bpinger 2017, Events, Haudenosaunee, Media Studies, Native Culture, Telling Your Story

Day 2 Spirit Game

Today was full of wonderful moments! It started for me at 6am waking up and walking outside to find Cuauhtli and Jasson ready to run. We ran around all the campuses and then went to Indigenous games with Hector. It was fun starting the day off in the early golden light and finding the energy in ourselves to run and run and run. Throughout the day we toured Pomona College, ate delicious food, swam in the pitzer pool and then watched Spirit Game. The movie was very inspiring and it just so happened that one of our mentors my amazing friend Phil who I love is from one of the 6 nations, whose team the film followed. I loved the movie because it had me hanging off my seat hoping the Iroquois team would win and taught me a lot about the history of the 6 nations and how colonization continues to affect them today. There was a moment in the film where the Canadian Coach was sitting next to one of the Chiefs. They were sitting in the tribal councils log building. The film had just discussed how the Kanadian team refused to get their passports stamped. The coach said it was just a big misunderstanding and laughed it off. There are subtitles during this sequence because the chief’s words are a muffled by one side of his lips. He explains that he recently had a stroke. The Kanadian coach says some words about how canada needs to treat its Native people better. It seems like he is trying to seem progressive, even though his team just refused to respect the sovereignty of the nations by getting their passports stamped. The chief doesnt look at the coach, but with clear eyes describes how men come to him and think they can spent a couple minutes with him and learn the history. They come to him without knowing anything about his people. They expect his people to sit down and tell them the history, quickly and then they leave. The subtitles roll across the screen and the coaches eyes flicker behind his fake smile. The chief continues describing the ignorant men who come. His eyes do not look in the coach’s direction.

The coach at the beginning of the interview smiles at the chief sickly sweet as if telling him youre just a sweet old man. But the chief smiles and shows that the coach and the country of canada are ignorant fools. Such ignorant fools. But so dangerous.

It was a great day. I cant wait for tomorrow.

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Greetings From Monty the Mentor (otherwise known as Belmont)!!!!!!!!!

 

Hey everybody happy sunday!

My name is Belmont but you can call me Monty if that is easier. First I will give you a little information about myself. I was born in Los Angeles (Occupied Tongva Territory) and moved to New York City (Occupied Lenape Territory) when I was 5. I grew up in the city skateboarding through traffic, cooking for my family, and making pottery in school. After graduating high school I attended University of Edinburgh for college. After a year of studying I left and worked as a cook in Brooklyn. A year went by and I decided to go back to college and was accepted at Pitzer College. I graduated two years ago with a degree in Environmental Policy. Since graduation I have had the opportunity to support a variety of Native-led projects mostly focussed on land defense. I spent the fall out on Lakota Dakota territory contributing to efforts to block the Dakota Access Pipeline. To pay my bills I have been doing carpentry, sustainable landscaping, and catering. I’m hoping to apply to law school or grad school this coming year. I love to write, cook, and learn things and cant wait to learn from all the students this year.

 

I am currently sitting in the computer lab at Pitzer spending some quality reflection time with my fellow Mentors. This year’s crew is AMAZING! We’re all so excited to meet this year’s group of students.

Cant wait to see you all Tuesday!

Safe Travels

Monty

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Belmont’s Bio

My name is Belmont Pinger and I am so excited to be a mentor for this years program! I was born in so called Los Angeles, shared territory of the Cahuilla, Tongva, Chumash and other first nations. When I was six my family and I moved to New York City. After high school I went to a year of college in Edinburgh, Scotland. I then took a break from college and moved back in with my family. While at home I worked as a cook and a butcher. I then went back to school and attended Pitzer College where I graduated from this may. I just got back from two indigenous resistance camps in Wet’suwet’en and Gitwilgyoots territory in Northern British Columbia. At the camps I learned a lot about indigenous sovereignty and ate traditional foods such as salmon, moose, and bear. It was delicious! I love to cook, adventure and defend mother earth. Cant wait to meet yall!

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

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