Andrew MacLean's, "On The Ice" coming Friday

Upcoming soon, I will be posting a review of Andrew MacLean's, On The Ice per a request from a digital promoter with Total Assault LLC.

Johnny Depp's Got Papers. It's Official He's Comanche.

JOHNNY DEPP'S GOT PAPERS NOW, HE'S BEEN GIVEN CREDENTIALS 

So, word has spread across the Internet like a wildfire in the southwest, but the Apache 8 aren't there to comment on this absurdity. If you haven't guessed, Johnny Depp is officially a Comanche. He can now ignore his Cherokee ancestry he so steadfastly clung to while being vetted of his "Nativeness." Or was it Creek? Well that doesn't matter any longer because the Comanche adopted him. I guess he'll be selling his estate in France and flying to Oklahoma or New Mexico (where his adoption ceremony took place):

Johnny Depp adopted into the Comanche Nation

(New Mexico Business Weekly by Megan Kamerick, Senior Reporter

Date: Monday, May 21, 2012, 5:09pm MDT) 

I'm a little dismayed that he would forgo his Cherokee-ness to become Comanche. You know, deny who you say you are to become who you want to be. But that's not unlike what his entire life has been up to this point, maybe this is an apex moment. I mean he has lived a life of lies acting, not literal lies, but pretend lies. He has pretended to be a pirate, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, an undercover cop in high schools, a scissor-fingered gothic Frankenstein creation, a Public Enemy, a Mad Hatter, an undercover FBI agent, just to name a few, and now his resume will include an Indian and no longer only the kind played on the silver screen, or by young boys with brightly colored feathers in some ridiculous looking headdress. Nope, he has finally realized his dream of becoming Indigenous. I'm not sure but I believe his condition exists somewhere within the pages of the DSM-IV.

In the above article, LaDonna Harris mentions,

It seemed like a natural fit to officially welcome him into our Comanche family. I reached out, and Johnny was very receptive to the idea. He seemed proud to receive the invitation, and we were honored that he so enthusiastically agreed. 

I'm a little lost for words that by PLAYING INDIAN (a phenomenon coined by Phillip DeLoria), specifically Tonto, more specifically a Comanche, makes it "a natural fit" to adopt Depp into the Comanche Nation. Thousands of little kids play "Cowboys and Indians" all the time, some kids are Lakota, some are Pawnee, some are Apache. It makes sense that Depp would be "receptive to the idea . . ." while enthusiastically agreeing to do so, it's nearly every kid's fantasy to be NDN--and it's been no different for Depp, claiming different tribal ties in various interviews as well as directing a film in which for the first time he PLAYED INDIAN, The Brave (1997).  Unfortunately, what Depp is doing isn't catapulting Indigenous culture into the 21st century, nor is his pretending combatting negative stereotypes surrounding NDNs.* On the contrary, his actions are perpetuating stereotypes that continue to diminish who We are by the cinematic mode.

Depp's portrayal, the actual act of taking a role away from a Native actor (playing red face), not his acting, is insidious. He is perpetuating myths about Native people in a medium that is so disseminated and more often than not in America--Americans educate themselves with popular culture--Americans believe, or at least get their information from what they see on the screen, the portrayals by actors (you know pretending to be NDN) as historically accurate and acceptable. These manifestations are so damaging that they hinder Us from moving forward in the 21st century because We are being relegated to anachronistic versions of Ourselves making Our present all the more difficult to negotiate.

Now, whatever the Comanche Nation wants to do is their business, but I'm not sure how Johnny Depp's "acting" role as Tonto in The Lone Ranger has anything to do with adopting a movie star into a tribe. Maybe I'm missing something? Comanche Nation Tribal Chairman, Johnny Wauqua commented about Depp in a news release that,

He's a very thoughtful human being, and throughout his life and career, he has exhibited traits that are aligned with the values and worldview that indigenous people share. 

