kachinas are spirits.” Milleonya created her line of purses, with each purse representing a different Kachina. “Each bag inspires a different mood.” Milleonya says that when a woman buys and wears her Kachina purse, they’ll carry a story; history of the Hopi tribe. Milleonya also wants to give back to the Hopi people by donating proceeds of her sales of the Kachina collection to a cause of her choice at the end of the season. “I love the different cultures all around the world. My goal is to travel the world and learn as much as I can from all the tribes I visit. And when I design a collection that’s inspired by a certain tribe, I will give proceeds of the sales back to that tribe.” Milleonya didn’t go to school for fashion designing, she learned to design and sew from other members of her tribe. “To me, this is art. Each of these bags are unique, handmade and one-of-a-kind. A piece of my spirit is in each of these bags I design.” In three words, Milleonya wants the woman who wears her purse to feel “proud, sacred and exotic.” “Proud because of whom you are and sacred due to the traditional story that comes with the purse. And exotic because you feel beautiful when wearing a purse.” The phrase Milleonya lives by everyday is ‘the sky is just the beginning’. “Everything is limitless beyond my imagination. I can’t wait to design more collections in the future.”
Our fashion editors Crystal Lee and Kelly Holmes share their favorite spring picks from Native fashion lines Milleonya Designs and Beaded Ear Candy by Wawokinyan Win
Milleonya’s Bear purse
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Milleonya’s Kokopellmana purse
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MILLEONYA
SPRING STAR STYLES
STYLE STAY UP TO DATE WITH BEADED EAR CANDY Beaded Ear Candy’s spring line is available for purchase exclusively at her Etsy (etsy. com/people/jeanineweaver). Get updates on sales and newly-released earrings and other jewelry, check out her Facebook page: Ear Candy by Wawokinyan Win
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEANINE ROGERS-WEAVER
BEADED EAR CANDY BY WAWOKINYAN WIN EDITORS’ SPRING PICK: SPRING COLLECTION BY BEADED EAR CANDY Beaded Ear Candy by Wawokinyan Win is a line of colorfully-beaded and beautifully-designed earrings. What sets Beaded Ear Candy by Wawokinyan Win apart
are their colors; each pair of earrings are beaded with vibrant bright-colored seed beads. Due to their bright design, these earrings do remind us of actual candy. Jeanine Rogers-Weaver, also known by her Lakota name Wawokinyan Win, is Lakota from the Oglala reservation in South Dakota. She beaded ever since she was fifteen years old. “My mother beaded, and I would watch her take beads and create something beautiful; it inspired me to do it as well.” Jeanine says. It wasn’t until recently Jeanine decided to create a line of jewelry. “I decided to
start making my own jewelry in honor of all the women who impacted my life throughout the years”, Jeanine explains. “All these women were traditional, well respected, positive and unique.” Jeanine is a marine wife who loves designing earrings with vibrant colors, both neon and bright. Her family, culture and modern trends inspire her designs. “I come from a very traditional family, so I still want to incorporate some of my cultural aspects into my designs; yet I want them to be modern, with a lot of prayer.”
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STYLE MENS’ STYLE
BRAND NEW GEAR Hottest apparel for the summer PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEREK NEZ MODELS: RAIN STORM AND CLIFFORD ANDERSEN (LAKOTA)
Pink Dri-fit Shirt, $31.99, nikebetterworld.com; shoes, Adidas; pants, stylist’s own
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STYLE
Matte silver chain, $30; bright hat, H&M, $5.99
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STYLE
Belt, H&M, $17.95; aviator shades, H&M, $9.95
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HEALTH
EXERCISING WITH OUR FAMILY Olga Gonzalez explains why exercising with our family is as important as keeping ourselves healthy PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEREK NEZ
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hildhood obesity is now an epidemic among Native Americans. According to the Medical Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Obesity has become a major health problem in American Indians only in the past 1–2 generations and is believed to be associated with the relative abundance of high-fat foods and the rapid change from active to sedentary lifestyles.” Healthful eating and physical activity must be taken very seriously if we are to stop this dangerous trend and ensure the survival of our people. We must educate ourselves and make healthier choices about what we and our children eat as well as becoming more physically active. These efforts must begin with us as parents. We need to role model for our children since they will eat what we eat and will be as active as we encourage them to be. Establishing these healthy habits at a young age, will have the most long- lasting effects on our children. Exercising with our children is one of the most important things we can do as parents. It promotes good health and family unity and it teaches our children the importance of taking care of their health. Above all, it shows our children that we love them and that we care about their future! Research lists numerous benefits of exercising. For example, the website, www.livestrong.com, stated that several diseases can be prevented if our children get regular exercise including; diabetes, allergies, thyroid imbalances, abnormal cholesterol levels, heart problems, respiratory issues and orthopedic problems. Additionally, they stated that some experts believe
that some childhood mental disorders like depression, anxiety and attention issues can be improved through regular exercise. Another website, www.kidshealth.org, also shared that kids who are active: • Keep a healthy weight • Build and keep healthy bones, muscles and joints • Sleep better at night • Feel less stressed • Have a better outlook on life • Feel better about themselves • Feel more ready to learn in school • Have improved memory • Are better able to concentrate In order for our children to achieve these benefits, it is important that they get at least an hour of physical activity every day. We often assume that our children get enough exercise at school in PE class or during recess. This may not be the case. Some schools don’t offer daily PE class or have shortened time slots. Therefore, it is necessary for us, as parents, to work in some active time while our children are home. Parents can be very creative when it comes to exercising with their kids! Some parents have their children join them while they rake leaves, sweep or clean the snow off the sidewalks. These activities can often
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HEALTH
turn into jumping on piles of leaves together or building snowmen, making snow angels or a good ol’ snow fight! Other families make it a point to go for walks after dinner. This allows for sharing talks about the day’s activities in addition to getting your heart rates up. I personally enjoy dancing to my favorite music while I get cooking and cleaning done around the house and invite my girls to join me. It is fun to watch them imitate my moves or expressing their own rhythms! On days when the weather outside isn’t ideal, parents can join their kids interactive games like the Wii Sport, where they can play tennis, box, fence or dance to Zumba inspired songs! There is something for everyone and interactive video games are an excellent way to get some fun physical activity in the comfort of your own home! “The American Heart Association and Nintendo recently teamed up to promote the use of the Wii Fit to help Americans meet recommended physical activity guidelines. The goal of the partnership is to teach people how so-called “active-play” video games encourage regular exercise. If you’re having a tough time getting your child to play outside, consider buying a video game that requires the child to get moving.” (www.takethemagicstep.com). Medline Plus online also cautioned that, “As kids spend more time watching TV, they spend less time running and playing. Parents should limit TV, video game and computer time. Parents can set a good example by being active themselves. Exercising together can be fun for everyone. Competitive sports can help kids stay fit. Walking or biking to school, dancing, bowling and yoga are some other ways for kids to get exercise.” As you can see, exercising does not have to be a super structured
activity, nor does the full hour of daily exercise need to be done all at once. According to the website, www.takethemagicstep.com, parents can encourage a little bit of exercise at a time. Minutes spent playing kickball with friends during recess count toward the hour-long daily goal, as does climbing trees in the backyard after school. “It doesn’t have to be all at once,” says Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA. “Kids should be doing things appropriate for their age, so that [exercise] becomes a behavior and a natural part of what they do.” I think back to my own childhood and the days when I would spend countless hours OUTSIDE playing with my siblings or kids from the neighborhood. We would get so involved in games of freeze-tag, hide and go seek, hopscotch or whatever else our imaginations could think of, that we would forget to come home when it was dark. It wasn’t until my mom would yell for us to come inside that we realized it was time to get back home. We were an active bunch of hard-breathing, sweaty kids with big smiles on our faces at the end of the day! I remember my dad playing frisbee or baseball with us outside and how special we all felt to get his time and attention. I remember my mother playing her favorite disco records while doing her weekend cleaning and all of us kids dancing around the living room with her. I credit my parents for teaching us kids how to make exercise fun and for the gift of good health that I have now passed on to my own daughters! May you and your children create beautiful memories together and may your futures be happy and healthy!
