Conversation with Photographer Cara Romero

Cara Romero is a Chemehuevi photographer whose work reflects her diverse training in film, digital, fine art, journalism, editorial portraiture and commercial photography. Currently Cara is creating monumental fine art works that are representative of her editorial and photo documentary background. Her work is a response to current events and issues in Indian Country from environmental impact on indigenous communities to cultural appropriation to the portrayal of indigenous women in popular culture. She is a dedicated photographer, cultural activist, wife and mother. 

More about the artist: 

Born in Inglewood, CA in 1977, Cara was raised on the Chemehuevi Valley Indian reservation along the California shoreline of Havasu Lake in the heart of the Mojave Desert.

Cara shows at both the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Art Market. She has won several awards including ribbons at both major markets and the “Visions for the Future “ award from the Native American Rights Fund. Her work is featured year round at the Robert Nichol's Gallery of Santa Fe.

Cara lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is married to Cochiti potter Diego Romero.

Conversation with Artist Demian DinéYazhi'

Demian DinéYazhi’ is a Portland-based transdisciplinary warrior born to the clans Tódích'íí'nii (Bitter Water) and Naasht'ézhí Tábąąhá  (Zuni Clan Water's Edge) of the Diné (Navajo). Whether he is broaching topics adjacent to Decolonization, Survivance, and Queerness in written or visual language, Demian is caught in a narrative that is informed by romanticized notions of belonging and the alienation experienced through centuries of forced assimilation to white patriarchal capitalist supremacy.

"Feel liberated to print out (http://burymyart.tumblr.com/) and wheatpaste at will!" -R.I.S.E.

"Feel liberated to print out (http://burymyart.tumblr.com/) and wheatpaste at will!" -R.I.S.E.

Music featured on this episode by: EMA, Bratmobile, Mika Miko, Pavement, Sleater-Kinney

More about the artist:

Demian DinéYazhi’ received his BFA in Intermedia Arts from Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2014. He is the founder and director of the artist/activist/warrior collective, RISE: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment, which is dedicated to the education and perseverance of Indigenous art and culture. He has contributed to the successful curation and organization of multiple exhibitions, including "WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: HIV/AIDS-Related Art & Activism, BURY MY ART AT WOUNDED KNEE: Blood & Guts in the Art School Industrial Complex, Survivance: An Indigenous Art & Poetry Intervention, and One Flaming Arrow: an Inter-tribal Art, Music, & Film Festival.

Demian's work as an artist can be understood through the lens of curatorial inquiry, zine production, street interventions, education, workshops, and transdisciplinary methods of art production. Between his artwork, poetry/writing, curation, and his work with R.I.S.E, Demian is continually researching, exploring, and implementing innovative ways of addressing complex concepts that are the blood and guts of his work. Growing up in the colonized lands of the american southwest, the evolution of his work has been influenced by a heavy exposure to traditional Diné culture and spirituality, matrilineal upbringing, and the importance of intergenerational knowledge. His work is rooted in Radical Indigenous Queer Feminist politics, landscape representation, memory formation, HIV/AIDS-related art and activism, gender, identity, and sexuality, Indigenous Survivance, and Decolonization.

burymyart: R.I.S.E. This Land, 2013

burymyart: R.I.S.E. This Land, 2013

The late artist David Wojnarowicz once wrote, "If I were to leave this country and never come back or see it again in films or sleep I would still remember a number of different things that sift back in some kind of tidal motion." A similar thought process is activated in the creative practice of Demian's work; most notably when contemplating how an Indigenous Queer body navigates space in post-apocalyptic Native america. Whether he is broaching topics adjacent to Decolonization, Survivance, and Queerness in written or visual language, Demian is caught in a narrative that is informed by romanticized notions of belonging and the alienation experienced through centuries of forced assimilation to white patriarchal capitalist supremacy.

