Swinomish youth pick up cameras, tell their own stories (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

here is the url:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2001933657_nativelens23.html

> ----- Message from cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU ---------
>     Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 09:17:36 -0700
>     From: phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU>
> Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology
<ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
>  Subject: Swinomish youth pick up cameras, tell their own stories
(fwd)
>       To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>
> Swinomish youth pick up cameras, tell their own stories
>
> By Tina Potterf
> Seattle Times staff reporter
>
> Alcoholics. Drug addicts. High school dropouts.
>
> Native American youth are aware of the stereotypes that taint their
> heritage. Ask a group of Native kids from the Swinomish tribe near La
> Conner, Skagit County, about what it means to be an American Indian,
> and you may be surprised by their candor and insight:
>
> "You probably think I'm another stoned Indian. Well, you're wrong.
> I'm
> going to become a lawyer."
>
> "You probably think that I've already dropped out of school. Well,
> I've
> kept my grades up and plan to go to the University of Washington."
>
> [text inset - Native Lens. Later this month, the short digital films
> created by Swinomish youth will be available for viewing online at
> www.911media.org. To learn more about Native Lens, or to bring a
> workshop to your tribe, call 206-682-6552, ext. 18. For more
> information about classes and other workshops at 911 Media Arts
> Center,
> visit www.911media.org.]
>
> "You probably think I'm a druggie or an alcoholic because I'm Native.
> I
> plan to finish high school and go to college."
>
> These statements, from a public service announcement created by
> Swinomish teens, drive home a central message: Native Americans have
> pride and, as is stated at the outset of the PSA, are "More than what
> you think."
>
> The PSA was created as part of Native Lens, a new program of
> Seattle's
> 911 Media Arts Center. The program's goal is to dismantle Native
> American stereotypes and encourage youth to take on the role of
> storytellers, whether through public service announcements or
> documentary films.
>
> Over the next two years, 911 Media Arts Center will present a series
> of
> programs that center on media literacy and digital filmmaking for
> Native youth. The project, funded by a grant from the Time Warner
> Foundation, launched earlier this month with two days of workshops at
> the arts center. More than two dozen Swinomish youth traveled by bus
> to
> Seattle to learn the nuts and bolts of digital movie-making, from
> handling a camera to framing a shot and lighting.
>
> [photo inset - ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES. Travis Tom, left, and
> Nick Clark set up backdrops.]
>
> The teens and early twentysomethings also learned about collaboration
> and how to work under the pressure of a deadline — in this case, they
> had four or five hours to make either a PSA, an interview-intensive
> documentary, or an animation short. The goal was to create tangible,
> lasting works that educate and enlighten people about their tribe.
>
> On top of developing a strong idea and executing it, the group
> learned
> how to operate digital video equipment, from technical stuff, like
> what
> buttons do what — to composition, such as framing a person's face and
> editing a few hours of footage down to a few minutes. The young
> people
> were divided into groups and teamed with instructors such as Roy
> Wilson, who oversaw the making of the public service announcement.
>
> "Your job is to make something small, say in 30 seconds," Wilson
> said,
> "that will have an effect on people."
>
> After a concentrated brainstorming session in a large, cool back room
> at
> 911 Media Arts Center, the kids decided to build the PSA around the
> theme of "Native Pride," and one by one stepped in front of the
> camera,
> operated by their peers, to state their accomplishments and
> aspirations.
>
> Getting tips from the pros
>
> [photo insert - ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES. Nick Clark, center,
> frames up a shot of Amanda Hansen for his 30-second video.]
>
> In addition to learning how to make digital films, the group took a
> field trip to the Experience Music Project and talked with rising
> young
> Native American actors Eddie Spears ("Dreamkeeper," "Black Cloud")
> and
> Cody Lightning ("Smoke Signals," "Manic"), who answered questions and
> offered suggestions to the aspiring filmmakers. The students'
> finished
> works were shown to a rousing reception at a Saturday evening
> screening
> at 911.
>
> The decision to partner with the Swinomish was a logical one because
> the
> tribe has an existing outlet in the form of tribal cable station
> SWIN96
> for the youth to take what they learn through Native Lens and apply
> it
> in ways that benefit the whole community. The students' PSA and other
> Native Lens short films will eventually be broadcast on the cable
> station and be shopped to various youth film festivals.
>
> "It was important to work with one tribe to create a model" for the
> program, said Annie Silverstein, director of the Young Producers
> Project and Native Lens. "We want to help them develop sustainable
> media on the reservation." La Conner Middle School sixth grader Anna
> Cladoosby, part of the PSA team, embraced the opportunity to learn
> more
> about digital media.
>
> "I want to learn the process and how hard you have to work to make a
> movie," she said.
>
> Through Native Lens, Cladoosby said, "People can learn more about our
> culture."
>
> Robert Williams was one of only a few participants with prior
> experience
> in shooting and editing videos.
>
> Sharing what they've learned
>
> "I've tried sports, basketball and baseball, and it didn't work out,"
> Williams said, "So I picked up a camera."
>
> [photo inset - ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES. Nolita Bob is
> interviewed by a friend and is also seen on the monitor at right,
> which
> is for the video crew to watch so they have proper framing of the
> image.]
>
> Williams, 21, has a penchant for short documentaries, mostly of his
> buddies playing basketball or hanging out, set to an underground
> hip-hop soundtrack. He hopes to build on and pass along the
> experiences
> gained through Native Lens, a program he said "gives us a chance to
> go
> back to the tribe and tell them what we have learned and what we've
> done."
>
> Getting the youth to think critically and creatively, and to empower
> them to share their stories with others, is ultimately what Native
> Lens
> is about.
>
> "These kids are really good storytellers... ," said Tracy Edwards,
> Swinomish education director. "I hope that they continue with what
> they
> learned here and bring it back to the tribe.
>
> "And if they have a story to tell, they can get it out to the
> community."
>
> Tina Potterf: 206-464-8214 or tpotterf at seattletimes.com
>
>
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