Really? I'm a bit perplexed in regards to Depp's "exhibited traits" aligning him with Indigenous people. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he gives money to worthy causes, and he's probably a very nice guy. But just why didn't his directorial debut film, The Brave (1997) ever hit a screen in North America? Was it really because of the negative reception it received at the Canne Film Festival? Was he hurt because his moment of make-believe wasn't believable (that no one could believe he was Native, onscreen or off)? The Brave (1997) didn't receive rave reviews, and therefore by association Johnny Depp wasn't validated as BEING INDIAN, which negated his fantasy of BECOMING INDIAN. I think these particular acts speak volumes when it comes to "exhibited traits."

In my opinion, this is a simple case of someone being starstruck, "it seemed a natural fit to officially welcome him into our Comanche family." Is that what "IT" is? Never is "it" elaborated upon, unless you assume Depp's role as a fictional Comanche is "IT."
________________________________________________

* To add to my argument I reference my earlier post, Johnny Depp to Play Tonto, Once Again Depp Has Some Degree of NDN Blood? Perfect Timing!
and elaborate that Depp mentions in an interview (Linthicum, Albuquerque Journal, 3/8/2012) how he'll handle the years of stereotyped portrayals of Natives in film. Apparently, through his performance he imagines he will somehow combat these stereotypes by not acting like the stereotypes, but what he fails to comprehend is no matter how good his intentions, the mere fact of him portraying an Indigenous persona, real or fictional, is what will contribute to the damage toll of Indigenous representation in film. One of the most problematic issues of Native Representation in film was and continues to be non-Natives playing the role of Natives. This has got to stop. It's 2012 and there are enough Native actors to play these parts, but it's Hollywood's lack of vision and bottom line that perpetuates the utilization of non-Native movie stars in the roles of Native characters.

Johnny Depp as Tonto, Postscript

After posting the Johnny Depp as Tonto blog, I was thinking how coincidental it was that Depp decided to adapt a novel about an Indigenous person after having starred two years earlier as William Blake, beside Indigenous actor, comedian, musician; Gary Farmer (Exaybachay, a.k.a Nobody) in Jim Jarmusch's, Dead Man? It seems to have been a logical chain of events for Depp. First, you play a role next to an Indigenous actor, who is playing a character that is Indigenous. Secondly, you find a novel centered on an Indigenous character and all the strife of Indigenous culture, adapt it for the screen and then star in said adaptation. I never mentioned that the author of the novel, The Brave, is also the author of the Fletch and Flynn series of novels. Therefore, The Brave is quite a departure from the cultural content he was used to depicting or even knowing about.

Johnny Depp as Tonto

Now as an artist that has utilized The Lone Ranger as part of his body of work and is a staunch advocate for the accuracy of Indigenous portrayal in media, I am interested in this turn of events. Granted, Johnny Depp has claimed he is Cherokee, Irish, German with some Navajo(?) [via IMDB] all well and fine. The problem isn't is Johnny Depp Cherokee, it's what does he know about being INDIGENOUS, there I said it.

What authenticity is he going to bring to the silver screen that will translate what you and I know as Our shared cultural experience, Pan-Indian as some of it might be? I don't think he is going to offer anything to Indigeneity other than some dressed-up caricature of what he and Verbinski thinks "Indian" is. Now, is it okay since Tonto is a fictional character? How much fantasy is he going to project to an audience that not only loves Depp, but practically worships him? How much of this character will the audience actually walk away with as truth and how much as fiction? We know that the majority of America gets their information from media, and that information is framed in its presentation. So, if Depp's portrayal of Tonto is a caricature of what he has conjured in his mind about Indigenous people then we should be prepared to do battle with fantasy. If he doesn't embellish on his character's persona, a la Capt. Jack Sparrow then we might hope for a more humanistic approach to his rendition of Tonto. I'm hoping for the latter. My biggest qualm regarding this turn of events, Johnny Depp as Tonto is when has he ever portrayed an Indigenous person?* Why now? What not utilize the myriad other Indigenous actors known for their Native roles? Wes Studi? Damn, even Cherokilmer (term coined by friend, Maria Colon of FLABMAG.COM), Val Kilmer is more known for his role as FBI half-breed, Ray Levoi as well as his charitable endeavors with the Native American Indigenous Cinema and Arts Organization. Why not Adam Beach or Benjamin Bratt?