“I credit my parents for teaching us kids how to make exercise fun and for the gift of good health that I have now passed on to my own daughters”
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HEALTH
OGLALA PROJECT Global Natural Health Alliance is a nonprofit organization driven to provide free natural health care options to the people of impoverished communities in developing nations, starting with the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. BY ISABEL BISHOP
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urrently, this organization is working on improving and implementing these options to the Lakota people on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. They are providing workshops on food-growth so that the Lakota people will not only have fresh food, but will be able to grow it themselves. GNHA is also providing free yoga classes and natural health clinics. They are working towards establishing permanent natural health clinics while incorporating knowledge from local traditional healers and natural health professionals around the world. The GNHA was created by Lindsay Herrera and David Kaplan; based upon their dreams and passion for natural health, sustainable systems, renewable resources, and desire to assist communities of the developing world. In October of 2010, they began the projects on Pine Ridge including a jail garden, permacultures, and yoga classes. Within a short four day initial experience, the volunteers and creators of GNHA were humbled as they saw first-hand the despair and poverty that was taking place within our
country. The Oglala Lakota people live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which houses the largest population of residents. The weather in Pine Ridge is brutal; as they are frozen with bitter winter winds, and then burned with scorching summer heat. Both of which take a negative toll on their exposed homes. Not only are the people affected negatively from the environment, but also internally, within their bodies. Diabetes, heart disease, and obesity runs rampant throughout, created from malnutrition. Preventative health care for them is essential. The Lakota are nomadic by instinct, and used to follow buffalo as far west as Montana. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 forced them to live on the Reservation. However, they had never known agriculture, so providing food for themselves has become rather difficult, not to mention the fact it is impossible during the cold winter months. The same buffalo meat that is sold in Fort Collinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; grocery stores for $7 per pound is being sold on this Rez for $14 per pound. Because healthy food is not within their means, junk food is
READ MORE ABOUT GNHA AT: http://www.gnhalliance.org/
what they resort to purchasing. Another amazing project that is being created and implemented by the GNHA is the Pine Ridge Jail Garden. It will eventually consist of six plots that each are about 120ft x 150ft. The 6,800 inmates will be in charge of maintaining the garden, and the food will be harvested for use in the jail as well as remaining food will be distributed to the Pine Ridge community. Not only will this massive project immensely improve the mental and physical well-being of the inmates, but it will give them the tools necessary to be able to provide food for their own families once they return home. One volunteer on this project is counselor, yoga instructor, massage therapist, and Native American, George Bishop (Mohawk). Taking time out of his own busy single dad life, George has driven numerous times to South Dakota to be able to help instruct yoga, attend ceremonies, cultivate the gardens, build wind protection, and connect with the community. One major setback that George noticed was the lack of resources the land had. Minimal trees, limited water, and harsh winds made gardening more than difficult, even for this experienced agriculturalist. The Pine Ridge Reservation is the poorest place in the United States. Alcoholism is more than prevalent, and even with the Rez being dry, they are able to purchase alcohol at nearby liquor stores and bars in the town of Whiteclay. With half of the population being under 18 years of age, there is an extremely high suicide rate. By retelling stories of Wounded Knee and educating American citizens about the significant history of this reservation and area, maybe then we can prove to the US Government that it is a PRIORITY that we all provide support and take action. We here at Native Max are more than concerned about these Natives and we urge our people and government to step up and take action. SPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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LIFE GOOD COMPANY: WE’RE IN BUSINESS Native Americans are having a huge impact on the U.S. economy as entrepreneurs. With more Natives starting their own businesses, Indian Country’s economic future seems brighter and stronger than ever before. In this issue we took a hard look at the numbers, and spoke to fellow Native entrepreneurs; ones who are veterans of the business world, and new ones who are working to establish themselves in their respective fields.
GARY DAVIS
BY KELLY HOLMES AND BRANDON ECOFFEY
PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY DAVIS
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LIFE
W
hen you think about someone starting their own business, it may seem a little silly at first. You may wonder why would anyone want to start their own business? How did they do it, and when? For business owners, nothing about starting up a business is easy. However, when we sat down with these emerging entrepreneurs it quickly became apparent why the people we interviewed decided to form their own companies. In this first series of “Good Company: We’re In Business”, we speak to Native entrepreneurs Gary “Litefoot” Davis a Cherokee and president of National Center of American Indian Enterprise Development, Kelly Holmes a Lakota and founder of Native Max magazine, Keda Neagle a member of the Dine’ nation who runs her own massage boutique and Brian Kelley a member of the Menominee Nation. We get their insights on starting a business and ask them what it takes to keep it going successfully. We also ask for their advice to inspiring entrepreneurs. ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIAN COUNTRY In 2007, the amount of Native American-owned businesses was at a low number of 300,000, the lowest of all racial groups in the U.S. In that same year, the gross revenues by Native owned businesses were estimated to be approximately $34.4 billion by the United States census commission, a 28.0 percent increase from 2002. Also in 2007, there were 4,599 Native-owned businesses that made $1 million or more. Despite the low numbers of actual Native entrepreneurs trends seem to be changing and we are seeing an increase in startups all across Indian Country.
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A member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Gary Davis has started several businesses within the past two decades. “I started my first business in 1992,” explains Gary. Gary’s businesses have ranged from a variety of sectors from entertainment to renewable energy, to consulting, real estate and acquisitions, to name a few. In June 2012, Gary was appointed president of NCAIED, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting American Indian economic and enterprise development, contributes to leadership, small business and economic development for Indian Country. Ever since then, Gary has assisted with “First it started with Native Max Magazine, and now it branched into a media brand” says Kelly Holmes, Lakota from the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Ms. Holmes is the president of Native Max & Other Media Ventures, a media company that offers production services for various media projects. Native Max magazine has quickly established itself as a source of inspiration to Native people from all walks of life. Keda Neagle, Navajo of the Cliff Dwellers People, Red Running into the Water People, Black Streak Wood People and Towering House People from Ganado, Arizona, owns her own massage business in Denver, CO. Keda’s massage businesses offer a variety of wellness modalities in massage, bodywork and skin care. Keda brings over sixteen years of experience in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Neuromuscular, Hot Stone, Pregnancy, Sports, Reflexology, and Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage to her business. “I have owned my current business for the last four years; before my bait and tackle shop I owned a barber shop called FadezN-Braidz since April 10th 2003,” explains Bryan Kelley, who’s a business man from the Menominee tribe of Wisconsin. “I closed those doors after I got into the fishing supplies business.” After closing his barber shop down last year, he focused more on his bait and tackle shop Legendz, which is located on the beautiful Menominee Reservation in Keshena, WI. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS? Starting a business that originates from, operates in, or is inspired by Native communities is often an exercise in persistence, political skill, as well as a leap of faith. Because of the multiple layers of bureaucracy and old school politics that exist in Indian
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Country operating a business can sometimes seem like a risky venture. Native Max felt that it was important that we ask our panel of entrepreneurs what inspired them to create their own businesses. “It’s all I’ve ever known, in the sense that my father was an entrepreneur,” says Gary. “I saw that if he went to work every day and worked hard, it allowed us to live comfortably as a middle-class family, it provided us a good way of living” Gary noticed that his father’s future and destiny were really based on how hard he worked, and that inspired him more. “When he worked, no one could stop him, which allowed him to achieve his dreams, and that was something that was really appealing to me” Besides watching his father work hard, Gary also wanted to be the determiner of his future and be able to fully realize his potential. “I didn’t want to be subjugated to what other people viewed as possible, or whether or not they felt my aspirations were based on reality or not, or could be achieved or obtained. I wanted to be the one to determine that” “I wanted to be successful in something that was mine, something I truly believe in,” answers Kelly. “I want to inspire, motivate and create confidence in Natives to start their own projects, whether it’s small or big.” Keda was inspired to start her own practice when she got a massage herself. “I was inspired from the beginning of working at Colorado School of Healing Arts as a receptionist. It was my first time knowing and learning about massage therapy,” explains Keda. “I gravitated around the instructors, students and graduates on a daily basis. The more I learned about the benefits and receiving my first massage by a student, I knew this was what I wanted to do.” It also took more than experiencing the atmosphere of massage to inspire Keda. When she traveled to back to the Navajo reservation, she was reminded why she wanted to be a massage therapist. “I finished my two year training and started doing massages part time. Within a year of my training I went back to the Navajo reservation for a prayer ceremony. The medicine woman didn’t know what kind of work I did but she told me that I was a healer. How did she know?” asked Keda. “I knew from there that I had a gift within me and I wanted to help others. My inspiration comes from knowing that I have made a difference in someone’s health. It’s what kept me motivated and driven to have my own massage practice.”