Through his indoctrination into the privileged white walls of the Art School Industrial Complex, Demian acknowledges the importance of critiquing mainstream contemporary art spaces. By participating in the contemporary art world, galleries, and museums, he also recognizes how crucial the existence of non-traditional, alternative spaces are to helping disrupt the white noise of modern art. In order to deconstruct the contemporary art movement and the fortification of western historical narratives, Decolonizing and working outside the jurisdiction of these institutions becomes a critical component in assisting in the affirmation and evolution of the art, culture, history, and lived experiences of marginalized peoples.

Follow the work and projects of Demian DinéYazhi':

https://www.facebook.com/RISEIndigenous

http://heterogeneoushomosexual.tumblr.com

https://www.facebook.com/OneFlamingArrow

http://burymyart.tumblr.com

Demian DinéYazhi’ on Vimeo

Demian DinéYazhi' on Etsy​

"High resolution 12″ x 18″ poster of an Apsaalooke’ woman photographed by Cree photographer Richard Throssel in the early 1900s. As with all our posters, feel liberated to print out (http://burymyart.tumblr.com/) and wheatpaste at will!" -R.I.S.E.

"High resolution 12″ x 18″ poster of an Apsaalooke’ woman photographed by Cree photographer Richard Throssel in the early 1900s. As with all our posters, feel liberated to print out (http://burymyart.tumblr.com/) and wheatpaste at will!" -R.I.S.E.

Indigenous Luv (Hanky Code: The Movie) A short film about cruising as an Indigenous Queer by Demian DinéYazhi’

heterogeneoushomosexual:Demian DinéYazhi’Untitled (Winter Solstice, 2010), 2011

heterogeneoushomosexual:
Demian DinéYazhi’
Untitled (Winter Solstice, 2010), 2011

ON THIS DAY: June 25 in 1876, the Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho defeated Custer’s 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.In the image:Custer’s Last Stand, 2014Sculpture by: Demian DinéYazhi’__________…

ON THIS DAY: June 25 in 1876, the Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho defeated Custer’s 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

In the image:
Custer’s Last Stand, 2014
Sculpture by: Demian DinéYazhi’

____________________________________.

(Source: heterogeneoushomosexual)

 

Conversation with Filmmaker Razelle Benally

Razelle Wiyakaluta Benally (Oglala Lakota/Navajo) is an indigenous filmmaker creating impactful and memorable films from the Native perspective. Benally has produced content ranging from music videos to experimental pieces to short documentaries. Having been fully immersed in the indie film culture for over ten years Benally recognizes she is still only at the start of her cinematic career and speaks to Broken Boxes about where she is in her process. 

"I feel it is a creative duty of mine to represent native women in a positive manner, and to show the world that we are still here, that we still have a voice. Our stories are important and so are our people and history. I intend to explore filmmaking as an art form and create collections of moving images as a voice of visual poetry." -Razelle Benally

Here is the conversation with Razelle Benally:

Subscribe to Broken Boxes Podcast on iTunes HERE and download this episode

More from the artist: 

"I was born in a small town in Eastern Oregon but grew up and graduated high school in Rapid City, South Dakota. I am half Oglala Lakota and half Navajo. As a child I grew up in a family of artists and found myself fascinated with stories and film from an early age. I would read book after book, and watch and re-watch my favorite movies. As a kid I really took a liking to Roald Dahl’sJames and the Giant Peach and Tarantino’s Pulp fiction.

When I started high school I got into skateboarding and punk rock music; I also rooted myself in a drug and alcohol free lifestyle. By then my parents had split up, so my mom and I moved up to north to be closer to family in Pine Ridge; she also wanted me to learn more about my culture and language. I became really involved with Lakota spirituality and built a strong foundation of self-identity based on ceremonial and traditional values. My perspective on life changed during this time, and I no longer wished to pursue science (my original plan) after graduating; I wanted to do more for my people.

During this time, the sanctity of one of our sacred sites was being threatened. There were rallies and protests with people gathering for a bigger purpose, the whole thing was empowering for me. By then I had become a straight edge enthused and spiritually driven young woman. In some way I wanted to do more, so I decided to archive and capture what was happening. I picked up a camera and started filming. I found purpose when I was running the camera. My whole life I had longed to tell stories and often considered myself a writer at times, but it wasn’t until I began filming and editing that I realized what my calling was.

