Part of a three event series, Yaangna, Beyond LA. Indigenous Frameworks, presented within the context of the project Shaping the Past.
How can Indigenous frameworks and methodologies help cities and counties change policy to address the lack of visibility of Native/Indigenous Peoples? Focusing on three Los Angeles locations significant to Native/indigenous peoples, this series of events brings together artists, Elders, Tribal Members, scholars, and activists into dialogue about authentic narratives, strategies for policy change, the future of public/civic art, civic memory, and memory culture: “What must we not forget?”
Artists Cindi Alvitre and Guadalupe Rosales will share their visions for new forms of memorialization and monument-making from trees, digital altars and living archives, as-well-as how they steward stories and present them to the public.
Please note: This event is scheduled to take place in person, as an open-air discussion at Grand Park, Los Angeles. All attendees must register via eventbrite. While at the event, attendees must wear a mask and follow all regulations at all times. Attendees will receive final details regarding event location via e-mail through their eventbrite registration at least 24 hours prior to the event.
Guests:
Cindi Alvitre (Tongva) is a mother and grandmother, and she has been an educator (currently teaches American Indian Studies at California State University, Long Beach) and artist-activist for over three decades. She is a cofounder Mother Earth Clan, and the Ti’at (Canoe) Society, sharing in the renewal of ancient maritime practices of the coastal and island Tongva.
Guadalupe Rosales is the founder and operator of two digital archives, accessible through Instagramthat preserve physical archives containing vernacular photographs, flyers, magazines, and other types of ephemera from the 1940s through the 1990s connected to LA youth culture in Southern California: Veteranas & Rucas and Map Pointz. Guided by an instinct to create counter-narratives, Rosales tells the stories of communities often underrepresented in public record and official memory.
Cheyenne Concepcion is an artist and designer living and working in San Francisco. Her art practice is strongly research-oriented and investigates the politics of space through installation, speculation, cartography, and collecting, focusing on socio-spatial theory, land development, migration and often has a public component.
Moderator:
Joel Garcia (Huichol) is an artist, arts administrator and cultural organizer with over 20 years of experience working transnationally focusing on community-centered strategies. His approach is rooted in Indigenous-based forms of dialoguing and non-hierarchical decision-making that uplifts non-institutional expertise. Joel uses art and organizing to raise awareness of issues facing underserved communities, inner-city youth, and other targeted populations.
Shaping the Past is partnership of the Goethe-Institut, Monument Lab, and the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education). The project connects to the activist and artistic work of local, national, and transnational movements as a reflection of memory culture and discusses new perspectives on forms of memory.