The difficulty of finding a job you enjoy was what inspired Brian to start his own businesses. “I always liked the idea of business, but to tell you the truth it was that work was hard to find for me and the jobs that were available I was not interested in,” Brian Kelly explains. “For that reason I decided to create my own job and work.” STARTING A BUSINESS ISN’T EASY In general, it’s never easy to start a business. Factors like accessing capital for start-up costs and finding ways to keep the business up and running until it become profitable, gaining proper licenses and/or equipment, and learning the skills necessary for incorporating and insuring a business, sometimes scare off inspiring entrepreneurs. With so many organizations that promise resources and assistance, it can also be a confusing time, especially for Native Americans. Along with the hassles that come with starting a business, there are always the good that highlight the best parts of owning your own business. Native communities are some of the poorest in all of America. This applies to both our urban communities and our people who live on reservations. Capital is hard to come by and to establish a successful business one must overcome many of these obstacles. According to Gary, your success is absolutely based on one’s efforts, creativity and ability to think outside the box. “Taking the lessons that you’ve learned through mistakes and applying them so that you don’t ever repeat them again. It becomes very real when you have everything to lose and making mistakes can be very, very detrimental in the pursuits of running a successful business. You pay the direct cost for not being the best at what you do” “The worst part is just as it is with anything, there are always times when things happen with a trend or you have a dry spell” adds Gary. Gary advises when tough times happen, as an entrepreneur you have to get more creative and adapt, change improvise and overcome. “I liken it to hunting. If what your hunting is ultimately going to provide sustenance for your body and feed your family and what your hunting has become a little bit harder to capture, you have to outthink what you’re trying to capture,” Gary adds, “because if you are successful, it can take care of you and your family. You have to be more clever and think everything through, and then it becomes no surprise when you come home with the prize” “I would look online and make phone calls for different resources for financial help and advice on starting a business,” says Kelly. “This one guy who worked for an organization that helps start-up entrepreneurs told
KEDA NEAGLE
me to put my business venture on hold, go to college and get my degree and then resume again.” Kelly realized that she didn’t need a college degree to set off on her business venture. “Once I was told I had a passion for business, and that’s all that matters; I didn’t need to go to school for that. I was willing to learn all I could about starting up and running a business.” Kelly considers running a Native American magazine that serves Native people to be the best part of starting her own business. For Brian, the best part of starting a business was the initial startup phase where an entrepreneur builds his empire from the ground up; to see it come to life and take shape. “Providing a service for your own people is very gratifying for me personally.” The hardest part is the sacrifice required to run business endlessly. “You got to be able to go the extra mile, then another ten miles after that.” Brian admits that the first few years of running a business were difficult. “Sometimes I felt like giving up, because having a business on a reservation is hard, because of the poverty on the reservations. I’ve been told before by people on the reservation that my business and I won’t make it. I’m still in business, I’m paying my bills with no problem and my business is growing,” he said. ENTREPRENEURS SHARE THEIR ADVICE “Make sure that whatever it is your attempting to accomplish in business is something that you’ve studied, analyzed and found a way to do something different in your industry,” Gary advises to aspiring entrepreneurs. “Whatever it is that you’re doing isn’t the same as what everybody else is doing. If there are ten other competitors, what are you doing that’s different from what they do? Is your price different? Is your product different? How are you going about servicing the market?” Gary advises once one address those issues, create a plan, and lock it with perseverance, with desire and passion and a steel-like resolve. “Commit to success! Don’t allow what other people say or what other people think stop you from achieving your goals. Get up and stay consistent. Consistency wins the day!” NATIVE BUSINESSES AND COMPANIES ARE BENEFICIAL TO INDIAN COUNTRY “I think it’s beneficial to Indian country for Indian people to start their own businesses,” explains Gary. “It is testament to the fact that native people have always been business people. We tend to think that if your successful in business, or you make a lot of money, or you support your family and you become
able to sustain yourself, that you are a “sellout” or you’re “too good”, or you’re corporate; some sort of negative connotation.” Gary has assisted with the development of Native businesses with NCAIED. Gary and NCAIED are building relationships between corporate America and small businesses in Indian Country so that Natives have better opportunities to win large contracts. “We help grow Native to Native business opportunities, to create an economy for Indian Country so that our people can work in our communities, make their money, keep the money in the community and turn that money over within the community several different times before it leaves. We need to look at how we can expand the economy of Indian Country around the world, to bring people from outside North America to our reservations, to invest in our businesses, invest in what we have to offer and all the different incentives that we have as tribal nations. AS NATIVES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS IN OUR BLOOD According to Gary, “When none of our people use to be broke, none of our people use to be homeless, none of our people use to be in poverty, we built the largest cities in the world, before Rome, London, and England existed. We did it in several different places, and we traveled for miles and miles to come together and do business. Cities had populations of twenty to thirty thousand strong” Gary admits that when people talk about why Native people should be entrepreneurs, it’s almost as if it’s something new. “The fact of the matter is that, entrepreneurship is something that we’ve always done. It’s who we are; it’s as traditional as any activity in our culture that we could do. The unfortunate aspect of it is that we act like this is new behavior, when it is something that is an engrained in us as any song, as any of our languages, or anything else that we do as a people. We have to remember that this is part of who we are. Taking care of our families and providing for them as entrepreneurs, is more about remembering who we are and who we always have been”
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LIFE OPINION
A M E R I C A’ S
DRUGWAR IS NOT OUR FIGHT
BY BRANDON ECOFFEY
N
o matter which side of the moral spectrum you feel illegal drugs fall on, it is almost impossible to deny that the war on drugs has disproportionately impacted minority communities. For the last forty years, over 1 trillion dollars has been spent on the attempted eradication of illegal drugs in the United States. The result, use of illegal drugs has roughly maintained stable while incarceration rates have skyrocketed. Today there are more people incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses than were incarcerated for all crimes combined in 1970. Astonishingly, if we were to return to the incarceration rate that existed in 1970 we would have to release 80% of those currently serving time. In no way am I advocating one way or another for the use of drugs, I am simply asking people to allow themselves to consider the possibility that the drug laws in this country are not doing anything to advance Native communities. Sometimes people lie, but statistics don’t. Native people are not beneficiaries of the Drug War. We are victims of it. In this country, Native Americans are the smallest segment of the population yet we account for the second highest rate of incarceration of any race in state prisons nationwide. In a country that only has 5% of the total population but nearly 25% of the world’s prisoners and which also is the world’s leader in prisoners per capita this is an extremely significant statistic. In Montana, Native peoples are 6% of the state population yet they account for 16% of those incarcerated; in North Dakota, 5% of the population is Native yet 19% of the prison population identifies as Native American. Not surprisingly in my home state of South Dakota, the numbers are alarming to say the least. In South Dakota, Native people comprise just 8% of the state’s population overall, however we make up an astonishing 21% of the prison population. Additionally, these numbers do not account for our brothers and sisters in the federal penal system where mandatory minimum sentences are burdening low-level drug offenders with decades of incarceration. I understand that there are citizens of our Indigenous nations who feel that illegal drugs are morally and ethically wrong. I can understand why they believe this. However, I am asking these very same people to recognize that the same level of ethical and moral corruption they feel is associated with illegal drugs also exists in the prosecution and commutation of sentences for non-violent drug offenders at both the state and federal levels. Consider this, by most estimates there are at least 4,000 separate federal criminal laws and conservatively 10,000 to 300,000 regulations that could be enforced criminally. The sheer number of laws that exist led civil libertarian author Harvey Silvergate to estimate that each one of us commit three felonies a day. Now not all these laws have to deal with drugs and lucky for us do not carry the harsh penalties that are leveled in narcotics cases but it is something to consider. The argument in favor of extended prison sentences and mass incarceration usually revolves around the belief that if there were no drug
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dealers our people wouldn’t be hooked on drugs and many of the issues in our community including poverty and crime would disappear like the darkness when the sun rises over our beautiful horizons. In a perfect world this is a wonderful hypothetical but it does not address the heart of the problem and that is the fact that demand exists for these drugs on reservations as a byproduct of our rampant rates of addiction. Instead, I argue the inverse: if there were no addicts, there would be no drug dealers and thus fewer social problems. Whether you get rid of the street level distributors or not, big pharmaceutical and Anheuser-Busch are going nowhere. As the debate over healthcare and White Clay has demonstrated, they have the means to satisfy the demand ten times over. The result of extended prison sentences and mass incarceration has been that many of our most able and intelligent business minds have been removed from both our families and communities, leaving children without fathers and our business climate in disrepair. These policies have further resulted in our communities becoming a farm system for the prison industry and the development of a social cycle that continues to keep our Indigenous nations crime ridden and in poverty. The reality of the situation is that drug policy in the United States - has done nothing more- than imprison huge segments of our Native populations, primarily our young male entrepreneurial class. Often we have argued that our route to true Indigenous nationalism or sovereignty runs through our own self-determination. Self-determination does not begin with tribal governments, it originates at the personal and community level and it is time we start exercising our self-determination by approaching our issues with illegal drugs in our communities from a public health perspective. The most effective way for tribes to address the impacts that America’s War on Drugs has had on our communities is to partner with organizations like Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and other like minded organizations who are lobbying for a move away from mass incarceration and towards more fair and appropriate sentencing mandates for non-violent drug offenders. This includes the use of therapeutic interventions as alternatives to incarceration. For Native peoples, alternative sentencing could include the use of traditional spirituality and ceremonies to rid our people of the disease of addiction. When roughly 85% of federal prisoners recidivate, it is obvious that just locking people up is not a viable or sustainable option. Realizing that our interests align with those of others and acting upon those interests is a way of increasing our ability to dictate the direction of legislation that impacts Indian Country. Locking our people up for arbitrary drug offenses is not working. It is time for us to reassess where we stand on America’s Drug War and stop running blindly in to the battlefields.
ART SCULPTOR ARTIST
CLIFF FRAGUA
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLIFF FRAGUA
Sculptor artist Cliff Fragua, a member of the Jemez Pueblo tribe, has been carving and sculpting for more than thirty-eight years. His passion for carving and sculpting led him to travel to Italy to learn the Italian methods of stone-carving. Cliff has also sculpted a stone statue that now sits in the National Statuary Hall at the US Capitol Building in Washington DC. SPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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ART Please explain a little bit about yourself and your work. I’m a sculptor who works primarily in stone and bronze. Actually, my forte is stone and I have been carving for 38 years. I studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and also at the San Francisco Art Institute. I had also spent a brief time in Pietrasanta, Italy back in the mid-80s and learned the Italian method of stone carving. I work mostly with various marbles from all over the world and am currently laminating the marbles together and carving sculptures from that. What would you say the style of your work is? Currently my style of work is contemporary, stylized native themes, sometimes abstract, although, on occasion, I do carve realistic sculptures. Where do you draw your inspiration from? Generally from the shape of the stone. Also my cultural background has a lot to do with my inspiration. I do find inspirations come from the various works of past and present sculptors. Since I am currently doing the lamination process
Q&A WITH
MAMA LONGLEGZ
Art isn’t limited to paintings and sculptures; artistic-beading is gaining popularity around the globe as beaders bead practically anything– jewelry, glasses, canvases, etc. Summer Peters, also known as Mama Longlegz around Indian Country, is a highly-talented beader who turned her love for art into a career.
