Embracing the Past While Moving Into the Future
In celebrating Indigenous creativity and cultural enrichment, we proudly present this month’s latest highlight of Cultural Capital (CC) and Artist in Business Leadership (ABL) fellows.
The following artists represent how Indigenous creativity thrives through each fellow participating in our fellowships. These creatives come from diverse backgrounds and artistic fields and embody a deep passion for their craft and community.
Cultural Capital
Tessie Naranjo, an 83-year-old CC fellow, captures the wisdom and cultural richness of her Santa Clara Pueblo community. Growing up in a prevalent Indigenous language tradition, she cherishes the impact of her matriarchal figures –her great-grandmother, grandmother, and sister.
“I come from a large body of artists in our community. Sculpting, writing, or making pottery, stone carving. Those things come naturally to us, here in the community, and especially within my family,” Tessie said.
“I come from a large body of artists in our community. Sculpting, writing, or making pottery, stone carving. Those things come naturally to us, here in the community, and especially within my family,” Tessie said.
With support from her fellowship, she will document Tewa place names in their homeland. She plans to collaborate with a Tewa male elder and a young tribal photographer and mapper. The project's mission is to capture Tewa names of mountains and land places, creating hard-copy and digital maps exclusively for the community.
“There is much to learn from traditional place names. Tewa names given by my ancestors are wondrously descriptive. My ancestors knew the land well,” Tessie said.
By documenting traditional place names, Tessie wants to ensure that future generations can access and appreciate their cultural wealth and protect the importance of language, story, and the enduring relationship between people and place.
CC Fellow Savanna Rilatos, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, is working on a meaningful project to support her community through the Siletz Regalia Sharing Co-op, which she co-founded. This initiative aims to loan culturally appropriate regalia to dancers for local powwows and cultural events who may not have access to those items – a “regalia closet”.
“Regalia is not always accessible; it can be expensive to craft. And the people crafting it deserve compensation for their time and work because it is a lot of work. So we were just thinking about opportunities and things to help with the cost of it and not worry about how much money we're putting into it,” Savanna said.
“Regalia is not always accessible; it can be expensive to craft. And the people crafting it deserve compensation for their time and work because it is a lot of work. So we were just thinking about opportunities and things to help with the cost of it and not worry about how much money we're putting into it,” Savanna said.
Drawing from her past, Savanna shares the importance of accessibility to regalia, noting the invaluable support she received from her community in participating in ceremonies and powwows. Inspired by her grandfather's belief that "culture is prevention," Savanna envisions the Co-op as a bridge between accessibility and culture for others.
“The dream is to be able to provide funds and stuff for people to make their regalia. They get to participate and create for themselves or work with artists to obtain regalia,” Savanna said.
Artist in Business Leadership
Ashley Young, an ABL Fellow and a member of the Tlingit community, is elevating her music career into an impactful business. Understanding the importance of treating her music as a business, Ashley is focusing on developing a credible business model as the foundation of her project.
“I'm so incredibly fortunate to have this grant and support from everyone. I know I can reach out to anyone anytime I need something like that; that kind of support is incredible. And when it comes to other artists in my community, we don't have thousands of dollars to give each other, especially when we're constantly on that next project. And so we are always focusing on what we can do for each other,” Ashley said.
“I'm so incredibly fortunate to have this grant and support from everyone. I know I can reach out to anyone anytime I need something like that; that kind of support is incredible. And when it comes to other artists in my community, we don't have thousands of dollars to give each other, especially when we're constantly on that next project. And so we are always focusing on what we can do for each other,” Ashley said.
Her goals include revamping her online presence with a new website, shaping her branding, maintaining a consistent presence on social media, and creating merchandise for her upcoming tour. Through her music, she aims to share her personal message of love, loss, and change as a tribute to her community.
“I think many artists are afraid to lift themselves like they don't feel worthy of it. The way that I view my community is we're all holding hands. And every once in a while we just catapult one person in the circle,” Ashley said.
“I think many artists are afraid to lift themselves like they don't feel worthy of it. The way that I view my community is we're all holding hands. And every once in a while we just catapult one person in the circle,” Ashley said.
As a member of both the queer and Indigenous communities, Ashley is committed to using her career to make a positive change, hoping to inspire Alaska Natives to be ambassadors in their communities.
As we celebrate Ashley, Savanna, Tessie, and their fellow cohort members' inclusion in the First Peoples Fund fellowship, we recognize the importance of uplifting indigenous artists in their creative endeavors and acts of cultural conservation.
