A group of protesters at the Occupy Oakland action to shut down the Port of Oakland on December 12, 2011. (Photo: Queena Kim)
The Occupy movement is known internationally for protesting the inequalities of the global financial system, so much so that in four short months, "Occupy" has essentially become a brand known the world over.
But now there's an effort by Native American activists in Oakland to get rid of “Occupy” and replace it with “Decolonize” - as in “Decolonize Oakland.” They say the term “occupy” is offensive in light of the brutal history of occupation by early colonizers and the United States government. Native Americans in Seattle, Albuquerque, Portland and Sedona have launched similar campaigns.
The name change is proving contentious at Occupy Oakland, with some protesters accusing Native Americans of guilt tripping in the name of supporting the oppressed. But cut through the chatter, and the basic point seems to be this: Occupy doesn't want to give up the brand.
“That name change could ... alienate Oakland from the wider movement,” wrote John C Osborne, who has been reporting on the Occupy movement on his blog the Classist. “The brand recognition if you will.”
The irony of Occupy Oakland being captivated by "branding" isn’t lost on Morning Star Gali, a Native American activist from Oakland who’s helping lead the name change effort. The Occupy movement, in general, shuns the corporatization of society.
More to the point, Gali says that for many Native Americans, especially those who came up in the “Red Power” movement in the 1960s, the term “Occupy” has a lot of baggage.
Native Americans tribes were brutally “occupied" by Spanish and English colonizers. Later, the United States government waged war on the Native American tribes and forced them into camps or reservations. More than 90 percent of North America’s indigenous population was wiped out by “occupiers,” either through war or the spread of disease.
And Bay Area Native American activists believe the occupation continues. In California, many Bay Area tribes are still struggling to gain federal recognition as sovereign nations. In the absence of a treaty, or compensation for their land, Native American activists in the Bay Area say they continue to live under outside rule.
As a Native American, “it’s nauseating to hear the word ‘occupy’ over and over again.'" Gali said. "We need to occupy this, we need to occupy that. It’s the modern day colonial language.”
The controversy highlights a wider criticism buzzing in the blogosphere about the Occupy movement’s use of political language. Some people of color feel that the movement at large is guilty of “linguistic” culture shopping. In other words, that the predominantly white Occupy uses politically charged words to adorn their movement like ornaments on a Christmas tree.
Jared A. Ball, associate professor of communication studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore, has been blogging about the use of slave terminology in the Occupy movement.
“There’s an appropriation of the words of our struggles,” Ball said. “They’re claiming the language for their own political transcendence without any sensitivity to the history of this country."
The casual use of “slave” terminology among Occupy protesters alienates African-Americans like Earl Black, a retired high school teacher, who drives from his home in Tracy to attend the Occupy Oakland protests.
On one of those drives, Black remembers hearing a radio interview of an Occupy protester who wanted to change the name of Zuccotti Park back to Liberty Park, the name protesters bestowed on their base. (Here's a link to the full debate.)
“He said they need to change the name of the park because 'Zuccotti' is its 'slave name,'” Black said recently at Frank Ogawa Plaza, the home of Occupy Oakland. “That hit me between the eyes. To use 'slavery’ in that fast-and-loose fashion just to get the attention of an audience. I had to turn the radio off.”
Black knows the intent isn’t “malicious.” But as an African-American man in his 70s, he believes that equating financial inequality with our country’s legacy of chattel slavery is ignorant and threatens to push away African-Americans, who have been disproportionately hurt by the current economic downturn.
A younger generation of Occupy protesters have argued that marginalized groups often reclaim once-offensive terms. The gay community took back the derisive term “queer,” and a generation of younger African-Americans has flipped the racial slur “nigger” into a term of endearment, said Davey D, a political blogger who often writes about hip-hop.
“Can that happen with Occupy? Can it be flipped?” Davey D wrote.
Some Native American activists say that question assumes that "occupation" is a remnant of the past that can be dusted off and reintroduced. Instead, they believe Oakland, which is the ancestral home of the Chochenyo Ohlone, is still under occupation because the tribe has been denied federal recognition.
Recently, Native American activists put forward a proposal to change the name to "Decolonize Oakland" in a general assembly meeting that lasted three hours. The proposal received 68 percent of the vote, but failed to get the 90 percent approval needed to pass. Native Americans have been holding teach-ins on the subject and say they'll put the proposal up for a vote again.
"If there was a big sign over Gaza that said, 'Occupy Palestine' how would the Palestinian people feel?" asked Gali. "But somehow it's OK if that happens here" on occupied Chochenyo Ohlone land.