Honestly, I look at this casting existing only in the end product, cha-ching $$$. Director Gore Verbinski, Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will be taking on the task of directing Depp once again in his performance of Tonto. Now, that franchise has earned to date $2.68 billion in worldwide box office revenue. How is this not the reason? Where are the other people dismayed at having Tonto resurrected by Verbinski, Disney, and Johnny Depp and thrust into the popular culture as something that is Indigenous? Disney is infamous for its horrendous representations of Indigeneity and its place in popular culture as somehow the man behind the curtain.

* Yesterday my friend, colleague and FLABMAG.COM founder/editor extraordinaire, Maria Colon enlightened me. I didn't know Depp was the star of his own directorial debut in The Brave, where he plays what is a typical Native American stereotype. Funny thing is Depp adapted the novel of the same name from Gregory McDonald. "The film was first shown at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival[1] where it received mixed reviews. The film was released in theaters and on DVD internationally, but not in the United States." You can actually view it on youtube. Thanks to Maria for bringing this to my attention.

Possibilities?

My plan is to depart Syracuse, where I have been mired since graduating from the SU MFA film program since 2007. With family and well to be honest, a limited amount of friends in the area (not as many as while I was in school--they were bright enough to leave quickly after graduating) I didn't think my life would be as uneventful as it is. So with this tentative plan in motion, or conceptually in motion, I intend to move back out west, the southwest to be specific. I figured I'll be able to move out there with or without a job, but I think my age and the caution that comes with being older is keeping me from making such a risky move. I no longer throw caution to the wind, don't take as many chances as I used to . . . now, chances are well calculated to have minimal risk.

I have a fellowship application in at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, NM, which begins in the fall. I am applying to IAIA for a position as a New Media instructor. And then there's a possibility to teach film and video this fall at my old Art School (Munson Williams Proctor at Pratt), where I received my foundational training. So, three possibilities, not too bad, but the waiting and not knowing is uncomfortable, but I have to endure. So, depending on what comes of these possibilities moving may or may not be in the cards.

I was hoping to get back to the Denver/Boulder Indian Community, or become a part of the Santa Fe/Albuquerque Indian Community. As a displaced Mescalero Apache in Haudenosaunee country I am not an active member, though I am part of the community. Since my lineage isn't matrilineal, I cannot take part in Longhouse ceremonies, which I respect because that is the way of the Haudenosaunee (there was limited discussion on this aspect, but since I believe in traditionalism as does my brother, I decided that it was really a moot point to even think about it regardless if no one else knew where my lineage lay). I am fortunate and grateful to be able to take part in other events that occur. I was honored to be able to meet and photograph Tadodaho, Leon Shenandoah, my brother's grandfather before his passing in 1996 as well as photographing Oren Lyons in the same year. After talking with Oren for some time, he gave me some advice: not to dip my cup upstream. Apparently, our short conversation gave him great insight into my rather confrontational and radical personality, at least when coping with fairness. Although, to this day I still seem to disrupt the flow of things for those people downstream, it is an intentional choice and not one of desire for confrontation, anger or animosity but one of perspective. My time spent with the Onondaga and Mohawk (specifically Tom Porter at Kanatsiohareke) has taught me a lot about myself, my identity, my family and my desire to be an active member within the community, no matter what that entails. I know I will miss my brother and his family most, since wherever the possibilities take me will take me away from them. I've enjoyed helping my family out when needed, taking my niece or nephew to Tsha'Hon'nonyen'dakhwa' (the Onondaga Nation Arena) for hockey and lacrosse practice. It's been a great privilege watching my nieces grow up and turn into beautiful young ladies, as well as watching my nephew and my youngest niece develop personalities that sparkle and shine. I've been fortunate to be able to get to know my sister-in-law better and see what a wonderful mother she is and how she juggles motherhood and teaching, to this day she will always amaze me how women are capable of doing this while being so tender and strong. This is why the Haudenosaunee are so wonderful, the women are truly the foundation of this amazing culture.

