Envisioning Radically Indigenous Futures in Chicago
On October 6 and 7, NDN Collective gathered with the fifth cohort of Radical Imagination Artists in the Council of Three Fires Territory, AKA Chicago, for the HeARTbeat of Turtle Island event and art showcase ā a two-day event that coincided with the Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) annual Conference. Together, we highlighted the radical imagination and commitment of these artists to create a more just and equitable world for their Indigenous communities, for all people, and Mother Earth.
GIA conference attendees and members of the Chicago Native community attended the HeARTbeat of Turtle Island showcase at the American Indian Center of Chicago to see the art exhibits, performances, and presentations, and a panel with the Radical Imagination artist grantees.
āNDN Collective grew out of a movement of culture bearers and spirituality. We wanted to build a movement organization that changed the conditions in which Indigenous people organized,ā said Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective President & CEO. āNone of that wouldāve been possible if there weren’t artists and culture bearers at the center. As a society we treat art and culture as something that should be in a museum but the reality is when you engage artists in the process of movement and community building, it changes the trajectory of that work, it makes it stronger, it makes it better.ā
The first day of the showcase included virtual presentations by Hubert Martinez Calleja, Cesar Hernandez Andres, Miguel Ventura, and Josue Rivas as well as live performances and discussions by Larry McNeil, Marques Hanalei Marzan, Gabriela Spears Rico, Daniel Cespedes, and Hawane Rios. The second day of the GIA conference included a panel with Chad Martin, Marques, Hawane, & Daniel.
āArt, especially Indigenous art, is the act of defiance and a lack of fear in the face of boundaries. We have an essential priority to push back against the boundaries that have been placed against us as Indigenous People. Art is the way to unlock that bravery,ā said Dallas Goldtooth, who was a special guest and provided opening words before the performances of day one. āThe job of an arts organizer is to make the movement goddamn irresistible and Iām proud to say the artists in this program do exactly that.ā
In addition to the discussions and performances on stage, attendees could explore the gallery, which included the work, poetry, video elements and more of each artist.
In the corner of the gallery, attendees could peruse the beautiful woven garments by Marques Hanalei Marzan (Kanaka Hawaiāi) whose creative medium includes traditional Oceanic fiber knowledge and weaving. Marques has begun to create wearable forms of woven attire, using the traditional teachings of protection that have always been part of the culture and bringing that into a garment of protection for the body.
Marques provided four of these garments he created in 2017 to the gallery space. These pieces were intended to represent four of the Hawaiian guardians/deities that represent all aspects of daily life for Kanaka people.
āI drew upon the ancestors of Hawaiāi for this work,ā Marques said. āI wanted to acknowledge that aspect of our culture in this way. Drawing upon the physical human body can bring to the conversation and how it can change the experience of a work.ā
Alongside Marquesā woven creations, guests could see a large portrait of an Indigenous woman in her traditional clothing with the words āBE A GOOD RELATIVEā written digitally around her. This black and white mixed-medium image was created by JosuĆ© Rivas (Mexica and OtomĆ), an Indigenous futurist and visual storyteller.
Through the Radical Imagination Artist grant, JosuƩ has been able to work through his project Standing Strong, which was born in 2016 at Standing Rock and the photography he did at the camp protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Documenting these photos inspired his goal to encourage Indigenous People to take hold of their own narratives.
Artists continued sharing their work on stage both in person and virtually sharing the purpose of their craft and the traditional teachings or lessons that helped inform the creation of their projects.
Guests rounded out the day with musical performances by Daniel Cespedes (Chamoru), HÄwane Rios (Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian)), and Mic Jordan (Turtle Mountain Anishinaabe).
HÄwane Rios took the stage with an introductory song in her traditional language before sharing her own songs, sung alongside the strum of her ukulele. As her fingers danced along the chords of her instrument, she shared about the 14 year fight to protect Mauna Kea, the mountain she calls home.
āI wrote this song on the frontline in 2015 because so many people from all over the world decided to care about our Aina and stood and continue to stand with our people,ā she said. āThis song [translated] says, āWhen we stand together, we stand with one chest and one heart, to embody the protection of the lands and the mountains. To stand strong like a mountain.āā
HÄwaneās songs filled the space as people swayed to her uplifting notes and smooth alto voice, mixing traditional Hawaiian language with English.
The day was rounded out by Mic Jordan, producer and rapper from Turtle Mountain. His uplifting words and encouragement left the crowd with a standing ovation of applause.
To see the entirety of the performances and access the videos provided by the Radical Imagination artists who could not attend the event, watch our livestream of the HeARTbeat of Turtle Island on Facebook and Youtube.
This year marks the fifth year of our Radical Imagination Artists grant. Through this program we support artists who are radically envisioning and building a future that dismantles oppressive systems and amplifying the voices of those most affected by injustice. The two-year grant provides funding for ten Indigenous artists, art collectives and small nonprofits who are deeply connected to and engaged with their communities.
The Radical Imagination grant is available to artists throughout Turtle Island and surrounding Island Nations. Crossing colonial boundaries allows us to promote and uplift the voices of those often kept from spaces of power in places outside the so-called US and to amplify the calls to action of our relatives who are often fighting the same fights we are in their own territories.
āThe work of these incredible Indigenous artists throughout Turtle Island and Island Nations are interconnected,ā said Helen Aladana, Program Officer of the NDN Collective Foundation. āThe purpose of the Radical Imagination grant is to resource artists in their visioning work of a world where Indigenous peoples, language, joy, and lifeways thrive. When this resource reaches beyond colonial borders, we are surrounded by these beautiful visions across Indigenous Nations and communities. There is power when Indigenous peoples across lands and water have a future to build towards, and it cannot be concentrated or seen as just one region or divided by colonial borders, because this is a collective movement.ā
The HeARTbeat of Turtle Island kicked off the Grantmakers in the Arts Conference in Chicago. This annual convening brings together philanthropic organizations who provide grants to artists and creatives around the world. NDN Collective is grateful to join the works of GIA and continue our commitment to celebrating, uplifting, and community building among Indigenous artists.
āSupporting Indigenous artists has been a fundamental part of the movement building work we do at NDN Collective,ā said Serene Lawrence, Program Officer for the NDN Collective Foundation. āThrough many different art forms, Indigenous artists have the unique power to convey who we are, what we are fighting for and help amplify community voices. Artists are essential to the revolution we are building.
To learn more about the Radical Imagination Artist Grant including its mission, application period and eligibility requirements check out the NDN Collective Grants page!
If you couldnāt attend the HeARTbeat of Turtle Island showcase, please watch our livestream of the event at NDN Collectiveās Facebook and Youtube pages.
To learn more about the Radical Imagination grant please check out our website at: ndncollective.org/radical-imagination
To learn more about NDN Collectiveās grants please visit: ndncollective.org/grants To support our work in rematriating funding and resourcing Indigenous communities directly, donate at: ndncollective.org/donate