WHEN DID YOU START BEADING?
“I started beading when I was about 7 years old. It was our way of life. I watched my mom make custom beadwork for family and friends. My grandmother’s whole house was an art studio. She had a kiln set up in the second bedroom, paints taking up one of the closets and a table full of beads in her living room. I used to go over there and asked her to teach me.”
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ton DC. I was commissioned by the state of New Mexico to create this sculpture of Po’Pay, the leader of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The statue was installed and dedicated in September 2005. How do you make a living with your art? I make my living off my art and I’ve been doing this since 1974. I’ve raised three children on my art. I do various arts and crafts shows around the country on pretty much a full-time basis. One of the bigger shows that I do this is the Santa Fe Indian Market. What other creative outlets do you have? I’m a musician. I’m a percussionist for our band and been playing conga drums and percussion instruments since I was 16 years old. We’ve done several gigs and produced a couple of CDs. I also refurbish vintage conga drums. Do you have your own studio? Yes, I do have my own studio and it’s called the Singing Stone Studio and it is located on the Jemez Pueblo reservations, where I reside.
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WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A CROWD ABOUT TRADITION?
“If I were given the chance, I’d tell people to hold on tight to tradition. I would encourage people who lacked the knowledge, to seek and learn their traditions. I live in a foreign place, a long way from my ancestral homelands yet I feel as connected as if I never left. This is because I love who I am as an Ojibwe woman. I have held on to my experiences and ceremonies. I believe everyone should know where they come from. That is the center of who you are and if you know that, you could travel to the moon and still be connected.”
WHAT OTHER ARTISTS HAVE YOU COLLABORATED WITH IN THE PAST?
“I’ve collaborated with the uber-awesome Steven Paul Judd. He asked me to be a part of his Wonder Woman painting by beading her crown and bracelet. I was super stoked about the project because I’m a child of the late 70s and loved watching Wonder Woman on TV. It was an honor to work with an artist like him. In the works, I have a collaboration of wearable art with Sho Sho Esquiro, who happens to be my best friend. I am the company I keep and I keep wildly talented & sweet natured people in my life.
SUMMER PETERS: PHOTOS COURTESY OF PETERS
WHO IS MAMA LONGLEGZ? “Mama Longlegz is a perpetually young, free-willed yet strong-as-diamonds woman. She is my alter-ego; she is always on top of her game when Summer is the real woman dealing with real life on a daily basis. She is who I’ve always wanted to be. It wasn’t until I was tested personally and professionally, did I embody everything Mama Longlegz was about. Strength and talent, this is who Mama Longlegz is.”
with stone, colors and natural stone patterns have been another source of inspiration. How has your practice changed over time? In the beginning, when I first started carving stone, I was pretty much a free-spirited artist who was happy-go-lucky and unrestricted. Now days, I have a fairly rigid schedule that I follow and treat my art as a business. I’m very serious about my work and believe in ethics and integrity in business. What materials do you use? The materials I generally use is marble, I’ll also occasionally carve alabaster and some granite. My bronzes, however, are cast at a foundry although I use modeling clay or plaster to produce the original. I’ve also have worked in glass and have made glass vessels which I’ve sandblasted Pueblo designs and motifs on to the surface. What has been one of your favorite projects? One of my significant projects that I had done was the commission of a stone statue that now currently sits in the National Statuary Hall at the US Capitol Building in Washing-
AN ARTIST & TRANSLATOR BY ANJELICA GALLEGOS
A
PHOTO COURTESY OF BERT TALLMAN
common thought is that our lives are a “journey”. Therefore every journey is unique to ourselves. Whether our experience is negative or positive, destructive or constructive, whether we reflect on what we have learned, how the experience can enrich our life as a person, and especially enrich our life as an artist. Our journey can incorporate new inspiration into our work. Do we develop a new personality with healthy viewpoints and behaviors that result in a more positive outlook of the journey we’re in? An artist’s source of artistic expression can come from the physical environment they are in, inspiration and encouragement from the family, especially our parents, cultural-tribal influences and our inner person, our unique perspective of life and art. An artist has the ability to combine these influences or single them out as the primary force in a piece of art in any form or medium. Regarding Bert Tallman, artist and translator. Mr. Tallman literally translates English literature into his indigenous tongue, Blackfeet. He also translates his thoughts into art primarily jewelry at this time. Bert has also used his resources in helping those who have made serious missteps in their life’s journey and find themselves involved in Canada’s Justice System. We appreciate Mr.Tallman’s reflective thoughtful responses to NM’s following questions: >Please explain a brief history of how you started your art work: I’ve been creating arts and crafts since childhood including traditional porcupine roaches, headdresses, jewelry, breastplates, chokers, drums and other traditional crafts. I learned to create these from watching, inspecting and receiving personal instruction from my grandparents, parents and others from the Blood Tribe. Because of market demand and a desire to expand my artistic abilities, I decided to pursue the creating of native jewelry art. It was in 2002 that I apprenticed under a well known native (Pueblo) silversmith and lapidary artist, Jim Calabaza (Ca’win) in Santo Domingo, NM. I also studied at Hazeltine School of Fine Jewelry in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2003. Recently, in April 2012 I attended a five day workshop on jade and semi-precious stone carving. This was done under the instruction of Deborah Wilson, an internationally known jade carver from Vernon, British Columbia, Canada.
>What is your artistic medium of choice? Why that medium? I incorporate a number of methods in the creation of Blackfoot-style jewelry. I use inlay, overlay, carving and stamping in the creation of the jewelry I produce. I use mostly sterling silver, semi-precious stones, mammoth ivory and bone in creating designs. I also use a stone that was classified as a gem in 1981, called ammolite. The colors of this stone are usually a rich vibrant red or vivid iridescent green and on rare occasions, all colors of the spectrum. Although ammonites are found in other parts of the world, the isolated area around the St. Mary’s River that borders the Blood Reservation in Southern Alberta is the only place to find gem quality ammolite. >How is it to work with other tribal silver smiths and jewelry makers in the southwest? Since I live about 1,400 miles away from southwest silversmiths and jewelers, there is limited contact. However, I have good relations with the ones that I am in contact with, sharing information and methods. I purchase many of my supplies from jewelry supply companies in Albuquerque and Gallup, NM. >What kind of creative patterns or routines do you have? The training and experience that I have gained over the years has been instrumental in developing a style that combines Blackfoot traditional and contemporary designs and methods. >As a person who expresses themselves creatively, do you think that artists’ change and grow constantly? Creativity is really a gift to all people and is expressed in many different ways. Artistic creativity is always progressive. I may be inspired by creation, whether it is scenery, people or animal subjects or the simple geometric forms in design and decoration of the Blackfoot or other native people. My emotions also play a part in the creation of patterns and designs.
More of Tallman’s interview and works online at nativemax. com
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ART
I
f you happen to be in the Denver, CO area and see an outdoor pickup game of basketball, you’ll probably be watching Thomas Morado Jr. (Oglala Lakota) playing; 6’4’’ tall, lean, black braided ponytail swaying in the wind. If there is a need for a skilled finish carpenter or a custom furniture maker, Thomas is your man; perfectionist in a good way, an eye for detail and accuracy. By the way, Thomas is a Lakota artist also - custom beadwork, paint, leather work and more. Thomas does not confine his artistic abilities to a single medium but is constantly searching for a means to express his personal and Lakota taste. Especially appreciated is his ability to express traditional and Native urban art forms separately or a combination of both. Please share some information about yourself and your work. I’ve been in Colorado for over 25 years! I studied art all through high school 1991-95; I attended Riverside Indian School in Anadarko OK. I graduated with honors, and studied under my art teacher Cruz McDaniels. He is probably the most influential artist to me, at that time and still is. In 1993, I entered an art contest for the school yearbook cover, which was filled with a lot of competition which I won! It featured Lakota warriors on horseback. I’ve also entered juried art shows such as the Red Earth Festival. Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you had to do? While at Riverside Indian School Cruz McDaniels always said, “Keep Competing!” and that’s when I knew, I could make beautiful art! I like to think it runs in my Lakota heritage. Do you have a specific vision for your work ahead of time or does your work progress over time? What is your creative process? I like to think my visions for my art come from the specific piece I’m working with, and come from our Native American history. I also thank my mother Linda Rattling Chase and also my uncle, Robert Rattling Chase, a Cha’nu’pa (pipe) carrier, who I have sweated with many times over the years. He has also told me many stories over the years that I try to convey into my art work. Telling stories through my artwork makes me feel like I am keeping them alive! What is your favorite medium you like to work with?