I just had lunch with my brother, something we used to do once a week until he began his new job (it's his fourth anniversary there, but it's the job I call new). He's been busy and with four kids, his constant traveling for his job limits our time together, but a weekend soon here will bring me back to their home to help my family finish my nephew's new bedroom (an expansion to their home) in hanging sheet rock and mudding. This will give me more time to spend with them and for that I am grateful. My brother told me at lunch yesterday, after having filled him in on the possibilities, that he sees me teaching, more of a prophetic announcement than an opinion, my brother's been very accurate on issues of importance like this. He helped to set my mood at ease, because that which I cannot control I often dwell over.

I am excited and nervous for the possibilities to show themselves and look forward to finding out which ones poke their little heads out for me to see.

Oneh.

Alma mater matters?

So, I just received my third rejection in as many years from my alma mater for an assistant professor position within their film department. I always thought that your alma mater was preferential in looking at you as an option for hire. I understand I may not have the requisite screening record they may be looking for or the teaching experience, but we all know that's a catch-22. I do know this, they aren't going to find anyone with more passion than me and well, that's their loss. I'll probably hold off on reapplying for a few years if they ever advertise in that time frame. I realize my acceptance or even consideration as a candidate for that job was a long shot, considering there are faculty there that know me, and I'm sure they've gone to bat for me, proves that the politics will probably never allow them to consider me. It looks like I need to search elsewhere for suitable employment if I plan on heading back west to live, to escape CNY and its gloomy gray skies. Although, I realize one of my letters of recommendation wasn't sent through their electronic portal, so I wonder if because of that I wasn't considered, an incomplete application? *scratches head* If that was the case I desperately need to find another reference. It would have been nice to work on a campus and within a community I adore, but that's neither here nor there. Tomorrow will be here soon enough and that said, so will the possibilities! Dare to dream!

Columbus Day: An American Farce — a documentary

Columbus Day: An American Farce — a documentary, is a collaborative feature length project in preproduction between Torry Mendoza and Terrance Houle. It exists near the fringe of mockumentary, although it is a genuine documentary exploring important issues of contention, and is established in the depths of satire. This documentary aims to examine the perpetuation of this myth while it continues to be observed as an American Holiday and persists as fact in American history. While exploring its pedagogical roots and historical inaccuracy, Columbus Day: An American Farce will utilize man-on-the-street interviews, along with interviews from academic administrators at the primary, secondary and post-secondary education systems within New York State, as well as interviews with various members and groups from the Italian-American community (Knights of Columbus and the Sons of Italy). The documentary will also approach various members of the American government in an effort to realize the continued perpetuation of a man who not only didn't "discover" America, but was a criminal and perpetrator of genocide as one of America's "own." Columbus Day also resolves to answer the question, "What does Columbus Day mean to you?" and "How do you celebrate Columbus Day?"

Interviews will be conducted by interdisciplinary media artist and Blackfeet Native, Terrance "TJ" Houle as his Indigenous identity, Iiniiwahkiimah (pronounced: ee-nee-wah-kee-mah) or Buffalo Herder. Dressed in only part of his regalia, Iiniiwahkiimah dons a vest -- no shirt, a breachcloth -- no leggings, mocassins and roach with Houle's signature black rimmed glasses. Houle's articulate eloquence and intellectual presence stands in stark contrast to cinema's widely accepted constructs of Native stereotypes.

Columbus Day: An American Farce proposes to end its journey seeking the perspective of the citizens of Italy and Spain after a group of Indigenous individuals land ashore discovering those countries in the name of Indigeneity!

