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Laughter gives us energy. Laughter gives us more time.
It actually adds time to your life.
So I am giving you the information
and I am giving you more time to change the world.
You’re welcome, American theatre!
Larissa FastHorse, (Sicangu Lakota Nation)
Playwright of The Thanksgiving Play
Welcome to Acme Theatre Company’s Zoom reading of The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse.
This is a story about performative ally-ship and “woke-ness.” Four non-Native people set forth with the best of intentions to create a culturally respectful play about the first Thanksgiving. Over the course of 90-minutes, [SPOILER ALERT!] their anxiety to appear respectful leads them to talk themselves out of doing...anything. And to convince themselves that this nothing is… excellent.
As we chuckle at their twisted, funny, and painful stumbles, Larissa has created time and space for each of us to ask...
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How do we currently teach and learn about Native American histories and contemporary experiences?
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How do we hold ourselves accountable for creating positive change?
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How might we work to bring our groups and institutions into relationship with the people whose land we live on?
Most of my life, I have lived in a mostly-white-all-the-time world where the “best we can do” is acknowledge an empty, quiet space. The violence of white silence stifles on. Nothing gets messy. And nothing gets changed. Because relationships are messy. And so is justice.
My hope is that this reading leads Acme’s youth and our audiences to continue re-thinking how we teach, learn and engage with our country’s histories and contemporary Native-led movements for justice.
Following tonight’s reading, I hope you will stay with us as:
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Ashley Matlock (Hoopa/Yurok)
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Jennifer Robin (Mississsippi Band Choctaw & Miwuk)
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Prof Hulleah J. Tsinhnahjinnie (Seminole/Muscogee/Dine’)
discuss their responses to this script with Ethnic Studies educator, Dr. Melissa Moreno and Acme’s youth.
Thank you for joining us!
Yours in learning,
Emily Henderson
Artistic Director, Acme Theatre Company
November 25, 2020
Directors Note:
Cast & Crew
CAST
LOGAN......................................................................Juna Brothers
JAXTON...........................................................Mattias RowenBale
CADEN..........................................................................Ian Bourne
ALICIA.............................................................Xiomara Velasquez
ENSEMBLE........................................Elliot Larson, Analia Eiesen
TECH CREWS
Stage Management..........................................Mattias RowenBale
Set Design...................................................................Jackie Wallis
Costume Design................Juna Brothers, Morgan Hendrix-Chupa
Light Design...............................................................Maya Bailey
Props Master...........................................Wren Arellano-Calderon
Publicity Director.....................................Morgan Hendrix-Chupa
Webmaster............................................................Cassidy Carlson
Front of House.........................................................Sawyer Spann
Panelists
Ashley Matlock (Hoopa/Yurok)
DJUSD Parent & Ethnic Studies Student
Prof. Hulleah J. Tsinhnahjinnie (Seminole/Muscogee/Dine’)
DJUSD Parent, Professor of Native American Studies at UC Davis
Jennifer Robin (Mississsippi Band Choctaw & Miwuk)
Broadcaster/host of KVMR’s Resilience Radio
Co-Moderated by:
Dr. Melissa Moreno
Chair of Ethnic Studies, Woodland Community College
Resources
In November 2020, Acme Theatre Company used the resources below to begin educating ourselves as we rehearsed a Zoom reading of Larissa FastHorses’s The Thanksgiving Play.
We invite you to use this (very introductory) list to educate yourself, share these resources with your friends and family, and get connected with local and state-wide advocacy efforts to integrate Ethnic Studies in our K-12 & college curriculums.
We would like to acknowledge and thank the writers, film-makers, and educators who were willing and able to create and share these resources with the world. In particular, we are grateful to
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Dr. Melissa Moreno (Chair of Ethnic Studies Department, Woodland Community College) for sharing many of these resources in her annual Introduction ot Native American Studies class and for her support during our rehearsal process.
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Steve Nyholm for sharing his resources on the history of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Land Acknowledgement
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Indigenous Land Acknowledgement, Explained by Teen Vogue
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Honor Native Land by The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture
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Land Acknowledgement for Yolo County by UC Davis
Wintun Homeland
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Memories From Her Grandmother’s Baskets by Pam Gonzalez, Cache Creek Conservancy
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Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community
California Indian History & Ongoing Struggles
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History of Native California A 12-min video about the history of Native CA.
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California Indian Genocide & Resilience: A 28-min panel discussion with tribe members from a few different California Indian nations, including Marshall Mckay, Chairman Emeritus from the Yocha DeHe Wintun Nation.
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Beyond Recognition: A 26-min documentary about the Ohlone people of the Bay Area and the woman-led efforts to protect their land & sacred sites. The video is about half-way down the page.
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Dancing Salmon Home Promo Video: A 14-min preview about the Winnemem Wintu people in Northern California and their extraordinary reunion with their salmon. More info here
Myths & Misrepresentations
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Reel Injun Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond takes a look at the Hollywood Indian, exploring the portrayal of North American Natives through a century of cinema.
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Proud to Be The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation aired this ad during the 2014 NBA Finals urging the Washington Redskins to change the team's name.
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Hundreds Of Schools Are Still Using Native Americans As Team Mascots by FiveThirtyEight, Oct 2020.
Native Youth
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Fighting Racism in Schools Four Native youth - Dahkota Brown, Chiitaanibah Johnson, Jayden Lim & Naelyn Pike share their personal stories and advice about how to abolish racism in school.
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Guardians of the Waters: A video created by, and about, indigenous young women as they explore their relationship with water.
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Seeds of Our Ancestors This video grew out of the poetic explorations of native urban youth as they struggle to overcome trauma caused by colonized/industrial foods and awaken to the healing and nourishment of native foodways from their own traditions and those of others.
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Braiding the Sacred What is indigenous food sovereignty? What happens when food is treated as sacred?
History of the Thanksgiving Holiday
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Myths & Realities of the Thanksgiving Story, by Steve Nyholm
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Native American History and “Thanksgiving” Myths & Realities, Intro to Native American Studies, Woodland Community College
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Thanksgiving National Day of Mourning by Al Jazeera
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Why These Native Americans Observe a National Day of Mourning by Huffington Post
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Suppressed Speach A speech that Frank James (Aquinnal Wapanoag) attempted to deliver in 1970.
About Larissa FastHorse, Playwright of The Thanksgiving Play
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In Process: Larissa FastHorse on The Thanksgiving Play by Playwrights Horizons
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Larissa FastHorse Presents at the 2019 Creative Capital Artist Retreat by Creative Capital
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Larissa FastHorse, Playwright | 2020 MacArthur Fellow by the MacArthur Foundation
Decolonizing Our Education System
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Davis Joint Unified School District Ethnic Studies Task Force - Sign up to attend the next meeting on Tue, Dec 8, 2020!
Music
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Miracle, by Supaman featuring Maimouna Youssef
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Mahk Jchi (Heartbeat Song) by Ulali
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Fight for You by Raye Zaragoza