My preferred medium is everything and anything from acrylic paints, glass beads, natural woods, buffalo skulls and leather. Basically, whatever I can get my hands on! I’m open to new ideas and the opportunity to expand my vision as an artist. For instance, the lighted “Tipi Lamp”, which I’ve been creating, came from a brotherly competition back in 1999. From this piece, I wanted to memorialize a dear friend of mine that had passed on. I made it and presented it to his Ina’ (mother), so his memory lives on in that piece, I like to think. So it became a,” Memorial Tipi”. Now, it’s evolving into much more! Do you see yourself in your artwork? How? I see myself in all of my art. I try to personalize a piece for a client and myself. So, to them I am instilled in any piece I create. I’m constantly looking to broaden my view. Much of my work is for family members’, also close friends. I incorporate what the customer’s vision is in their piece. Do you have any themes you pursue in your creativity? I like to think that “Nativeness” is my major theme for my art. I try to influence Natives and others, to pursue their art, especially the youth. For me it’s our way of life, my expression is to be strong about it, represent where you come from! I don’t necessarily mean stereotypical, bland “tourist” art either. Even if you have a job, family and are very busy make time for your creativity. Where do you gain inspiration and influence from? I’ve gained a lot of influence, and inspiration from many different places, my fellow artists, friends, family, earth, and my children, especially from my elders. Really, anybody who I’ve crossed paths with. Inspiration is all around me and sometimes, I find it in the weirdest place’s like graffiti, songs, and by just looking at a running river. What are some future projects you want to work on? I’m currently working on my signature pieces, which are the lighted “Tipi Lamps”, some beadwork, and t-shirt designs, which I will be presenting at Denver March Powwow, which is March 22nd through the 24th of 2013. I am also beginning to delve into graphic design/ advertising art for businesses.
INDIGENOUS CREATIVITY: KEEPING IT ALIVE Lakota athlete, artist and perfectionist talks about his inspiration, creative process and his signature “tipi lamps” PHOTOS COURTESY OF THOMAS MORADO JR
BY JOHN GALLEGOS
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CULTURE PEACE AND BALANCE PROJECT
A look at Gabriel Yaiva’s Peace and Balance project, an outreach project that teaches youth to make positive choices and how to live the best life possible
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF GABRIEL YAIVA
ith other organizations popping up on reservations that are meant to deal with major issues, sometimes at-risk children and teens are forgotten or overlooked. Gabriel Yaiva, along with others who wanted to help, founded Peace and Balance Project, an outreach project that is built on teachings of the Dine and Hopi peoples of the southwest; Hopi are traditionally called the “Peaceful Ones” and the Dine, commonly known as Navajo, live by a teaching of “hozho” which translates into the meaning: living a balanced life. Since launching Peace and Balance Project in 2004, Gabriel Yaiva and his contributors have continued to battle substance abuse, gang violence and unhealthy-eating habits, epidemics that disproportionately affect the youth in our communities. The program is a creative and progressive project dealing with the problem of drug and narcotic use by youth and gang activity in low-income communities. “In indigenous communities both on and off the reservation, many youth turn to drugs and gangs because of broken families, lack of positive role models and no place for creative expression and outlets for their energy” explains Gabriel Yaiva, founder and creator of Peace and Balance. The Peace and Balance project is organized by youth who were able to transform their lives of substance abuse, violence and gang activity, through personal growth, healthy expression and community support. Peace and Balance is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Native Movement organization and has four main projects: music creation projects, elders video recording project, Native Renaissance and Educating and Healing Through Music tours. When he was a junior at Northern Arizona University, Gabriel decided to start Peace and Balance project with the help of Daniel Rosen, Evon Peter, Kelvin Long, Andrea Hartley and Enei Begaye. “Our mission is to inspire cultural, artistic and personal resiliency by keeping our oral traditions alive and building bridges between human beings using technological tools” says Gabriel. “Some of the goals we have for Peace and Balance are positively impacting the lives of youth nationally,
educate ourselves and others of the teaching from traditional systems to reach success, produce a substantial number of youth who find values and success in our program and support students in focusing and visioning for long-term moral decision-making and sustainable leadership, thus connecting students to their natural leadership abilities and roles” Peace and Balance conducts multimedia projects such as music projects by releases, elders’ video recording projects, Native Renaissance and radio show, and healing and educating through music tours. Gabriel works with youth and tries to incorporate youth in the projects. “We speak at about 20 schools each semester and total about 50,000 youth we share our stories, encouragement and motivation with each year since 2004,” says Gabriel. “We also volunteer regularly with local detention centers and Native-youth programs. We facilitate, emcee and sponsor a few youth conferences each year. We do traditional drumming and singing workshops a couple times a month with young people wanting to learn” Most of the artists that Gabriel works and records with participate in the events and teach the youth about the music industry and even offer resources for help. Although Peace and Balance are based out of the southwest, the project is always open to branch out to other communities. “Technically we are available globally through the net. The music we’ve produced is available on iTunes and all similar sites. Our video recording project will be available online once it’s launched to the public” Gabriel says. As for the Educating and Healing Through Music tours, Gabriel and his team have visited over 100 reservations and communities around the U.S., Canada and Mexico. “We would like to visit more reservations, communities and schools throughout the U.S., and eventually have satellite projects in other communities throughout Turtle Island” Read more about the Peace and Balance Project online at nativemax.com SPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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Saving the tongue
with Dr. Anton Treuer
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oday the trek of Indian progression occurs on multiple fronts. From healthcare, law, environment, education, language, and others, there are many necessities involved in preservation of the assorted cultures and traditions of Indian Nations across the country. Preservation and advancement of language is a unique task, as many languages have been completely or nearly lost due to Indian Boarding Schools or loss of fluent speaking elder generations. One language that is being revived is that of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe, Chippewa). A significant portion of this development is due to the work of Dr. Anton Treuer from the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. He currently teaches Ojibwe as a tenured professor and serves as Director of the American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University in Minnesota. His language conservation and teaching efforts have led to multiple Ojibwe bands organizing to advance their educational systems and engage their youth to learn the language. Part of this engagement has occurred by Treuer authoring multiple books in his native tongue or about significant Indian issues. His latest book “Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Too Afraid to Ask” received positive reviews as a thoughtful guide to alleviate numerous misconceptions about American Indians. While the Anishinaabe People are one of the largest indigenous groups in the country, Treuer estimates that there are fewer than 1,000 fluent Ojibwe speakers in the U.S. The urgency of Native language revitalization is apparent. Native Max Magazine spoke with Dr. Treuer to garner his reflections on the matter: What developed your interest in Ojibwe language preservation? I went through ceremonies with the late Archie Mosay, a revered medicine man from the St. Croix Reservation. The beauty of our ways, the sophistication of the song repertoire, and the intricacy and majesty of our language really hit home
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in a way it never had before. I fell in love with all of it. A parent who falls in love with his child will always find a way to solve the diapers and 2:00am Tylenol doses, the driving, and school conferences— whatever it takes to give that child the best chance in life. That’s how it was with me and my language after ceremonies—whatever it takes. Is preservation of traditional ways even more critical since the predominant population on the White Earth Indian Reservation is non-Native? The preservation of traditional ways is more than critical than ever everywhere. In Minnesota, one third of the population is of German descent, but most are fifth generation immigrants—they don’t speak German and have never lived in Germany. There is a difference between having German heritage and being a Deutschlander. And there is a difference between having native heritage and being what our ancestors were. I’m not saying that if someone doesn’t speak his or her language that they are not native. What I am saying is that, our identities as native people are being challenged as never before. Some changes are good, like innovations in health care and medicine. But some are bad, like language loss. We need to be active shapers of that change or it will overwhelm us. Preserving what is truly distinct about us as native people is critical to sovereignty, economy, education, and identity. In Canada, one of the white officials said, “If you are assimilated with the ruling class,” you do not need separate governments. If we can’t convince our own people of the need for sovereignty in the absence of language and culture, good luck convincing the rest of the world. As a former board member of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, founded by leader Winona LaDuke, you no doubt appreciate how land and water is an integral part of a Tribes essence. How is language similar?