Round Up @ the Museum of Contemporary Native Art & Santa Fe

So, Saturday came and went, quickly. My artist talk went well, though nervous and worried, it went well. Two new pieces were added to the exhibition, which were initially lost to the hard drive crash, but they were resurrected from memory, maybe not 100% of what they once were, but none-the-less they were resurrected! Seven of my friends from the Boulder community attended, they all now live in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area, except one who had flown in for another event, but Nicole made it in time to catch the tail end of the talk and view my work in the gallery. My young friend (cousin) Sylv works in Santa Fe and I had him as my guest at the hotel since he's been couch surfin' in Albuquerque, somewhat without a home, so we hung out and caught up, which was nice to have company. The food was great, you can never beat authentic southwest cuisine and New Mexican green chili, which I am already missing the morning I left it began.

The exhibition looks great and is running with four other exhibitions that are wonderful. The museum is beautiful, right there on Cathedral Place.

Next up another talk about a PBS series from the 70's at ArtRage this Friday evening.

Round Up - Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM

2010 Finger Lakes Film Festival

This is my second year, 2008 was my first, as an accepted entry into the Finger Lakes Film Festival. In 2008, I was unable to attend, although I had planned on it, due to work related and personal (vehicle) issues. This year, I will be in attendance on the second evening of screenings and for the reception on November 6th at the Cracker Factory. I look forward to being in attendance and meeting the individuals involved with the festival as well as the people there to enjoy the festival. I also look forward to the submissions that will be screened.

Finger Lakes Film Festival website

U.S. premeire of Round-UP to open Santa Fe, NM August 2nd 2010.

Well, I can say it's been an adventure, after attempting to export media files for DVD authoring of my latest new works my external HD decided it didn't want to stop spinning somewhere in the middle of exporting and thus has not been accessible. So, four new pieces sit somewhere in a spinning HD unable to be located for writing. Although, after taking some time off of work I was able to reconstruct two of the four pieces for my upcoming exhibit in Santa Fe: Round-UP (originally established by the Urban Shaman Gallery in Winnipeg in October of 2009). I always like to get new pieces out there and thought this new showing of Round-UP would be a great opportunity were it not for the rejection of technology.

I hope to get the other two and another possible piece reconstructed by end of August and sent back to the Museum of Contemporary Native Art first thing in September so they have what I intended to be shown. The two pieces I was unable to reconstruct in time are Kemosabe version 2.0 (with additional title) and an as of yet untitled F-Troop piece and another piece I was working on that's a bit of a departure for me entitled, Cayuga. So, I have a month to re-access my brain and reconstruct what/how I remember the pieces to be. My job has afforded me a G5 tower and 20 inch monitor to bring home, now I can wake up or come home and power it up and create without having to head into the office at all hours after working 8 hours just to use a more powerful machine than my PowerBook G4 from 2005--I love this little laptop (it's served me well traveling with me through the country and internationally), but it's time for a new Intel powered device, sometime when I have the money.

It's been a difficult month struggling after attempting to author my DVD for the exhibit. I was right there. I sat on the pieces for a month and came back to them to tweak them where I thought necessary, and then moved on to export them for the DVD and then the doomsday scenario hit. Now I can get some rest, recoup and come at the work from a more focused, less stressed mind.

May (NAISA) and June (SuperFly), 2010

So we are into May already! Wow, time has kinda of snuck by me and the Native American Indigenous Studies Association conference is closely upon us. In just over a week I head to Tucson for the conference and a meeting with a few scholars, most importantly a meeting with Dr. Philip Deloria to discuss the American Studies PhD Program at the University of Michigan as well as with Dr. Vince Diaz, it'll be nice to see Vince again. I will also get to meet with Dr. Joanna Hearne from the University of Missouri, busy time. I need to remember to schedule sometime with the sun! I think I'll have plenty of time on the 19th since I'm getting in at around noon. Currently, I am working on my presentation for the conference as well as getting some new video works in the fire for my upcoming exhibit at the Museum for Contemporary Native Art in Santa Fe in August.

