Conversation with Filmmaker Razelle Benally

Razelle Wiyakaluta Benally (Oglala Lakota/Navajo) is an indigenous filmmaker creating impactful and memorable films from the Native perspective. Benally has produced content ranging from music videos to experimental pieces to short documentaries. Having been fully immersed in the indie film culture for over ten years Benally recognizes she is still only at the start of her cinematic career and speaks to Broken Boxes about where she is in her process. 

"I feel it is a creative duty of mine to represent native women in a positive manner, and to show the world that we are still here, that we still have a voice. Our stories are important and so are our people and history. I intend to explore filmmaking as an art form and create collections of moving images as a voice of visual poetry." -Razelle Benally

Here is the conversation with Razelle Benally:

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More from the artist: 

"I was born in a small town in Eastern Oregon but grew up and graduated high school in Rapid City, South Dakota. I am half Oglala Lakota and half Navajo. As a child I grew up in a family of artists and found myself fascinated with stories and film from an early age. I would read book after book, and watch and re-watch my favorite movies. As a kid I really took a liking to Roald Dahl’sJames and the Giant Peach and Tarantino’s Pulp fiction.

When I started high school I got into skateboarding and punk rock music; I also rooted myself in a drug and alcohol free lifestyle. By then my parents had split up, so my mom and I moved up to north to be closer to family in Pine Ridge; she also wanted me to learn more about my culture and language. I became really involved with Lakota spirituality and built a strong foundation of self-identity based on ceremonial and traditional values. My perspective on life changed during this time, and I no longer wished to pursue science (my original plan) after graduating; I wanted to do more for my people.

During this time, the sanctity of one of our sacred sites was being threatened. There were rallies and protests with people gathering for a bigger purpose, the whole thing was empowering for me. By then I had become a straight edge enthused and spiritually driven young woman. In some way I wanted to do more, so I decided to archive and capture what was happening. I picked up a camera and started filming. I found purpose when I was running the camera. My whole life I had longed to tell stories and often considered myself a writer at times, but it wasn’t until I began filming and editing that I realized what my calling was.

I wanted to become a filmmaker, so I looked up prospective schools and found the budding New Media Arts program here at IAIA most appealing. Both of my parents are IAIA Alumni and they encouraged me to follow my passion. During that first year I completed here at IAIA, I got sponsored by a skateboard company and had the opportunity to skate and film for a living. I took the chance and traveled the United States doing skateboard competitions and demos with the team, while filming and making videos for the them as well. After three years and countless injuries I decided to throw in the towel on skateboarding in order to fully focus on independent filmmaking.

I got into making music videos, experimental pieces, and short documentaries not long after I stopped skating. I kept writing and creating and in 2012 it paid off; I earned the Sundance Film Institute’s Native Lab Fellowship. I am currently working on a project that is being supported by the Institute. I work hard on a daily basis perfecting my passion of writing so I can make impactful and memorable films. I feel it is a creative duty of mine to represent native women in a positive manner, and to show the world that we are still here, that we still have a voice. Our stories are important and so are our people and history. I intend to explore filmmaking as an art form and create collections of moving images as a voice of visual poetry." -Razelle Benally

Conversation with Artist Nanibah 'NANI' Chacon

Nani Chacon sketches out a new mural in Bareles, NM.

"The characters in my work, which are often female, provide a commentary on women within traditional and contemporary cultures. The subjects become a piece to embrace and confront the natural attributes women possess and add to the forefront of society. I aim to provide a glimpse at women not only in contemporary culture but throughout time, as I feel it is inherent to provide an image for our natural grounding to history, culture and ideologies, and how that has a dialogue with the world at large." - Nani Chacon
 

Here is the conversation with Nanibah 'NANI' Chacon:

Subscribe to Broken Boxes Podcast on iTunes HERE and download this episode

Music featured on this episode by artist Lali Puna

More about the artist:

Nanibah “Nani” Chacon is a Diné (Navajo) and Chicana artist who was born in Gallup, New Mexico and grew up both in Chinli, Arizona and Corrales, New Mexico. Her clan is To dich iini (bitter water) and born for Nakai Diné (Mexican/ Spanish people.) 

