Greetings, relatives.
Lots happening in and around Indian Country when it comes to Indigenous arts and entertainment talent and Native pop culture.
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Here is the latest Indigenous entertainment news:
“Reservation Dogs” were among the winners at the 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Taika Waititi’s and Sterlin Harjo’s popular show won the best new scripted series and the best ensemble cast awards. The show uses Indian humor, Indigenous stories and Indigenous talent.
Indigenous actors and stars of “Reservation Dogs” Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, Sarah Podemski and Zahn McClarnon joined Waititi and Harjo on stage.
The ceremony, hosted by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, was held in a tent by the beach in Santa Monica, California, on March 6.
Watch: Sterlin Harjo accepts Spirit award
“Reservation Dogs” was nominated for a Golden Globe and won awards from the Gotham Awards and American Film Institute. The four main characters of the show and Harjo presented an award at the 73rd Emmy Awards in September
Ashley Callingbull, Plains Cree, has appeared in numerous television shows including “Blackstone,” and the “Amazing Race Canada.” She is a model, an actress, and an advocate. In 2015, she became the first Indigenous woman to win the title of Mrs. Universe.
Now add Sports Illustrated Swimsuit to her list of accomplishments.
In a March 8 social media post, Callingbull said she was honored.
“I’m so excited to announce on International Women’s Day that I’ve been chosen by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and will be flying to the Dominican Republic today for my first ever shoot with the brand. From what I’ve been told I’ll be the first Indigenous (First Nations) woman to reach this milestone,” Callingbull wrote.
Callingbull was on the ICT Newscast last fall. Click here to watch her interview.
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Pyet DeSpain: ‘Be proud of where you come from’
Pyet DeSpain, Prairie Band of Potawatomi and Mexican, was crowned the winner of the FOX cooking competition “Next Level Chef.”
She joined the ICT Newscast to talk about her experience and the tough road it took to make her success a reality.
Watch:
Crystle Lightning gets breakout role
Crystle Lightning, who is originally from Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada, has acted in dozens of films and television shows over the years, but her role as Maggie on “Trickster” catapulted her career and culminated with a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2021.
“That’s where I really got to flex,” says Lightning, whose first acting role came at the age of nine in the American martial arts comedy, “3 Ninjas Knuckle Up.”
Watch her interview with APTN’s Dennis Ward:
‘Being Indigenous is so beautiful’
Models strutted down the runway in traditional and contemporary designs at a sold-out fashion show in Downtown Phoenix this past weekend.
The Indigenous Community Fashion Showcase was part of Phoenix Indian Center’s 75-year anniversary celebration on March 5. Phoenix Indian Center, a nonprofit organization, serves the Indigenous community in Phoenix and is the oldest organization of its kind.
Fashion designer Rebekah Jarvey, Chippewa Cree and Blackfeet, organized the event and Jason Coochwytewa with Urias Communications produced the show.
Watch:
Indigenous events, conferences in 2022
From Honolulu to Canada to Minnesota, numerous Indigenous events are taking place in 2022.
Many of the events offer optional virtual access congruent with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic such as the 40th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference in Florida. And some are returning after canceling or postponing dates in 2021 like the Gathering of Nations Powwow in New Mexico.
Notably, the midterm elections will take place Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Here are some key dates to keep an eye on. READ MORE.
Whitney Biennial features four Indigenous artists
In the art world, being included in the Whitney Biennial is a big, prestigious deal.
Opened in 1932 by the museum’s founder, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, it’s the longest-running exhibition of its kind that charts trends and artistic developments in the United States.
Dyani White Hawk, Sičáŋǧu Lakota, is an artist and independent curator based in Minneapolis. (Courtesy photo)
The exhibition takes place in the Whitney Museum of American Art on the Hudson River in Manhattan, in one of the most famous and architecturally beautiful museums in the country. READ MORE.
INDIGENOUS FILM+ ONLINE
March is Women’s History Month, and some virtual and television offerings — films and events — are listed below. Two anthology films to watch from the Pacifika region — composed of short films by women directors that are linked by a common storyline — are also included. Online festivals include the San Diego Latino Film Festival and the monthly Indigenous Film and Arts Festival from Denver.
The Mother Tongue FF contributes a retrospective of shorts linked via the Smithsonian’s online Folklife magazine. Also talks, a book discussion, performances (online and in-person) and news of the field. READ MORE.
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