Next month will be my fourth year returning to mentor at Longhouse Media/Native Lens SuperFly program, this is hands down my favorite event ever. I'd take this over winning awards any day. I think the youth are the ones that make this event special for me, they amaze me every year. It will be a busy upcoming three weeks, but I look forward to it all and am excited at the prospects.

That is what's on the plate for the next month, aside from my daily grind! See you in Tucson and Seattle, Lummi Country!

Where the blog gets its name . . .

This piece was one of four videos constructed for my solo exhibit at Urban Shaman Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba back in October. The title of this blogs gets its name from this piece.

NAICA—a possible ressurection

So, I spoke with NAICA founder, Maria Colon over the past week. We discussed the current situations of our NAICA members and where most of us are in relation to NAICA and America's wonderful recession. I had mentioned my desire to maintain NAICA as a viable non-profit so we could continue our intended mission and grow intellectually and conceptually. She was all about it. Hopefully, aside from some of our financial situations we will be a federal non-profit. We are already a NY state non-profit, but due to our combined limited funds and other fiscal responsibilities, we must approach this with care and diligence. For me, I'm trying to save enough money to purchase a new system that will allow me to keep creating my video art, graphic and web design so I can maintain my client base, although it was feasible in the recent past, bills came first. Now, I am working toward purchasing that new laptop, or if I'm lucky a MacPro or 27-inch iMac QuadPro, if I'm lucky. This will allow me to continue my work, and be able to contribute regularly to NAICA.

NAICA is looking to expand, not to lock ourselves down to the Native American/Indigenous North America or US populations, we'd like to include the other continental Indigenous populations in our coverage and evolve in other directions that allow us to continue to provide our unique perspective and spotlight art that doesn't only exist at film festivals of 8 hours away.

So, keep an eye on the Internet and NAICA's rebirth of cool, not that it died, only seemingly hibernated. We will be working harder to receive funding so we can reach our goals, mission and evolve in a super hybrid cyborg-like organization.

Googlebating, no self-deprecation here

Well thank you TJ! Now that you've educated me on googlebating, somehow after 39 years, I missed out on using that verbage for a significant period of time. A coworker was reading my earlier blog, Terrance KINDOFABIGDEAL Houle and inquired as to what exactly googlebating is/was, so I stood there looking over their shoulder, peering while they themselves googlebated. I'm not quite sure what the requisite etiquette is when one is in the presence of someone googlebating, but I didn't look away. Actually, I couldn't help but not avert my eyes as they performed this force majeure. It was like passing a car accident and not being able to look away from the aftermath of twisted metal, gnarled flesh, and blood-soaked asphalt. At this moment I became a spectator, a voyeur, witnessing a feverish symphony of self-discovery; all the more drawn in by the sheer visceral frenzy transpiring in front of me.

Eventually another coworker walked by as we were discussing googlebating and my friend inquired of them if they googlebated, a confused, somewhat guilty look appeared on their face. The guilty party questioned us as to what that meant, and we prodded a bit further, "What do you think it means." Their reply was, "When you google someone." As we corrected them, they countered, "No, not really." To wit, they have, in the past, but they haven't done so recently . . . or at least they aren't telling.

All the while a fellow coworker sitting near our conversation was in semi-hysterics over the discussion being had, making that particular party guilty of knowing and googlebating themselves.

So, my advice is to find someone you know of an older persuasion and inquire of them if they googlebate. Do it with the straightest face you can muster, preferably to someone that isn't so Internet savvy, maybe a parent or better yet, a grandparent. And, make it a practice to googlebate once a week at the least. Googlebating, it's good for you!

Terrance KINDOFABIGDEAL Houle

Okay, this is really only me promoting my friend and fellow interdisciplinary media artist, Terrance TJ Houle, from the Blood Tribe in Canada, to learn more about him here is his site: terrancehoule.com, or you can just google him, go ahead he won't mind, actually he likes to be googled, he thinks it's dirty!