"My current work is based upon notion of the integration and balance. I use this concept to propel both imagery and the content behind the work. The imagery of my work will often consist of two or more images, weather “subject” based or abstract, and allow them to interact with one another on a single plane. In doing this I explore the concept of balance. I integrate the images until I find the harmonious precipice in which they can aesthetically interact, and become one thought. 

"The content of my current body of work is an exploration of integrating Dine Philosophy and creation stories with in the context on contemporary culture. I explore this idea by examining symbols within textile patterns of Dine rugs and using them to create a symbolic narration for the characters within my work. Often times the basis coming from traditional areas of thought with in Dine culture, such as Deities, nature, women, animals and creation. These symbols are then put into context by the characters with in the paintings which are depicted in a contemporary style. 

"The characters in my work which are often women provide a commentary on women within traditional and contemporary cultures. The subjects become a piece to embrace and confront the natural attributes women possess and add to the forefront of society. I aim to provide a glimpse at women not only in contemporary culture but throughout time, as I feel it is inherent to provide an image for our natural grounding to history, culture and ideologies, and how that has a dialogue with the world at large." - Nanibah "NANI" Chacon

Connect with Nanibah and her work through her WEBSITE or INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK

On Location: Nihígaal bee Iiná :: Journey for Existence

"As young people, we realize that we can’t continue on like this. We need clean air, water, and a viable lifeway for our people. In facing this crisis of our future, the idea of walking to raise awareness was born."

Here are the conversations with those walking for Nihígaal bee Iiná:

Subscribe to Broken Boxes Podcast on iTunes HERE and download this episode

Interviews featured on this episode with: Nadine Narindrankura, Dana Eldridge, Makai Lewis, Lyncia Begay, Nicholas Ashley, Orlando Begay and Kim Smith
All music featured on this episode provided by the discotays
Find more music by discotays on Soundcloud, Facebook and Bandcamp

More about the Nihígaal bee Iiná:

"The Navajo Nation sits on one of the richest energy corridors in the United States, and for close to a century, we have been on the frontline on resource colonization to provide cheap energy and water to the cities in the Southwest. Since the 1920's, our land and people have been sacrificed for energy extraction for oil, gas, uranium, and coal, which is poisoning our land, water, air, and people. Despite being at the forefront of energy extraction, our people do not see its benefits; approximately 1/4 of our people today live without electricity and running water on the Navajo Nation, while our economy functions at an unemployment rate of about 60%, and our young people are leaving due to lack of opportunity. Now our people and land are facing the onset fracking and a proposed pipeline, which will transport crude oil through 130 miles in Dinetah in the name of "economic development"."

"As young people, we realize that we can't continue on like this. We need clean air, water, and a viable lifeway for our people. In facing this crisis of our future, the idea of walking to raise awareness was born. 

We are walking to honor the legacy of our ancestors during Hwééldi, who, a 150 years ago, were forced to walk hundreds of miles in the winter during away from our homelands in the winter to be imprisoned for four years in the name of American colonization. During this time of great suffering, our ancestors thought of our homeland, mountains, and prayed that future generations would carry on our way of life. It is in their memory and out of this profound love for the land that we are walking. It is time to heal from the legacy and trauma of colonization that we having been living under for too long."
 

"It is our intention to walk throughout the Navajo Nation to document both the beauty of land and people and how this is being desecrated by resource extraction. We will do this through a social media campaign and a documentary films. Along our route, we will visit communities to listen to the issues our people are facing and share information about the state of water, air, land, and health, as our communities often have very little access to media or information about these issues. Our hope is that we can help to inspire our people to become engage in the care our land, air, and water, and culture so that we will have a future as Diné." 

"We are calling out to our people in K'é. We need your support, guidance, and prayers. To our young people, we are calling on you to come home and stand up for our land and way of life. 

NihíDiné'e, if we don't do this, no one else will. It's is up to us. T'áá Hwó' Ají T'éego!"

Stay connected to the project through FACEBOOK or email: nihigaalbeeiina@gmail.com

All images sourced from the Nihígaal bee Iiná Facebook page.

