Indigenous creatives within their industries
Sam Damm (she/her) // Contributor
Grayson Gardner (they/them) // Illustrator
The ancestors of Indigenous people are warriors and the ancestor’s spirit is passed down through generations. Indigenous power is a great force, shown through their resilience in the face of pain; from enduring harsh winters to fighting to protect their history, culture, languages, traditions, and land.. For too long, the government tried to erase Indigenous people in many ways, yet they could not destroy them. These attempts only increased their desire to protect who they are as Indigenous people.
So, what is Red Power? It is known as an Indigenous rights movement that started between the ‘60s and ‘70s for the purpose of Indigenous sovereignty and culture revitalization. It is about resilience, pride and power. Indigenous peoples took a stand on their own, fighting for their voices to be heard and against the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. This was the start of an Indigenous uprising to take action against racism, police brutality and land seizure, among many other harmful treatments. The traditional ways of Indigenous leadership made way across many nations and fought for their rights. This holds massive significance today because Indigenous people are still experiencing violence on a massive scale. It still bleeds through.
“It’s not just one thing. It’s a makeup of many different things,” says Jessie Anthony, “It looks like all of us. Together. And, it means them growing up to be healthy, young and just knowledgeable within themselves, for future generations to be at peace with themselves and working on that. Striving towards rebuilding what we once had as well.” says Elijah Chenoweth. Indigenous people continue to express their Indigeneity today, through various forms of art, including film, music, paintings and many other creative forms. They work in the industries, often as a minority.
Anthony, a director, writer and producer, says that Indigenous power contains multitudes. “I feel like being your authentic self is Indigenous power. We’re already powerful to begin with. So, just showing up and being yourself and being kind to people is Indigenous power. Being vulnerable to share your voice is Indigenous power. Being able to stand up for yourself is Indigenous power,” Anthony stated. The film creative also highlighted the importance of being kind; “you never know who’s gonna be your boss. So, to me, when you have that mentality going into a job, you’re kind to everybody.” Being yourself is power in its own way; it leads to confidence and success. Working in the creative industry—especially starting out—you work with everyone, you do many jobs at once and work on small crews. It can get chaotic at times, but that is when it is most important to be kind and gentle to everyone.
Chenoweth is an alum of the Indigenous Digital Filmmaking program and now a fourth-year student in the Motion Picture Arts program, in addition to writing, directing and acting. Elijah believes in the power of being knowledgeable. “making that effort to learn about where you come from, that’s empowered me in my life more than I could have ever expected.” He grew up in the city and felt that he didn’t know as much as he used to growing up, Chenoweth feels the power that is within himself when he takes the time to learn more about his people. Taking the time and having patience to be knowledgeable is also power.
April Johnson, a producer and director, shared that while she has sometimes struggled with the idea of feeling ready to start projects, she never feels that way about her stories. She is confident when she knows where she comes from, and in her knowing, she finds herself with the confidence to continue to tell her stories. She knows she can spark conversation with the stories she wants to tell. Johnson relies on self-care and when she takes care of her mind, body, spirit and home, she is ready for challenges that might come her way. “Going for [a] walk releases endorphins and it kicks off the creative process for me. Then, I want to share more with people, and the more you share with people, the more they’re going to hype you up and then you collaborate and you’re lifting everyone up.” When people lift themselves up, they can lift people up, that is success. When people can work together in kindness, it leads to greater work and greater relationships.
Proud Indigeneity means more confident and present creatives. With Indigenous joy comes Indigenous power and it’s revolutionary. The future is bright, filled with beauty, language, tradition, growth, change, healing and connection for all Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.