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Our language defines us as a people. It embodies the unique worldview of our ancestors and fluent speakers. In Ojibwe, the word for drum, dewe’igan literally means “heart beat” and describes the role of the drum as the center of our communities. The word for elder, gichi-aya’aa means “great being.” You don’t have top say things like “respect your elders” when you speak Ojibwe. It’s built right in with every word you use. We are defined by the land we live on, the culture we live, and the languages we speak. Why is Indian Education important to the overall progression in wellbeing of Indian Country? The statistics are really compelling and totally scary. Getting a college degree significantly improves your chances of economic prosperity, political empowerment, and a long life. But the drop out rates in Indian Country are unacceptably high. Half of the tribal population fails State mandated tests in English and in math. It’s a vicious cycle that leaves 50% of native youth in poverty today. But at the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion School, for thirteen years in a row, 100% of the kids have passed state mandated tests in English administered in English, even though their teachers only teach them in Ojibwe. It’s counter-intuitive. But it goes to show that the problem with mainstream education for native youth is that learning all about western heroes (not yours), scientific accomplishments (not yours), and political structures (not yours) builds a powerful blow to self-esteem. But learning about yourself (like at Waadookodaading) and the rest of the world generates academic accomplishment and success. Everyone is scratching their heads about a fix for the achievement gap. If anyone has found something that works, we should all pay attention to that. Teaching Indians in an Indian way about their own language and culture does that. That’s why Indian education is important. It’s the only thing that’s working.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. ANTON TREUER
Joaquin Gallegos visits with Dr. Anton Treuer about preservation of the Anishinaabe language and why Indian Education is important for the wellbeing of Indian Country
FEATURES
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POWERFUL, FEMININE AND TLINGIT In an ever changing world, it is vital Native People are determined to retain the values that have kept us in unison and alive by bringing inspiration and life to each other. Shaaxsaani and Mercedes Jack are beautiful, unique, and strong women who have clarity of where they come from and a distinct vision of why they choose to create. Indigenous Princess is their fashion line that mirrors who they are as individuals: Powerful, Feminine, and Tlingit! BY ANJELICA GALLEGOS
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HAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF WORK THAT YOU HAVE CREATED? S: Corsets in sealskin and metallic leather are an exciting new design that I am exploring. They are stunning and practical and I love wearing them as much as i love making them. These new corset designs have become the launching point for our new exciting Fall designs that we are collaborating on. M: Pretty Fierce is a design with sealskin, coyote canines, leather and Swarovski crystals that I have done in a range of color combinations. I particularly love this design because while still being feminine it has a bit of bite to it. Some of the elements of this design will be seen in the Fall accessory and clothing line. WE’VE DISCUSSED HOW BEAUTY AND CREATIVITY INTERTWINE WITH THE NATIVE WAY OF LIFE; DO YOU THINK THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN NATIVE ART AND FUNCTIONALITY? In the truest sense there is not a separation between the function of an item and it’s beauty, which is now considered “art”. Traditionally everything had a function and purpose. For example, a house post, is a beautifully carved piece that declares who lives there. A gorgeous fur parka that is made from sealskin and other furs is meant to keep your warm and protect you from the arctic wind, rain and snow. Even items like spoons were carved to be beautiful and distinguished but are very much functional. These traditional pieces were made with beauty, but for practicality. The word “art” suggests more the opposite, something not made for practicality but for the beauty of the piece itself. Now-a-days there is Native work being made simply to be appreciated. As the world around us has changed, so has what Native people create. There are many forms for modern Native work that have no “function”. These art forms are more true to the definition of art. WHAT SOURCES DO YOU GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS FOR YOUR WORK? We developed our skin sewing knowledge simply by logging the hours and learning from our mistakes. Our work is made for the modern woman, we strive to make something that is both flattering, desirable and powerful for women to wear. We create things that we want to wear and that we think other women will want to as well. Since we started, a lot of our customers have had requests and feedback for us; we listen and use that to create new designs and adjust and evolve our existing ones. YOU RECENTLY RELOCATED TO ALBUQUERQUE, HOW DO YOU LIKE IT SO FAR? The southwest has been good to us. At the shows that we’ve done down here, we’ve had the opportunity to learn about Southwest art and culture directly from local artists, it’s an exciting way to be introduced to the area. The people of the Southwest have given us a very warm welcome. The Native art community here is generous and inspiring. This area is breathtakingly beautiful but also very foreign to us, everything is new.
We’ve learned a lot of new things since moving down here and we’ve been exposed to artwork very different from what we are used to seeing. There are a lot of striking and unfamiliar materials to work with down here as well, we’ve been dabbling in turquoise, snake skin and vertebrae, coral and metallic leathers. We feel honored to be here and blessed to have been so warmly accepted into the area, but we are visitors here. WHO ARE SOME OF EACH OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS? Amos Wallace is our favorite artist. We are the grand daughter and great grand daughter of Tlingit carver Amos Wallace. As kids we both were very influenced, inspired and motivated by him. He is a self taught master carver who embodied many of the characteristics that we aspire to become. He was a self taught, highly motivated, gentle, talented, and humble man who loved, taught and inspired us. It is because of him and his influence in our lives that we have the courage and confidence to do what we’re doing. He showed us by example that we can be successful by doing what we love to do and that being self-taught doesn’t hold us back. We are blessed to have had his nurturing in our lives. HOW IS IT TO WORK WITH YOUR DAUGHTER/MOTHER? S: We make a smooth team! We know each other so well! Our strengths and shortcomings complement one another and we are able to communicate and develop our concepts and visions as a family. M: Working with my mom feels natural and our flows work together perfectly. We are able to bounce ideas off one other and tweak them until they develop into something we feel is ready to be brought to our table. This makes an inspiring, stimulating and confidence-building atmosphere for me. Mom encourages me in my designs and shows me both the quality and flaws in designs as I create them. She strengthens and helps me grow as an artist and as a woman. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE, BOTH WORK WISE AND LIFE? We see ourselves going back home to Alaska so that we can continue to live and hunt on our own land. We love traveling to shows and hope to bring our work to more places this year. The dream is to be able to be involved in every step of the process: The hunt, the preparation and tanning of the hide and the harvesting of the meat and fat. To be able to live at home, to hunt, to sew skins, and still travel for shows all around the country. Our land and way of life are some of the most significant influences and inspirations behind our work. It is the power and connection to this land that gives life to our work. TELL US ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING SPRING COLLECTION. There are a couple pieces within our Spring collection that really make a statement about who Indigenous Princess is. Our Seal Spearing Dress is pretty literal. It speaks to traditional life-ways of hunting, fishing, eating, and sharing, among our Alaska Native comSPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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munities. While we aspire to be back home in Southeast Alaska doing our own hunting we cannot because we live and work in the Southwest at the moment. However, we are able to directly support our Alaska Native hunters who we get our sealskins from when we travel back home. The Seal Spearing dress is designed as the Indigenous Princess nod to the Poodle skirt. It’s pretty, tailored and feminine but where there would be a leash and collar we placed a spear and tether which is the old way of harvesting this precious resource from our Alaskan waters. As with the Seal Spearing dress, “I’m Not Your Pocahontas Bro” is a bold statement. This satin and burnout jersey gown is colorful and comfortable and speaks our mind. It’s a proclamation to the viewer that Native women are not inanimate things to be objectified, abused or treated without dignity. For all of our sisters who have ever felt like they carry the burden of the dominant society’s racist stereotypes, or who have been undervalued, discarded or overlooked: This dress is for you! We make this dress in celebration of the vitality of our Native sisters.
NATIVEMAX .COM Read our style files and more on Indigenous Princess
TO WHAT KIND OF INDIVIDUAL DO YOU DESIGN YOUR JEWELRY FOR, IF IT WERE A WOMAN? FOR A MAN? We started out with distinctly feminine designs and have been introducing increasingly masculine designs over the past year and a half. We now have a wide selection with designs ranging from delicate to rugged. We have found that there is something in our collection for just about everyone. The people that choose our work are generally conscious of the cultural value of the materials that we use and are appreciative of it being a unique, Alaska Native hand-crafted art piece. Many of the people that we introduce our work to become collectors of our work and introduce their friends to it as well. Word-of-mouth and satisfied customers sharing with their friends and family has been a huge factor in getting our name out there and gaining popularity and credibility. There is always the challenge of creating a piece that appeals to someone who already has five of our bracelets and to keep those returning customers intrigued we keep coming up with fresh new designs. WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO CREATING FASHION? Indigenous Princess began by filling a need for contemporary Native design. In Alaska there is a tremendous amount of beautiful and practical tra-
ditional style clothing and regalia but the selection for modern design using our exquisite natural materials is limited. We started creating the fashion that we wanted to wear and found that it was just as appealing to the public when we started selling our designs. From there we haven’t looked back, the possibilities are endless and we have so much we want to share with the world about our culture and who we are. DO YOU BOTH FOCUS ON FASHION AND JEWELRY SOLELY OR DO YOU WORK WITH OTHER MEDIUMS? Our focus has been on women’s jewelry which has been really well received both in Alaska and the lower forty eight. We’ve been expanding our line of accessories to purses and clutches and most recently, dresses and corsets. WHAT ARE THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE INDIGENOUS PRINCESS? Powerful, Feminine, Tlingit WHAT SHOWS AND GALLERIES HAS YOUR WORK BEEN FEATURED IN? During the summer of 2012, we were awarded a Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian Fellowship and our work was featured in the Case Trading Post shop at the Wheelwright Museum. We currently have our work in Ellouise Originals in Old Town, Albuquerque. We have been asked to be the guest of Pat Pruitt, Marla Allison and Chris Pruitt at Halo art reception in Phoenix, AZ this month. The year 2013 will be our first attendance for several shows including The Heard Indian Guild Art Market in Phoenix AZ, Native Treasures in Santa Fe, NM and the Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market & Festival in Indiana. We will be attending Denver March Powwow in Denver, Colorado, Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico and The Alaska Federation of Natives’ Customary Art Market in Fairbanks Alaska. The distinct craftsmanship that these ladies possess seeps into their elegant jewelry and fashion styles. NM looks to the future with enthusiasm and curiosity to see the next collection through the eyes of these edgy and fierce Indigenous women.