I wanted to become a filmmaker, so I looked up prospective schools and found the budding New Media Arts program here at IAIA most appealing. Both of my parents are IAIA Alumni and they encouraged me to follow my passion. During that first year I completed here at IAIA, I got sponsored by a skateboard company and had the opportunity to skate and film for a living. I took the chance and traveled the United States doing skateboard competitions and demos with the team, while filming and making videos for the them as well. After three years and countless injuries I decided to throw in the towel on skateboarding in order to fully focus on independent filmmaking.

I got into making music videos, experimental pieces, and short documentaries not long after I stopped skating. I kept writing and creating and in 2012 it paid off; I earned the Sundance Film Institute’s Native Lab Fellowship. I am currently working on a project that is being supported by the Institute. I work hard on a daily basis perfecting my passion of writing so I can make impactful and memorable films. I feel it is a creative duty of mine to represent native women in a positive manner, and to show the world that we are still here, that we still have a voice. Our stories are important and so are our people and history. I intend to explore filmmaking as an art form and create collections of moving images as a voice of visual poetry." -Razelle Benally

On Location: Nihígaal bee Iiná :: Journey for Existence

"As young people, we realize that we can’t continue on like this. We need clean air, water, and a viable lifeway for our people. In facing this crisis of our future, the idea of walking to raise awareness was born."

Here are the conversations with those walking for Nihígaal bee Iiná:

Subscribe to Broken Boxes Podcast on iTunes HERE and download this episode

Interviews featured on this episode with: Nadine Narindrankura, Dana Eldridge, Makai Lewis, Lyncia Begay, Nicholas Ashley, Orlando Begay and Kim Smith
All music featured on this episode provided by the discotays
Find more music by discotays on Soundcloud, Facebook and Bandcamp

More about the Nihígaal bee Iiná:

"The Navajo Nation sits on one of the richest energy corridors in the United States, and for close to a century, we have been on the frontline on resource colonization to provide cheap energy and water to the cities in the Southwest. Since the 1920's, our land and people have been sacrificed for energy extraction for oil, gas, uranium, and coal, which is poisoning our land, water, air, and people. Despite being at the forefront of energy extraction, our people do not see its benefits; approximately 1/4 of our people today live without electricity and running water on the Navajo Nation, while our economy functions at an unemployment rate of about 60%, and our young people are leaving due to lack of opportunity. Now our people and land are facing the onset fracking and a proposed pipeline, which will transport crude oil through 130 miles in Dinetah in the name of "economic development"."

"As young people, we realize that we can't continue on like this. We need clean air, water, and a viable lifeway for our people. In facing this crisis of our future, the idea of walking to raise awareness was born. 

We are walking to honor the legacy of our ancestors during Hwééldi, who, a 150 years ago, were forced to walk hundreds of miles in the winter during away from our homelands in the winter to be imprisoned for four years in the name of American colonization. During this time of great suffering, our ancestors thought of our homeland, mountains, and prayed that future generations would carry on our way of life. It is in their memory and out of this profound love for the land that we are walking. It is time to heal from the legacy and trauma of colonization that we having been living under for too long."
 


"It is our intention to walk throughout the Navajo Nation to document both the beauty of land and people and how this is being desecrated by resource extraction. We will do this through a social media campaign and a documentary films. Along our route, we will visit communities to listen to the issues our people are facing and share information about the state of water, air, land, and health, as our communities often have very little access to media or information about these issues. Our hope is that we can help to inspire our people to become engage in the care our land, air, and water, and culture so that we will have a future as Diné." 

"We are calling out to our people in K'é. We need your support, guidance, and prayers. To our young people, we are calling on you to come home and stand up for our land and way of life. 

NihíDiné'e, if we don't do this, no one else will. It's is up to us. T'áá Hwó' Ají T'éego!"

Stay connected to the project through FACEBOOK or email: nihigaalbeeiina@gmail.com