Wednesday, April 27, 2011

a home

more from amanda pereira. please see part one back on april 25th.
 
 
2) What compelled you to gather support for Native Earth?
 
When the professor of my Indigenous Resistance in Global Context class (Guy Letts) recommended that we not only think about the things we were learning, but actually go out and do something about what was happening in our world, I couldn't have been in more agreement with him. Throughout the school year I had this unsettling need to do something; I hated the kinds of things I was learning had happened, and are still happening, to Indigenous peoples around the world. At first, I wanted to do everything...restore stolen land, return stolen children, abolish stereotypes and unfair biases, rewrite laws to benefit everyone...but I knew I had to find a focus. I thought the best place to start would be to start with what I know: performing arts. Performing arts has changed my life, and given me a kind of spark to persevere when things are difficult. What an incredibly wonderful and magical gift theatre has given me, everyone should have the opportunity to receive the same gift. Upon my researching, this is when I found Native Earth Performing Arts. To this day I cannot say exactly what it was that compelled me to this company, that kept my gaze on the website. In looking around Native Earth's Official Website, there seemed such life, such movement, and such inner peace. In reading more about the company, I truly admired their 7 values and the goals they presented. Upon meeting with Native Earth's Yvette Nolan and Ulla Laidlaw, there was such a presence of kindness and strength; even being in the beautiful inspiring office I felt that I was in the midst of something exceptional. They were resisting Indigenous oppression by giving Indigenous peoples a home to tell of their culture and their stories, collectively and individually - I loved that. In speaking more with them, I knew I wanted to support Native Earth in any way that I could, and I knew I had to give it all I had.
 
meegwetch, amanda.
-writing by amanda pereira

No bedtime for democracy!

Share the knowledge.



By Craig Lauzon

Monday, April 25, 2011

instant family

last month, York Uni student amanda pereira brought a heap of folks in to see the NEPA/red diva projects Tombs of the Vanishing Indian. most of those people were new to NEPA work. amanda also took it upon herself to fundraise a substantial amount of cash donations to NEPA.

 who IS this magical woman, you ask? 

over the next few days, i offer you some insight into how such wonders can happen, here on earth. 
i posed a few questions, and amanda took them on.

1) Why is Native Earth work for everyone?
Although Native Earth Performing Arts presents stories of an Indigenous basis, I do not believe only Indigenous peoples can enjoy these stories, nor do I believe they are put on only for Indigenous peoples. In raising money for Native Earth, I brought a group of 30 classmates of all different backgrounds to Tombs of the Vanishing Indian. Despite our multicultural histories, I heard the same thing from everyone: how powerful the show was, how beautiful the presentation and style, how important the message, how magnificent the performers were...whether they were Indigenous or not, none of us could deny the brilliance of the piece. Furthermore, I believe Indigenous stories are ones every person living in Canada, living on Native land, should be familiar with. Borrowing from the words of Ward Churchill, if you are living on someone else's land, you ought to learn about those people and perhaps why it is no longer their land. I believe in doing nothing, one is actively participating in the oppression taking place against Indigenous peoples, and so these stories told by Native Earth include everyone! It is my duty, I believe as a non-Indigenous person, to familiarize myself with these stories, and direct others where they can learn of these stories as well. The stories of Indigenous culture told by Native Earth I believe are stories of North America before it was deemed North America and about what has happened since this land has been deemed North America. In that sense, the stories include and encompass everyone. The pieces of art presented by Native Earth are ones that can be enjoyed and learned from by all peoples.


amanda's words conjure up the text spoken by the character "Ruth" played by michelle st. john.

"As a practice, you should always know whose land you're walking on."


                                                        Michelle St. John and Nicole Joy-Fraser.        photo by Nir Bareket
-contributed by Amanda Pereira and Tara Beagan