Today, our group visited the Pomona Museum to observe and grab artifacts. Some of these artifacts were baskets and the material they use for it. The Museum also had art which indigenous people made on pelt. I had the chance to make my own art, but it was on cloth. My favorite part was when I created my own basket. It took a while, but I had fun and was really surprised at my final product! I believe it was a great experience and a great opportunity to learn about ancestral tools. After that activity, Tory Mudd presented to us stereotypical depictions of Native American in film by Hollywood directors. I had a lot of different feelings about the videos. Sometimes I get like laughing because it was funny and sometimes I felt sadness toward the Native Americans. Native Americans weren’t treated humane, they were treated like rodents that need to disappear. As a counter balance to all these stereotypical things, Pamela Peters presented her work with was a poem she created. I felt really empowered and inspired to create my own work and to speak up for others as Pamela did. A way to respond to stereotypes in films is by speaking up or creating a project that will empower others and counter the stereotypes. I would like to produce a movie that takes place in the 1700 or 1800, in which an Indian goes to the future with a time machine or something and just having to adapt to the world in 2016.
nativeyouth2college.org 