The New Year has begun. I turned 60 in 2009, and I’ve been in this business for fifteen years. I’ve been thinking a great deal about what I’ve accomplished, where I’ve been, and where I want to go.
Over the years, I’ve learned from experience that Indigenous artists and performers are almost always marginalized–there is one and only one artist or performer at an event or festival, especially in the performing arts, especially for contemporary performers. Many years ago, I saw a production of Tomson Highway’s wonderful play, The Rez Sisters, in Denver. Afterwards, I asked the theater director when it would be possible to see more Indigenous theater–and he replied that now they were getting back to “serious theater”. Now THATS marginalization!
This marginalization often traps performers, audiences and venues into the limitations of what “everybody knows” Indigenous people do, rather than opening all of us up to the power and diversity of what Indigenous people actually do. Yes, American Indian music certainly includes powwow and flute music–but it also includes chamber music and hiphop and heavy metal. Yes, some American Indian music is spiritual–but it is also loud, angry, funny, and much more.
But where can audiences and booking agents and venues go to listen to this music, see the range of Indigenous performance, hear Indigenous comedy? In conversation with American Indian artists and performers, I often say that if I asked them where I could hear the best powwow music, or see best arts and crafts, they could easily name ten places off the top of their heads. But if I was to ask where I could hear the best Indigenous hiphop, see the best Indigenous theater, enjoy the best Indigenous fashion, the answer is often just a shaking of the head–who knows?
But it’s not because the fashion, the hiphop, the theater isn’t there. It’s because there is no place to experience international Indigenous performance on a regular basis. Yes, several countries now have festivals and events which regularly showcase the best in their countries–shoutouts to The Dreaming in Australia, Planet IndigenUS and Imagine + Native in Canada, Pasifika in New Zealand. But what about Indigenous performance from Siberia? or Mexico? or Peru? Or the US?
As a result, I’ve decided that my goal now will be to create an annual Indigenous performing arts festival that will:
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be partnered from the beginning with an Indigenous organization or community
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showcase the best Indigenous performing artists from around the world–theater, modern dance, music, fashion, film/video, photography, written and spoken word
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train Indigenous young people how to run the festival and, eventually, take it over
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introduce Indigenous performing artists to the business–what is an agent? what is a contract?–since many people come from isolated rural and urban communities where this information is difficult if not impossible to find
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eventually, serve as a performing arts showcase as well, introducing the best Indigenous performers to venues and booking agents from around the world
It’s an exciting goal and one that needs to happen. I’m not sure I can make it happen, but I am sure I’ll give it everything I have. Why not join me?