Unsettling Ramona Salon Series: Unsettling Story

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Heidi Duckler Dance hosts Indigenous artists, activists, scholars, and thought leaders this 3-part series of virtual programs amplifying the histories and contemporary experiences of Native Americans in California through art, music, conversation and a deep dive into the story of Ramona.

These conversations are working towards a retelling of “Ramona,” considered the quintessential Californian novel written in 1884, culminating in a contemporary production at the Southwest Museum. Already performed in 2018, HDD is revisiting “Ramona” a second time around, this time involving more direct Native voices, as we work collaboratively to reimagine and “unsettle” a story that was both important in creating visibility for the issue of Native rights in America and also problematic in that it romanticized California’s history and ultimately failed to create political change.

August 13 – Unsettling Story with Pamela J. Peters and Dr. Yve Chavez

Heidi Duckler Dance kicks off this salon series with “Unsettling Story” featuring Diné multimedia documentarian Pamela J. Peters, who was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, and scholar and UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor Dr. Yve Chavez, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA as a member of the Tongva tribe.

Peters will explore how Indian representation and removal policies are translated in Hollywood filmmaking and how visual sovereignty through a Native lens can promote the perseverance of Native American/American Indian community populations despite decades of colonial assimilationist policies.

Dr. Chavez will discuss the history of California’s missions and their role in shaping public perception of Spanish colonial legacies and Indigenous experiences in Southern California from the late nineteenth century through today.