It’s already November!
As we move toward the end of the calendar year, I am in awe and appreciation for what has been accomplished this year at 3GT. Personally, I could not have achieved anything without the tremendous support of my team. This month tends to be about gratitude, and I have much to be thankful for. There is also much that cannot be taken for granted.
In researching our Social Media postings for each month, I am tasked with educating myself and filtering through many experiences, assumptions, rumors, and biased falsehoods. I am finding that silencing any group of people isn’t always about cutting off their voice. Sometimes it is making so much more noise, that their voice is drowned out in the cacophony. There are constant struggles to be seen, heard, and understood. I recognize I will never know the full depth of stories I research, and that there will be details and items I may miss because my gaze does not have the focus of specific nuances, but I strive never to be complacent and accept what I already know. It is easy to plateau after doing some of the work, but learning should be a lifetime journey, not a rooted destination. Thank you for coming on this journey with me!
This Month we bring attention to:
National Native American Heritage Month- “In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994.” (Source-https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/)
1969 Occupation of Alcatraz Island- In November 1969 a group of 78 Indigenous people occupied the abandoned federal prison at Alcatraz. Their 19-month occupation of the island attracted national attention to Native rights. Since 1975, Native people from around the Bay Area have hosted two Sunrise gatherings on the island, one on Indigenous Peoples Day and another on Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Day.
Links with more information:
https://www.kqed.org/news/11788540/a-look-back-at-the-occupation-of-alcatraz-50-years-later
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/videos/inside-vault-occupation-alcatraz? gclid=CjwKCAjwx7GYBhB7EiwA0d8oe3pUBJTlE_GoZLv44LoQblp8eF93vAytNzEDF3F5mWAkSmhtzyRuKBoCO5IQAvD_BwE https://www.history.com/news/native-american-activists-occupy-alcatraz-island-45-years-ago
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/alcatraz-occupation/
Morning Star Gali- A cohort with our 3GT Investigates program, Morning Star Gali is an artist, culture keeper, tribal organizer, and mother who has been involved in movements for the protection of indigenous cultural traditions and sacred lands since childhood. Born and raised in Oakland, CA, she has worked for a number of Bay Area Indigenous organizations over the past 10 years including the American Indian Film Institute, American Indian Family Healing Center, and American Indian Public Charter School. In the past 6 + years, she has been an active community organizer volunteering in the efforts to protect sacred places such as the Medicine Lake Highlands. She became involved in contemporary modern and traditional dance performances and has continued being involved in the creation and promotion of American Indian contemporary arts at the grassroots and institutional level as a tribal organizer and advocate on the frontlines of land defense movements and campaigns for the protection of sacred lands and waterways through campaigns and collaborations with young contemporary and traditional Native artists, dancers and singers. In 2019 she became an Open Society Foundation Racial Equity fellow, spearheading efforts to remove statues commemorating colonial removal & racist depictions of native peoples in the Bay Area. As Project Director of Restoring Justice for Indigenous Peoples she continues work on this and other public consciousness and policy campaigns.
Indigenous Theater Makers- Often I see the conclusion that one of the reasons why there are not a lot of native plays being produced is because there is a scarcity of plays written by indigenous people. It is simply not true. I was fortunate enough to find this article to guide me to playwrights that were unknown to me, which served as a great starting point to find out more as well as the basis of the quotes about each chosen author picked for our social media campaign: https://performerstuff.com/mgs/10-contemporary-native-american-playwrights-you-should-know/
Sources for Linda Hogan:
Sources for LeAnne Howe:
Sources for Annette Arkeketa:
Sources for Larissa FastHorse:
Trans Awareness Week- 3GT has been fortunate to have amazing trans people as collaborators. We are blessed, but also aware more needs to be done to make sure these stories are told and these voices are heard. Transgender Awareness Week is a week when “transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community” (GLAAD). We are happy to shine a light on to those who have contributed to local artistic communities including the Transgender community.
National Homeless Youth Awareness Month- "In the United States, 4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTQ peers." (True Colors United) Though a National effort to bring awareness to Homeless and endangered Youth of America, seeing the statistics of whom these circumstances disproportionately affect is cause for concern. In honoring the Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20), it seems fitting to include this organization who aids LGBTQ youth with Advocacy, Training, Education, and Collaboration with other organizations and providers. https://truecolorsunited.org/
Giving Tuesday- 3GT is so excited to present our 12th Season, including our 2023 New Works Festival and the World Premier of Tasha by Cat Brooks! We took time during the pandemic to REBUILD ourselves into a stronger, more sustainable company. We are ready to RENEW our focus on increasing artistic and professional opportunities for all women+ theatre makers. We ask for your support as we REINVENT the script development process into something more equitable to all artists, and more accessible to more diverse communities. Help us put women+'
s work on stage, where it belongs. Please consider supporting us: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1647250