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MODEL TALK:
MARCUS TSO
Marcus Tso (Navajo) is proud to be considered a part of the small handful of successful Native male models in the mainstream fashion industry. Marcus’ other passion besides modeling is education and giving back to his community by supporting positive causes
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CLUTCHJEWELRY.COM
Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Marcus Tso and I am 24 years old. I am from a very rural area in Arizona: Pinon, AZ. I was one of the first and only Native American models signed to The Agency in Arizona. On the topic of Native models there are a few that are signed to legitimate modeling agencies, which made me realize what an honor it was to have been signed. I’m seeking other opportunities to advance as a model. It has also been my nature to explore and go beyond myself, I disregard limits. I have been quite eager to complete my education. I felt atrocious not making any advances in life, going through a disrupting relationship and having to choose between love and major progressions in my life. Once I complete my education I’d relish the opportunity to be a fashion editor in publications. My ultimate job and greatest accomplishment in life would to be able to do philanthropic work. When did you decide you wanted to model and how did you get started? At first I did not decide to become a model. I was in New York on an internship when I met a local photographer who wanted to take some pictures of me and asked if I was interested in modeling. I shrugged the question because I still had braces, a lot of insecurities and never took into account a small-town Native kid could be a model. It was one of those moments where something takes its course and instead of dipping your foot in to test the waters I jumped in and relished the opportunity to be a model. What challenges do you face as Native Male model trying to break in to the mainstream fashion industry? It never occurred to me to break out into mainstream. I am that
person who knows what I want and certainly wants to remain exclusive. Being a Native male was not a challenge but in a way it was an advantage; clients tell me of an interesting mix or look I have. Few of the challenges I faced were intercultural. Old friends or even people I had no association with saying mean and hurtful things to me on the internet like ‘we are going to cut your face’ or that I was ‘ugly’. It prepared me for the harsh, cut throat industry. However through it all I rose to the occasion and show after show I wrote success on my own terms. What has been your most interesting modeling job or event that you’ve been part of? The most interesting job I remember vividly was my first designer show in LA. Backstage in hair and makeup they slicked my hair back and put a net on top to keep my hair down. My hair looked like a helmet which nowadays I enjoy slicking my hair back. I also had my eyebrows bleached and they bleached it a snowy mink-gray color and paled me out with makeup. Soon after the show I developed an allergic reaction. It was awesome. Are there any upcoming events that we should be watching for? The shows I did for Phoenix Fashion Week are on YouTube for public view. Looking to do freelance again for a bit and branch out to other agencies. Time will tell. How do you give back to your community? I participate in running events; events that benefit a particular cause that I can relate to. The son of a very dear friend of mine is having a 5K run to benefit education in the Paradise Valley School District. I will be participating in that event.
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RADAR SCATTER THEIR OWN
ONES TO WATCH: SCATTER THEIR OWN AND NAKE NULA WAUN
> PHOTO COURTESY OF SCATTER THEIR OWN
There’s something irresistible, intriguing – and kind of intimidating – about Oglala-Lakota bass player and guitarist Juliana Brown Eyes of “Scatter Their Own”. Not only is she the bassist for the band, which includes front man Scotti Cliff who is also Oglala-Lakota but Juliana can take over the drums and the acoustic guitar when needed. The duo created their own sound that is essentially a mash-up of rock and roll, blues, and alternative music blended with lyrics that pay tribute to the concepts and philosophy of their Lakota culture. The group dubbed their new style ‘Alter-Native rock and roll’. “We simply play rock and roll music, but people have been categorizing us as Alternative-Rock, “We decided to go with it, since we are Native and we want to ‘alter’ the way people think about Native artists,” explained Scotti. At the end of 2010, Scotti was a solo artist who had trouble finding fellow musicians who could tour with him. One day, Juliana
picked up Scotti’s bass guitar and started playing. Scotti was amazed and realized Juliana had hidden natural-talent. Confident that he found a musician who can help form his band, Scotti invited Juliana to play with him. Since both were from the Oglala Reservation, Scotti and Juliana felt it was right to name their band after their home, Oglala, which means ‘scatter their own’ in Lakota. In the last two years Scatter Their Own has been performing, Scotti and Juliana had the honor of working with great musicians such as Gabriel Ayala, Gary Farmer and The Trouble Makers, Ray Barbee, Frank Waln of Nake Nula Waun, The Plateros, The Miracle Dolls, Saving Damsels, The Blissins, and Waylon Mendoza and Stones of Red to name a few. They performed across the country at events, shows and gatherings. Scatter Their Own also appeared around the Oglala reservation; Pine Ridge, Martin, Allen, Porcupine, Kyle and Red Shirt are some of the towns/ communities where they’ve performed.
Recently Scatter Their Own was selected to be showcased at the Aboriginal Music Week in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, as a part of the ‘Fire in the Sky’ music showcase during the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards this past November. They performed in a small venue in front of a First Nations crowd. “That show was awesome! It was in a small place, but the acceptance we received from everyone there was second to none. The First Nations people in Canada really do support Native American musicians with such a warm heart. That made us very proud to be Native, we felt right at home.” Scotti and Juliana felt a warm welcome when they performed in Winnipeg, and they both consider this performance as their most memorable concert so far. “That, to me, is what being Native is all about. We definitely felt the whole ‘we are all related’ mantra; alive and well,” said Scotti. Just like their experience in Canada, Scatter Their Own wants to continuously
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RADAR
NATIVE MAX MUST-DOWNLOADS: “Catch a Fire” and “Running”
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NAKE NULA WAUN Rosebud reservation’s Nake Nula Waun captured more than just fans and listeners across the Midwest; they grabbed several music awards for a few of their albums too. Formerly a multi-member band, Nake Nula Waun swarmed into the Midwest music scene last spring and gained an instant cult following – all the while educating non-Natives and combating the stereotypes held against Native Americans in each performance. Nake Nula Waun’s current group members are Frank Waln and Kodi DeNoyer, both from the Rosebud Reservations in south-central South Dakota. Frank has always had a passion for making and producing music. Now studying Audio Design and Production at Columbia College in Chicago, IL, Frank uses his voice, music and performances to address the media’s negative portrayal of Natives Americans and to overcome the self-oppression that exists in any Lakota communities. Both Frank and Kodi admit that music has saved their lives and has given them a positive way to not only influence others but as an outlet to deal with life in general. Along with vocalist Kodi and several other members, the group decided their name should be Nake Nula Waun, a Lakota phrase that means: I am always ready, at all times, for anything. This Lakota phrase fit them perfectly, as Frank felt. “It was used to describe Lakota warriors before they went into battle. They had to be ready for anything. They had to be ready to die for their people,” explains Frank. “We liked the phrase and the teachings that came with it. It fit our mentality and
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approach as a group.” Unfortunately as time passed, life’s obligations caused Frank and Kodi to carry on as a group without the others. Proving that hard work pays off in tons, the newly-reinvented Nake Nula Waun won their first award, Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording at the Native American Music Awards for their debut album Scars and Bars. More awards followed for Nake Nula Waun such as the 2011 Rockwired Radio Music Award for Best Group and 2012 Rockwired Radio’s Artist of the Month Award. Frank earned himself a few awards as well like Native American Music Award’s Best Producer of 2010. Nake Nula Waun’s songs have appeared on dozens of radio stations throughout the country and they were even featured on the cover of Canadian Aboriginal Arts and Entertainment Magazine. Nake Nula Waun is another group that defies mainstream music and creates its own musical combination influenced by of hip hop, R & B, electronica and traditional Lakota music. “There is no genre that can label exactly what we do. It’s unique because of where we come from and the influences we have musically” Frank explains. Nake Nula Waun explores concepts of personal enlightenment through music and live performances. Their shows are considered some of the most energetic, passionate shows ever seen. The most memorable performance for Nake Nula Waun so far has been their debut show in Chicago last spring. Time Out Magazine, a Chicago-based A&E magazine, rated Nake Nula Waun’s show
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANK WALN
promote Native People and culture. “We think that all tribes are beautiful and have something to offer the world, each in their own respective way. And with us, being Lakota is not only an honor and a privilege, but also an obligation,” Scotti explains. Not only do they want their listeners to understand their lyrics that pay tribute to the concepts and philosophy of their Lakota culture, they also want to teach listeners how to be environmentally conscience and take care of ‘Grandmother Earth’. “We want to get across to our listeners that we, as Red Nations, must be active in our efforts to protect our beautiful grandmother earth, that we will remain only if we teach our future children to be accountable and responsible for their footprints on Earth, but we must first do these ourselves, on our own journey as adults,” they said. Scotti and Juliana feel that taking care of the earth is a trait that all indigenous people commonly share. “This attribute of protecting, appreciating and honoring our mother earth is just one of the many traits that make our people so beautiful,” Scotti adds. In their newly-released single ‘Catch a Fire’, Scatter Their Own sings about the natural beauty of how the earth replenishes herself, with a story to go with it. “‘Catch a Fire’ is about the method of our grandmother earth letting go of her past by burning the abundance of pine needles on her forest floor in a forest fire, later to be nourished with rain. We reference this back to women, women being the micro-versions of our grandmother. These women needing to let go of their past, they release and then have a good cry after the release, just like the replenishment of rain after a forest fire” explains Scotti. Although Scotti and Juliana are the only members of Scatter Their Own, during the summer they invite the young and flourishing talents of 13-year-old drummer Scotti Clifford Jr and 11-year-old Waphe Waste Win Clifford, who can sing lead and harmony, to perform with them. Scatter Their Own still continue to travel and perform around the country, hoping to add more concerts to their already long list of performances and appearances. You can download their tracks on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon and Spotify. Watch out for their new upcoming full album, debuting this spring.
