Cultivating Indigenous Voices

During this interview I sat with Matthew Saraficio who is a recent graduate from Arizona State University earning a Bachlor’s degree in Acting. He talked about his role and experience during the production of “Shooting Columbus.” The performance was presented by Borderlands Theater and created by the group Fifth World Collective. The group consisted of indigenous and non-indigenous actors who portrayed dramatic representations of a truthful reality of past and present issues within Indian country. Some of those issues include historical trauma that so many native people endured during the boarding school era on into today’s pressing issues like the proposed border wall. The existing concerns are native language loss, degradation to the environment for natural resources, and lack of consultation with native tribes. The stunning visual effects and the artistic presence of dance movement and metaphorical performance was executed very well. The preshow began with a walk through, through various rooms within the La Pilita Museum that included images, video projections, and acting scenes. Each visual and acting performance characterized a deeper understanding of what America’s first people have been through since the first European contact. The question posed throughout this performance challenged the audience by asking: If settlers never arrived on this land, how would your life be different? During this podcast episode you will hear a short audio clip from the Arizona Public Media video shoot production of “Shooting Columbus.”

“The Tucson women’s march was a part of a nation-wide and global movement for believers in equality to stand together in solidarity the day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. The movement itself was not anti-Trump but rather a non-partisan pro-equality demonstration intended to show the world that we stand together for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, our families, and our environment.” – Gabriella Cazares-Kelly Many groups were represented during the Women’s March on Washington and amongst the thousands was a group of indigenous women who represented their cultures and marched for equality! Gabriella Cazares-Kelly was one of many who marched unitedly with numerous women of color during this time. She helped organize the “Indigenous Women for Equality” which is a group of indigenous women and their supporter’s in the Tucson/Tohono O’odham Nation area who simply believe in equality. Here you will listen to a discussion with Gabriella and her role in the midst of this historical march. #WeAreStillHere #HearOurVote