Conversation with Artist Rose B. Simpson

"I am realizing that everything that happened, happens, or will happen to me is my manifestation. Instead of feeling like a victim to my predicament, I actively take the initiative to become aware of it, and have the “tools” to deal with whatever comes my way, mostly because I am paying attention. When I pay close enough attention, I realize that I have what I need to deal with even the scariest and most intimidating of circumstances. These tools are not weapons, they are energy- represented in the piece by objects that have been made with intention, actively energized, and placed with vigilance." -Rose B. Simpson

Here is the conversation with Rose B. Simpson:

Subscribe to Broken Boxes Podcast on iTunes HERE and download this episode

Music featured on this episode:

• "Truth Be Told" 2007, Rose B. Simpson with The Wake Singers

• "Falling Forward" 2007, Rose B. Simpson with the Wake Singers, Lyrics by Cannupa Hanska Luger

• "Dim Light" 2006, Rose B. Simpson with Chocolate Helicopter

• "Mama" 2002, Rose B. Simpson with Ground Control, recorded by Taivas Degroff

• "If you give me time" Rose B. Simpson with Garbage Pail Kidz, 2003 

• "Movin' Thru" Rose B. Simpson with Mystic Vision, rec. by John Bento, 2006

• "Eddy St." Rose B. Simpson 2010

• "Lines" Rose B. Simpson with Juan Cruz, 2006

More about the artist:

Forgiveness. Rose B. Simpson

Rose B. Simpson was born in Santa Fe, NM, and raised among an extended family of artists in Santa Fe and Santa Clara Pueblo. Her mother; Roxanne Swentzell, a known ceramic sculptor within the Indigenous art world, and her father; Patrick Simpson, a contemporary artist in wood and metal introduced her to the art world at a young age. 

Of both Indigenous and Anglo descent, with art and philosophy primary in both families, she has pursued the pure expression of truth through many forms of art including sculpture, printmaking, drawing, creative writing, music, dance and most recently auto mechnics and paint. Her work often signifies the constant struggle between the two worlds that most modern Indigenous peoples survive through; traditional and the colonist perspective/assimilation. 

Learn more about the work of Rose on here website: www.rosebsimpson.com

"Maria". By Rose B. Simpson. Photo by Kate Russell

Adam. By Rose B. Simpson 2015

Conversation with Artist Chris Pappan

Chris Pappan is a Chicago based artist of Kaw, Osage, Cheyenne River Sioux heritage, and a self described Native American Lowbrow artist. Currently his artwork is based on American Indian ledger drawings of the mid to late 19th Century with his own 21st Century twist.  Chris has lived in Chicago for the past 20 yrs with his wife Debra Yepa-Pappan, and their daughter Ji Hae.  

Here is the conversation with Chris Pappan:

Subscribe to Broken Boxes Podcast on iTunes HERE and download this episode

More about the artist:

Artist Statement of Chris Pappan

Chris Pappan recently returned from the United Kingdom where he and his wife Debra Yepa-Pappan exhibited their work to a receptive audience in the city of Bristol with support from Dr.Max Carocci of the British museum. Pappan was also the featured artist on the cover of the July/August 2014 issue of Native Peoples Magazine (and the cover of the Santa Fe Indian Market version along with his family). 
Last year, Pappan was invited to Australia as one of 4 artists chosen for the Landmarks Fellowship project with the world renowned Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque NM.  The fellowship consisted of an arts and cultural exchange with the Yngul people of Northen Australia, and creating lithographs at the Tamarind Institute. Chris is also the winner of the prestigious Discovery Fellowship from the Southwestern Association of Indian Artists (SWAIA) in 2011 and the Heard Muesum’s Best of Class (Paintings, Drawings,) and Best of Division (drawing) at the 52nd Annual Indian Market 2010. Chris’ work is in the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.; The James T. Bialic Native American art collection at the Fred jones Jr. museum of Art in Norman Oklahoma; The North America Native Museum in Zurich Switzerland; The Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence Kansas; The Schingoethe Center for Native Studies in Aurora Illinois and private collections around the world.