RADAR
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHE KING
as number 4 on their Critic’s Choice list. “It was a turning point for us. We realized that we weren’t limited to the rez or even all-Native audiences. Now we perform all over the Midwest for all types of crowds which gives us the opportunity to educate people and combat stereotypes held against Native Americans.” Nake Nula Waun’s unique mix of music is a testament for all youth and people who come from oppressed, impoverished areas. Nake Nula Waun is using music to break down racial and economic boundaries to show that no matter your circumstances, you can do something great if you find your passion and follow your dream. Nake Nula Waun is something revolutionary and a positive movement that has given hope to the youth of the Rosebud reservation. “We stand for media that speaks truth to power and helps give a strong voice to the voiceless.” Although Frank enjoys producing music, he doesn’t hesitate to speak at conferences and youth leadership meetings. Now days, you can catch both Frank and Kodi in the studio working on their next projects for Nake Nula Waun, while Frank works on a few solo singles. “We are currently working on our third album which will be an EP trilogy titled The Always Ready Trilogy” says Frank. The first single from The Always Ready Trilogy, “Culture Shock” is now available on iTunes, Spotify and all online music stores. Frank just released a solo EP titled Born Ready, which earned four Rockwired Radio Music Award nominations. NATIVE MAX MUST-DOWNLOADS: “Oil 4 Blood”
She King
Aboriginal singer She King is making her mark in the music industry with her soulful vocals and upbeat, catchy songs. A veteran at song-writing, singing and performing for crowds, She King has never stopped reaching her goal of becoming a power Pop princess
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he King, Mohawk and a member of the Six Nations tribe of the Grand River First Nation, grew up in Welland Ontario. A big fan of music, She King discovered her passion for performing when she was only four years old. “I would stand up on picnic tables and perform; I’ve been singing ever since I could remember” says She King. The first time She King picked up the guitar and played the piano was exactly when she knew music had to be her future. “A part of me always knew that music was my life” At the age of twelve, She King started to write music with her dad’s guitar and got a job as a Shania Twain impersonator. A few years later She King started her own rock band and sang covers of popular bands such as ACDC and Led Zeppelin. After high school, She King moved to Toronto, one of the biggest music capitals of the world to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer. Soon after She King shelled out hit-singles one right after another, which included radio hits “I’m Not Okay” and “Mirror Me”. She King’s YouTube video for “I’m Not Okay Remix” gained attention as soon as it was posted, hit-
ting more than 100,000+ views. She King recently wrapped up a tour with legendary bands Glass Tiger and Roxette, and planning another one for later on this year. She King had to prove herself as a tough, strong performer right off the bat. “I’m a strong, sometimes stubborn-minded female artist in this music industry” She King explains. She King is a part of every business aspect of her career, including the creative sides. At the beginning of her career She King learned everything about being an entrepreneur, and how to manage her soaring music career. One thing that she’ll always admit is music helped mold her life into place. “Music has been my rock above all else. There are times in my life that have not always been the easiest and having music to hold my feet to the ground I will forever be thankful for” For She King, inspiration for her music comes from life and passion. “My inspiration for music comes from life, mostly from my own life experiences and passion. Free-ing overwhelming thoughts sometimes are like an intense therapy session. It’s always a good time” She King tries not to think
about her future, but rather the moment. She hopes to perform and sing for as long as she possibly can. No matter how far she gets, She King always gives back to her community. “I always support and always a part of community socials, fundraisers and events,” She King explains. “I work very hard to give back as much as I take and it is very much a part of my career” With her music, She King wants to inspire others to make music as well. “My advice is always this: Be true to your roots, be grateful, work hard and never except no as an answer” She King has certainly proved herself as a performer with high energy, passion and seducing vocals. She’s making her mark in the music industry, quickly gaining attention and supporters. With her music recognized worldwide, She King has no problem living out her dream. We are proud to say She King is a fan of Native Max. “Giving the opportunity for talent to share their creative work is a beautiful thing” Watch out for She King’s new single, releasing later this year, including a single she recorded just for Disney Channel!
SPRING/SUMMER 2013 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE
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RADAR MUSIC
ISKWEW SINGERS
Iskwew Singers are a group of award-winning Cree women Sandy Scofield, Fara Palmer and Andrea Menard who create and perform songs in the plains tradition and language of the Cree nation. Iskwew Singers, in which ‘iskwew’ means ‘woman’ in Cree, was created as a singing group of women who want to celebrate the earth, traditions and cultures. Each woman of the Iskwew Singers descends from a long line of singers and performers. Sandy, Fara and Andrea are all award winners with active careers in other forms of art and music. In their songs, they tell stories of the connection to the earth, the creator and one another, or person to person. The heartbeat of mother is heard through their drums, underscoring a message of community and culture from a people who have survived the impacts of colonization. Iskwew Singers create songs that are entirely in their Cree language and they sing together in perfect harmony, additionally using handmade traditional instruments such as the Ojibwe tortoise rattle and horn rattle, and hand drums. Although these ladies have separate music careers, they dazzle the crowd when they perform together as Iskwew Singers. They perform at local, regional, national and international levels and are well known throughout the world as they have traveled to numerous international music concerts and festivals in countries such as Malaysia, Nova Scotia, Mexico and France. Not wanting to leave the audience in their seats, Iskwew Singers encourage them to clap and stomp their feet along with their songs. They also engage them in a final friendship round dance before their show is over. Each of the Iskwew Singers are very talented and they continue to use the gifts that Creator has given them. They share their talents with the people and so far have received a lot of praise for their music. Sandy, Fara and Andrea look forward to the future and can’t wait for what they’ll accomplish together as Iskwew Singers.
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NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2013
Check out upcoming show times and more for Kind Hearted Woman
TV/FILM
Kind hearted woman’s debut A groundbreaking documentary, filmed by acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland, creates an unforgettable portrait of single mother’s struggles to heal her family, build a career and fulfill her goal of returning to her reservation to help prevent the abuse of women and children. Native Max got the chance to review the documentary and visit with one of the main characters of the film, Kind Hearted Woman herself and the filmmaker who brought it all to life – David Sutherland. There are many films that feature Native Americans, but besides the recent reality shows that involve Native contestants, none really portray the issues we face every day, much less a documentary. David Sutherland, an acclaimed filmmaker whose previous documentaries and films received numerous awards and praise throughout the film world, decided to create another film. Fate led David to the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation in North Dakota where he met Robin Charboneau, a 32-year-old divorced single mother and Oglala Sioux woman. In this special two-part series, David creates an unforgettable portrait of Robin as she struggles to raise her two children, further her education, and heal herself from the wounds of sexual abuse she suffered as a child. You first meet Robin walking across Spirit Lake Reservation in minus-eight-degree weather, returning home after a twenty-day stay in rehab. With her kids taken from her by the tribe, Robin hopes to quit drinking for good. “Now I’m sober, and I’m really, really scared I’m going to start drinking again,” says Robin. To help with her journey to being alcohol-free, Robin asks a friend to bless her house with sage and prayers. Determined to stay away from alcohol, Robin finally confronts the after effects she suffered from the sexual abuse as a child. At the beginning of the film Robin loses custody of her kids, Darian and Anthony, a move Robin believes is the result of her ex-husband’s connections to tribal leaders. When Darian reveals to Robin that her father has sexually abused her, echoing Robin’s own childhood abuse, it ignites both emotional turmoil and a dramatic criminal trial in
federal court, during which Darian will have to testify against her father. Even after Robin’s ex-husband has been convicted of abusive sexual contact with his daughter, Robin still has to partake in a custody battle in tribal court for full custody of her children. These custody battles and false accusations illuminate how serious this problem is on the reservation. Robin’s quest to heal her family led her to off the reservation, to near cities and towns. Robin starts college classes and quickly acquires a job so she can find a home to get her kids back. Robin regains custody and moves to International Falls, MN, for a fresh start. Robin then finds work as a supervisor of visits between troubled families and as a sexual abuse educator. She also enters into a relationship with new man Darren, and begins a long, arduous journey to heal herself and her children. Determined to protect her daughter, Robin has an intimate discussion with Darian about how she can protect herself from further abuse. Robin also has to cope with Anthony’s agonies and anger as he struggles with the emotional pain of not being able to see his father. Deep inside her relationship with Darren, they deal with their own conflicts and their fears. With her goal of returning to her reservation to help prevent the abuse of women and children, Robin starts to share her story of her own abuse she suffered and her road to healing. Robin becomes an extraordinary speaker, sharing her story first at trainings and workshops. Robin’s ultimate emergence as a powerful public speaker on abuse provides a final sign of her growing emotional health and personal triumph as both a professional and a mother. Throughout the film, viewers gain access to heartbreaking scenes, feeling a sense of familiarity to the family as David planned. For over five years, the audience witnesses the emotional rollercoaster of her family dealing with hardships to live a healthier and positive life, with David there to capture it all. View Robin’s inspiring journey full of heartbreak, discovery and redemption on April 1st and 2nd.
ISKWEW SINGERS: PHOTO BY AVALEIGH NEILL; ROBIN CHARBONEAU: RAHOUL GHOSE/PBS
We at Native Max felt it was time to shed spotlight on traditional music, so we decided to feature a traditional, story-telling singing trio of award-winning Cree women, the Iskwew Singers. Iskwew Singers (isk-way-yo) create and perform songs in the plains tradition of their Canadian Cree Nation. Not only do they sing in the Cree language, they also use traditional-style instruments, along with their beautiful voices to make their music
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