He also googlebates (TJ's word not mine—oh but you know I'm gonna use it), who of us doesn't? I googlebated earlier at work, and no one is the wiser. It's so fulfilling, and satisfying, I just might do it again, but I better clear my history so it's a clean go 'round. I actually found that poorly written bad review by googlebating, the first post here, the Sandee Moore, self-proclaimed, "Inter-Media Artist." She eats gingerbread houses that are "human-sized" and calls it a performance . . . please it took her six days to eat it and it was 1/4 "human-size." I could eat it in two days, now that's a performance. TJ wants to know what an "Inter-Media" artist is, as do I. She must make tons of bank working in tv, radio, cinema, internet, print, et cetera, as an "Inter-Media" artist—she really means multi-media, but prefers to use the anachronistic term, which really didn't see a rise in usage, academically or otherwise. Go ahead, google it. I'll wait for you.

I digressed. Okay, so if you're in the Calgary area 01.09.10, check this out:

The High Performance Rodeo presents
Grandstand Night 3
Matt Masters with Terrance Houle

Monsters, aliens, cowboys and . . . indie bands? For the third consecutive year, the Rodeo rocks to the tune of Grandstand, where Calgary’s hottest musicians team with visual artists to create an unforgettable collage of sound and film. This time ‘round, they pay tribute to the movie magic of cult films, bringing life to the silver screen by mixing film clips and soundtracks with original music in a genre-tastic re-imagination of cinematic classics.

So, I have been trying to solicit TJ's wonderfully humorous and satirical assistance in a feature length documentary, but funding opportunities are turning up dry, another rejection from the All Roads Film Project which if I had received funding from them it would have covered travel costs bringing the internationally known TJ to the US for us to collaborate on the documentary, he with his witty and cutting skills as a performance artist conducting interviews and me with my cinematography, directing and editing prowess. Now we are hoping to be able to collaborate on this documentary if funding, somehow, "rears it's head."

Fortunately, we have the ability to instance message one another on occasion, that's of course when he isn't busy creating work and I'm not bogged down in the drudgery of my "digital media specialist" position at my grown-up job. Although that job has afforded me the opportunity to earn bank so I can travel on occasion, not to mention the editing suite I maintain and the tools therein.

So, why am I babbling you might ask? Terrance and I are coming to a town near you, we are about to blowup and spread the theatrics of Indigeneity upon all who are near, or at least one of us will. Well, for the most part that's Terrance. He's been a great friend encouraging me to seek funding and residencies, and encouraging me to visit Germany . . . 2010 look out.

Just check out Terrance's work and watch out for him, I hear he likes to punch the moose knuckle when people wear spandex, so all you spandex clad fools better be faster than TJ, otherwise, POW, he'll sock you one right in the moose knuckle.

NAICA—the remnants of a wonderful online world

I received an email from my good friend about a website we were involved with, NAICA online (NAICA), which is an acronym for Native American Indigenous Cinema and Arts. Apparently someone is interested in replicating the content and idea behind this wonderfully constructed and conceptually based online site.

The sad part of this situation is the particular individual interested in practically duplicating what once was done, and completely funded by those involved is an educated person teaching at the university level, but seemingly incapable of conceptualizing a blog style site centered on Indigenous Arts.

Now, we never received funding of any kind in constructing the site, although, we as a group—and almost a complete non-profit entity—did receive discounts at film festivals so we could provide our unique brand of coverage. My friend wasn't happy that someone would contact them and ask for assistance when they were going to replicate the site in a university classroom environment, and I told them they have every right to be unhappy.

What irritates me, as probably does my friend, is they asked for our contact list of individuals that we worked tirelessly obtaining through creating trusting relationships over time, enduring various film festivals to meet and request interviews from individuals, cold calling and emailing people regarding their work. It's rather aggravatingly apparent this individual has no comprehension of what it takes to utilize web-based technology, let alone create a blog where one would interview an individual to utilize the content online.