An Open Letter to The "Occupy" Movement: The Decolonization Proposal
Announcing 3rd Annual
"Make Drag, Not War!"
San Francisco, CA — Veteran Artists and Iraq Veterans Against the War are proud to present "Make Drag, Not War 3!" Sunday December 4th, 2011 at Dance Mission Theater. Make Drag, Not War! is an annual benefit for Veteran Artists that pairs San Francisco's most theatrically talented drag queens with recent military veterans to tell their stories through drag performances. Dance Mission Theater has generously donated their space for the third year in a row for a night of dragtivist theater touching upon issues affecting veterans such as post-traumatic stress disorder, Don't Ask - Don't Tell, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This year's cast of queens are some of San Francisco's fiercest: Raya Light, Miss Rahni, Lil.Miss.Hot.Mess., Phatima, Kallisto, Tara Wrist, Alexis Blair Penney, Honey Penny, and more TBA! With performances by Rotimi Agbabiaka, Flynn Whitmeyer, the League of Burnt Children, and over a dozen veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, & Vietnam Wars. Artist Malcolm Drake returns as host.
Make Drag, Not War 3!
December 4th, 2011
Dance Mission Theater
3316 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Doors 7pm
Show 8pm
$10-20 sliding scale
$5 "audience participation" tickets available
NOTAFLOF
*please note: a film crew will be filming the show for French television, anyone wishing to attend the show but not be filmed will be placed in special seating, if interviewed be prepared to sign a release form.
For additional information, Contact:
Stephen Funk
Founder & Artistic Director
Veteran Artists
(415) 672-3740
sefunk@gmail.com
www.veteranartists.org
Make Drag, Not War 3! Sunday December 4th at Dance Mission Theater
Veteran Artists is a San Francisco-based nonprofit, founded and run by recent military veterans connecting other veterans with community resources to pursue any form of art they choose. VA partners with artists and activists to develop meaningful projects and programs that facilitate therapy, skill building and reintegration. We strive to counter destructive experiences with creative experiences, empowering veterans with tools to educate, inspire, and connect with the general public.
# # #
Sherman Alexie, “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel” from The Summer of Black Widows. Copyright © by Sherman Alexie. Reprinted by permission of Hanging Loose Press.
The Gay reality
#gayboyproblems
Yes. We had sex.
We—being, me and one of the many other boys, men, boiz out there.
It’s a private matter, and it is between us.
It does not define our relationship—sometimes it does, but it does not have to....
…
Often, the sex, should be seen as something we “did”.
It is a private matter, between us, and we keep it between us.
Should it happen again, it is between us, it is our private matter...
…
Of course, a confusion occurs in one when the ‘us’ is shared with so many others…
This is often hilarious, a source for many gay comedies, confusions, and depressions.
The many is confusing….
…
But, no matter what, this matter of sex is privately shared between the two—for that particular event of sex—or, perhaps between many, if that was such a sex that did occur.
…
The point here is: that you must respect other’s privacy.
More importantly, you need to respect your privacy, your partner’s privacy, your “us”.
In America, respect is not taught anymore.
Definitely not to gay boys, men, boiz.
Respect your body, respect your mind, respect each other—it is rare these days.
Perhaps, this is why Mitote come into existence now.
A need for respect, beholding, and movement initiated out of our self, our light.
Time to bring back sacredness in our gay self.
Let our bodies sing. Let the song between each other be private. Be respectful.
Let them do their thing.
Mitote.
Questions for an essay to get into school
1. Tell me, write me a story. 2 sentences per question, maybe more, which tell me a remarkable experience in your life, which gave you an impulse, a calling, a necessity to go to college. In other word, tell me who you are, and why you want, need to go to college.
Question: Who are you? (general)
Question: Why do you want to go to college? (You)
Question: Which college are you interested in attending? (Harvard, Morehouse, UCLA)
Question: Why this particular college? (Music? Professors? Techonolgy?)
**write the essay as if you are talking to the Admittance Director of that particular college**
Question: What are you interested in? (???)
Question: why are you interested in that? (I makes me feel, I contemplate and discover…)
Question: Is what you are interested in going to be your career? Why/why not?
Question: What are you interested in making your career? How will you achieve it
(not in terms of classes, courses, programs, or grad school, but in another fashion…passion?)
Question: Where did you grow up?
Question: How did that place (s) where you grew up affect you? (U.S., State, County, Race/ethnic understanding/ties, tradition, self-righteousness-discovery-responsibility)
Question: where did you attend school?
Question: What is an interesting and important event that happened in your school?
Question: Are you good in school? Why or why not?
Question: What are you good at? Why?
Question: what are you bad at? Why? How are you improving?