Why do some people jump in before testing the waters? You might suggest that they are contacting my friend for assistance, so actually they are testing the waters. Au contraire. Assistance is one thing when you are coding html and cannot figure out how to center a "div" tag once you've coded the CSS. But it's an entirely different creature when you ask of an organization, that faded out way before its time, to provide their coveted contact list so you can virtually duplicate what we had to stop doing because we had to earn a living and time was too precious and too little for us to forge ahead.

What is obvious is that someone wants to recreate what we have already done—the majority of which my friend lost countless hours of sleep, time and money over. Sure that's flattering, but it's also insulting to contact the founder to request information that was entrusted to our organization, as well as, for the most part, ask how we did it—that shows lack of effort and capability on the part of the individual and it makes me question how they got to the university level to teach.

Critiquing 101: a Poorly Written Bad Critique is Worse Than a Bad Critique

http://www.uptownmag.com/2009-10-22/page4737.aspx

The above link is from Uptown Magazine Online - Winnipeg's Online Source for Arts Entertainment & News (10/22/09), an e-zine in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. It is within that URL where I received an extremely anemic and poorly written, bad review of my solo art video exhibition, RoundUP by self-proclaimed "inter-media artist" & critic, Sandee Moore.

I'm not one to hold grudges against someone critiquing my work. But, when that critique suffers from possessing any critical analysis of the available work, I tend to feel slighted that my name is even mentioned, in this case almost as an afterthought—the proof is in the pudding here—not even one title of my works were mentioned in her so called "critique," of which four sentences were devoted to my exhibit. It's apparent that Ms. Moore lacks any understanding of intertextuality or semiotics, but this is not to blame Ms. Moore for her shortcomings, only to warn others when critiquing work make sure you understand and analyze that work before you attempt to write about it. Where Ms. Moore is anemic in analyzing my work is in her lack or inability to negotiate notions of stereotypes, power structures and how representations work within notions of power. Supposedly in Ms. Moore's world, everyone knows about these stereotypes and her analysis of my work consists of "his seizure-inducing, rapid editing does little, if anything, to provide a new context for his source material." The editing is only the re-presentation of the "stereotypes." It is within the juxtapositions of the imagery, their relationships and the "re-presentations" where the context exists, intertextuality; not to mention only three of my works include rapid editing.

This particular blog is not to slander Ms. Moore, only heed warning to individuals who proclaim they are "critiquing" art when in fact, they have only offered an opinion (obviously Ms. Moore was capable of critiquing David Garneau's work in the text above the four sentences she proffered her opinion where she scrutinized my works). Without sufficient analysis a critique is simply an opinion. So, Ms. Moore and any other self-proclaimed, critic out there, when dealing with imagery be sure you fully comprehend how images work when placed or inserted next to another image, also know the original context of that imagery before you attempt to criticize it.

I have no problem accepting a bad critique/review, that is well-written, which didn't seem to exist as an after-thought or because my exhibit was one of two showing concurrently.

So having said all that, here is an example of an analytically written critique of Kemosabe version 1.0 one of my "seizure-inducing" pieces (which can be found at the—Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival website):

Kemosabe version 1.0 disrupts the colonial racial logic of the "American Frontier" by recalibrating the relationship between Tonto and the Lone Ranger. Through syncopated beats of dialogue and music, Mendoza reworks an offensive stereotype for Native Americans whose history in U.S. cultural production begins with the dime novels of Zane Grey and continues through radio shows, comic books, serial movies, and television series, where the characters were portrayed by actors Jay Silverheels and Clayton Moore. Here, the ambiguous meaning of "kemosabe," Tonto’s name for the Lone Ranger, foregrounds the productive possibilities for repurposing the toxins of cultural artefacts.

—curators’ essay by Dale Hudson and Sharon Lin Tay

AN UPDATE to the traveling and vastly growing Round-UP (Santa Fe) exhibit, another view from an academic's perspective: Blog Review of Round-UP Santa Fe, by Bill Adams.