Question: How will this particular college allow you to achieve your dreams?
Question: how will you give back to the college why you are there?
Question: How will this college enable you to be an upstanding citizen?
Question: How will you give back to the college as an alumnus/a?
Answer each of these questions in 2-9 sentences. From there, edit into a good order. This order could be fine—but ensure that the introduction introduces YOU!!!! No statistics, no big statements, YOU!!!! And the last statement is YOU!!! Let the reader remember you and how you will be a great fit for this college, and how you will be a great person to have as an alumnus/a.
Let it be known that they really want you!!!!
Once you answer these questions, you will have an essay! If not more! Description is better than facts! Admittance counselors read thousands of essays, make your essay interesting and easy to read.
--Cuauhtemoc
Every year, a group of talented dancers gather at Haas Pavilion for the Mills Repertory Dance Company (MRDC hereafter) auditions. An instructor leads them through a dance routine set up much like a classroom setting, and they dance with every soulful sinew in their bodies. After, with baited breath and ample anxiety, they nervously await the postings on the bulletin board in the hallway for the announcements for each placing. The chosen few are then rigorously rehearsed for a concert that takes place annually, which, in every way, is equivalent to a faculty concert with one noticeable difference. In addition to the faculty’s dance works that are performed for this show, some of the students who participate in this concert also have the rare opportunity to work with national and internationally acclaimed choreographers –a different one holding a special guest residency each year. Reiterated from the department’s website, “MRDC performances present a unique opportunity for the public to see the groundbreaking artists of tomorrow perform the work of highly reputed choreographers and teachers of today.” Bridging the gap between academic performance and professional work, the opportunity to work with such well-known artists is one of a kind.
This year’s chosen guest artist is Doug Varone and his work is the well-respected Bench Quartet that was set on a very select few dancers -- seven to be exact. After auditioning for a member of his company, the seven female dancers spent the entirety of their Memorial Day weekend and the week following in an intensive workshop while the choreography was set on these dancers. With supervision from the company member, Erin Owen, and faculty, the seven dancers worked tirelessly to achieve something quite extraordinary even in a professional setting –completely finishing a work like this in only a span of a few days. These seven dancers will continue to rehearse under faculty supervision until the concert coming up in November.
Mills Repertory Dance Concert typically chooses to honor a member of the community, either Mills or the larger geographic community, through the work that is produced and performed for the MRDC concert each year. Bringing a wealth of knowledge from both a business background as well as a women’s educational perspective, the new president of Mills College, Alecia DeCourdreaux is the honoree of this year’s Repertory Concert for the MRDC. Sonya Delwaide-Nichols, the dance department chair states, “We feel inspired by a new beginning under her leadership. We also see a parallel with the ‘state of change’ that dancers/choreographers to through when they bring their new work on stage in front of an audience. New beginnings/ premiers are always associated with a sense of hope, success, and longevity.” All of these qualities are sought and valued whether in performance of a dance, or in our new relationships and leadership changes.
The MRDC concert will be held November 19th, 2011 at 1pm and 8pm, and again Saturday, November 20, at 8pm at the Lisser Theater on Mills College Campus. This is a free event for the Mills community, and tickets for non-Mills attendees will be available at the door. General admission $15, students and seniors with ID $12.
For additional information on the show or the company, please click here.
What if I changed my thesis topic to the "Dominance and Subordination by the Performance of Male and Female Go-Go Dancers"--how the human eye objectifies or subjectifies these living things....and what power they have over the audience/viewer...and what they mean to our culture, to our expectations, to our desires, to our ideals, and to our reality....oooo, sounds like a great paper! ugh! so much to write, so little time :/
More importantly, I am really interested in how we view Female Go-Go vs. Male Go-Go. Less thinking about strippers, or prostitutes (which is what they suggest) more, the art of Go-Go....and how are they seen but the queer world, and the straight world....what is in the performance of this "kind" of sexuality and aesthetic? What is their place? what sensations does their dancing bring about? ooo so interesting :D
I would love to attend and audition...However, I will be in rehearsal at that time for New Fire with choreographer Alleuia Panis, a new play by Cherrie Moraga.
Maybe Next Year I can join in on Robert's work! I would love to dance for him, but as of now, with school and everything else, I do not have the time.
To all other dancers in the Bay Area, consider auditioning. Many of you I am sure are already planning on it!
Best of Luck to you'all MERDE!!!
--Cuauhtemoc
Robert Moses' KIN
SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. at ODC Commons ( 351 Shotwell at 17th Street)
ABOUT RMK:
Since founding Robert Moses' Kin in 1995, Robert Moses has collaborated with a number of prominent dancers, musicians, composers, sculptors, authors, poets, and designers to realize the concept of dance as a unifying form of art, an art form that speaks broadly from a specific place. While touring nationally and creating over 90 original works, Robert Moses' Kin has earned a host of awards, including four Bay Area Isadora Duncan Awards (IZZIES), a Bay Guardian Outstanding Local Discovery Award in Dance (Goldie) and a San Francisco Weekly Black Box Award for Choreography.
Robert Moses' Kin has toured to universities, colleges, and festivals throughout the U.S., including Jacob's Pillow, Bates Dance Festival, Colorado Dance Festival, Dance Center at Columbia College, University of Nevada, University of Texas, Orange Coast College, Dance Umbrella, Stanford University, ProArts Collective, the Maine Festival, and New York's City Center's Fall for Dance Festival, among other venues.
In addition to his work with Robert Moses’ Kin, Moses has choreographed for San Francisco Opera, Ailey II, Philadanco, Cincinnati Ballet, Eco Arts, Transitions Dance Company of the Laban Center in London, African Cultural Exchange (UK), Bare Bones (UK), Oakland Ballet, Moving People Dance, and Robert Henry Johnson Dance Company, among others. He has choreographed for film, theater and opera, with major productions for the Lorraine Hansberry Theater, New Conservatory Theater, Los Angeles Prime Moves Festival (L.A.C.E.), and Olympic Arts Festival.
We are now accepting applications for
Harvest, The Fall Choreographers Showcase
Sept 23-24 @ 8 pm
The Choreographer's Showcase is produced twice a year (once in the fall and once in the spring) and is a non-juried opportunity for both emerging and established choreographers of all dance genres to show work or work-in-progress in a professional setting. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. All levels and dance styles are welcome. Applications are now available online and at Dance Mission Studio. Please turn in applications no later than September 1st. Form more information call 415-826-4441.
http://dancemission.com/programs_two.html#showcase
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There’s a time in every man’s life.
When life stops happening to him.
And when he starts happening to it.
I once wanted too much.
To be a twink.
Now.
I want to be me.
The best Cuauhtémoc possible.
The kind of gay, that is Mitote.
What kind of gay are you?
Jock?
Twink?
Label whore?
Scene queen?
Gym bunny?
Me?
I’m Mitote.
NEW CLASS OFFERING AT MILLS COLLEGE FOR FALL SEMESTER 2011
Techniques in International Dance Styles:
AZTEC DANCE AND CULTURE
DNC: 014 TUESDAY/THURSDAY 1-2:15
Taught by Sergeant De Danza Azteca
Cuauhtemoc “Temoc” Peranda
· In this course you will learn the fundamental techniques, styles, rhythms, and choreographies of Aztec Dance, along with its history, cultural symbols, and Pan-Indian/Intertribal relationships.
· This will be a fun and energetic dance class, with history/lecture woven into the class setting, to provide appropriate cultural understanding and background.
· If you are curious about Native American Dance, Culture, History, Immigration, Relationships, and Moving Bodies, then this course would be a great addition to you education.
Cuauhtemoc Peranda is a MFA graduate student in Dance at Mills College. Traditionally Trained in Aztec Dance since he was five, he is Sergento de Danza in grupo Tlaloc-Chalchiuhtlicue of San Jose, CA. He has been a recognized dance advocate and educator, and he is excited to add this class to the rich Mills academic environment.
{Please contact tperanda@mills.edu with any inquires}
"aim of art is higher than art" Emerson "role of art is for the good of man" Aristotle
"artist have been separated from society, as these afreet, isolated, egotist...taken away from the rigorous masculinity, vigor, of ordinary life...."
"the end of your life, you become a masterpiece of humanity"
"think of art as a knowledge, we see its real purpose"
"we are consciousness"
"technique as 2nd nature...to be lost and not self-conscious...I want my dancers to represent the world"
"painfully look at television"
"spirituality as practicality" ... "if you don't recognize anything larger than you in your life, what is the point of living?"
"find gratitude..." Mitote: give thanks
"people are poorly trained today"
"the body is an interference--what really is happening is spirit--the spirit is dancing...not trained in ideas, just imitation of forms"
maybe that's why i danced, i became a choreographer....i was not trained in a form, i was trained in ideas and spirit. mitote
http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201112261030
From the Archives: Alonzo King
Mon, Dec 26, 2011 -- 10:30 AM
Download audio (MP3)
Celebrated choreographer Alonzo King discusses the new season of LINES ballet. The San Francisco contemporary dance troupe is performing a world premiere set to music in the Sephardic tradition. We reprise a portion of the interview as part of our special holiday programming.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests: