Convenings
Past Learning Exchange Reports:
Los Angeles, November 15–17, 2002
Andrea Assaf
2002
Case Sessions: Dell 'Arte International, The Denatlium Project
The Dentalium Project explored the economic impact and cultural and political conflict surrounding the construction of a Native American casino in the small rural community of Blue Lake, California. Dell ‘Arte worked with leaders of the Blue Lake Rancheria nation and the Cascadia Forum, a community building organization, to design and facilitate dialogue forums that explored the community’s responses to living with a casino in its midst. These dialogues informed the creation of a new play, Wild Card, which has reverberated and fed into the broader media and public discourse on the issues related to the casino. In a video documentary produced in collaboration with KEET public television, the project tracked five community members with different points of view about the casino over the course of a year. Video showings planned for falll provide additional focus for dialogue. The session explored implications of recent outcomes of the play, namely that two people are running for city council because of the play, and how the issue is currently shaping community dialogue around upcoming city council elections and recent community planning meetings.
Presenters: Julie Fulkerson (JK), mayor of Arcada, Ferdinand Luis (FL), writer, Kathy DeNobriga (KD), ADI liaison, Arla Ramsey (AR), tribal chairwoman (on tape).
Contextual background: Humboldt is a city of 180,000 people, rural, undeveloped, timberland; 85% white, largest minority is Native American. At least 5 major Native American tribes, within which is the Rancheria. Forced by government, the Rancheria has relied on fishing and timber, which are diminishing. The five tribes are not in agreement, there are issues over money, environmental war, tree sitters, the relationships often get nasty and mean. There is a huge liberal community, where “the 60’s meet the sea,” a “completely green city council,” which has moved further to the left in the last election. The Rancheria is a designation the federal government, which gave it to them, took it away, and then gave it back again. The land is located in-between a sewer and the garbage dump. Now a casino is there.
Dell ‘Arte is 30-year theatre company—physical theatre, ensemble-based, training program, extensive outreach and performances in region and all over; the work is diverse, company members range in age from 25-55.
The Dentalium Project had 3 components: 1) dialogue; 2) documentary; 3) new theatre work (most of the time was spent on this)
Theatrical form is important. The theatre work is outside, as part of a festival—the time of year most visible in the community. It’s a musical, staged as a radio show, broadcasted live...We hired most popular local band.
In satire, you have to make fun of everyone. One failure in the play, it hit everyone including ourselves, ADI, dialogue (pull out blue talking ball scene based on an actual event)...but not the Rancheria. The play was intended as a provocation. We believe it was a success, and will repeat without ADI.
Q: Why are there no Indians in this play? (Asking the question in response to one song in the production, titled “Why There Are No Indians in this Play”)
Arla did not feel comfortable having any of her group on stage. Now that she has seen it, she is re-considering.
The casino opened two days before play, which was an interesting convergence.
Challenges and issues that came up: the Pandora’s box of history: genocide goes back hundreds of years, you can't imagine that one project could impact that...Paradigm shift and shift of power: people who have not been in power for hundreds of years are now in power, and people are uncomfortable.
David Rooks, Ogalla Sioux and Critical Perspectives writer, was involved in (the Critical Perspectives meeting) where we had a discussion about the whole issue of including a Native American actor in the Dell ‘Arte play. One issue was the level of sheer skill on stage, not a lack of desire to include community on the stage...They are now planning a one year scholarship for a Native American to attend training. So far they have not succeeded, but it’s a step in the right direction.
A rancheria is made up of more than one tribe—one has to be Indian and has to be voted into the tribe.
Arla: The group up in Blue Lake…the difference was that they were stakeholders. The actors and company lived there and had their own feelings about the casino. They did a dialogue with their own company, including John Shirley who lives right across from the casino.
The play is set 10 years in future. There is a New York size skyline in background...There is a log truck driver who gets a hernia, leaves for NYC, and becomes a DJ. He goes back to Blue Lake for first time in 10 years to host the anniversary, and can see Blue Lake with new eyes
Viewing of Wild Card video.
We were interested in...experimenting with different approaches and different results. It was a dream opportunity to work with Michael and Dell ‘Arte. I have a background in politics and have seen democracy in the best and worst ways. We do leadership training. I think of Dell ‘Arte as an equal opportunity insultant—everyone gets blasted, which makes it okay and fun. I feel like there is a lot of power in listening, but the dialogue approach was a challenge because Blue Lake consists of 50 people who are normally left out. There is no incentive for the rancheria people to participate. We had to artfully design the dialogue and know that a theatre piece would arise.
How do you bring people together to discuss, knowing that they could be made fun of on stage? We did some dialogue without theatre people present, did some without the troupe…This was challenging because the troupe did not hear things first hand...Then we did it with the theatre group.
Q: How did you contextualize for participants that the dialogues would be used in the play without the theatre troupe?
Answer: We just drew them in to talk about what change was like in their community.
The struggle became: How do we invite members of the rancheria? How de we make it comfortable for rancheria residents? How do we strike a balance? How do we get a mix of people who have already put things out in public?
It started off with lots of direct interviews based on a tree of names (who knows who). We got a good mix of representation from the community...We were ultimately looking for the opportunity for people to feel comfortable...About democracy: will this make change? One actor ran for City Council and won (another, Alex Rica, also ran but lost). These people were "catalyzed by” the Dell ‘Arte project to run for office. This was one really stunning example of the impact. Another person decided, instead of running, to be on committee. Arla wanted to attend all of the dialogues; two of her sons both went away to college and now work for Blue Lake.
Before, if you graduated from high school on the Rancheria, you were paid 500 dollars. The Rancheria has an approach that is more comprehensive than the City Council.
JF: The Rancheria did try to cooperate with the city regarding the sewer system, but the city tried to use the sewer connection as leverage...There were ongoing tensions...Early on in a community meeting, Arla laid out what was going on...was asked, are you going to hire locals? Only if you pass the drug test?
As an ensemble company, we talk about commitment over time with attention to place; need to commit to long haul. This is party of a thirty year piece of work, and will go on...This project was really close to home for the ensemble, brought up different things for the ensemble; it’s literally next door.
FL: I was brought on board to write. I’ve known Michael for years, since 1991. I’ve written about Dell ‘Arte in a number of different fashions—as an art journalist and critical writer. This project invites writers to challenge themselves to see how the process might of writing about arts based civic dialogue might be different.
We had an extraordinary (Critical Perspectives) meeting in San Francisco. The jumping off point was dealing with "Why there are no Indians in the show." Dell ‘Arte went to considerable difficulties to find the right writer, and they were determined to have a Native American writer. They found David Brooks up in the Dakotas, and since, they have become great friends. David now has a relationship with Dell ‘Arte. David is the first to say the project was successful, and we wish he was here to say that for himself. He was also the first to say he was angry that the Native voice was not on stage—thematically, the Native voice was not present.
Q: Do you mean that there were no Native themes that represented Native concerns, or that there was not a Native point of view?
Q: I assumed that the perspective of Native Americans was in the show, even in absence of Native American actors...is this correct?
Answer: I actually think there are Native themes in the show, but they were the one group we did not make fun of...That was my fault as a playwright...David said "you know, we are very funny people"...as a writer, I was fearful of making fun of another culture.
The play acts as a microcosm...at the core is the shift of power. White conservatives have not participated, but they are made fun of.
Another part was the pain David felt. He loved the play, the evocation of community; but at the same time, felt “my voice is not heard.” He asked, how do his people become part of the “we?” He was thinking, how do I start a theatre company?
In other cases, elder Native Americans do not want their voice to be represented by other people...An interesting case is that of the “wind talkers.” Not because of patriotism but because Native Americans did not want their land taken over for a second time by the Japanese. This is very recent history recent for California...grandfathers were involved...The rip off of Indians continues to this day.
Going back to Ferdinand...The Indian voice was that they were hurt and didn’t want to come back! All sorts of subtle questions that are teased and explored, but not that one...When Michael said there's distrust on all sides—their region bottomed out economically and suddenly the Native population has all of the money; the towns people were only one half of the argument, now the Indians have the economic side of the argument. It’s very provocative. A lot of you work in advocacy, making sure all parties have power to argue their case. That's not the case in Blue Lake, and where that equality lies and where it’s going, no one knows. The arc of development is subtle, but it is an arc. It brings up the issue of sustainability—how culture can slow down the arc and speed up the power and the voice. Dell ‘Arte has always maintained a connection with Native Americans, but how do they get to the point where they can use humor in addressing the situation?
Bill: “We make the art that we make with communities because we need to work with communities to make the art that we love." In the divisions we make, I have become a little suspicious and angry when I see hyphens everywhere. We should all be suspicious and proactive in erasing them, but there are times when they are necessary.
The real interaction between arts and community comes out in the long term and not the short term. The utility question is in the short term. I think this project asked the right questions; it risked failure.
Mike: Describes different genres: Theatre of place—place is about the long term, where art begins to inform and infuse culture. It is too much of a burden to accept that one piece can solve these problems, and it is not a fair burden to place on art...The purpose is culture building. That is long term process....
Kathy DeNobriga moderates the last half hour. She asks people to reflect on questions for clarity and other general questions. Questions from the group:
Q: What level of participation did community members have in devising the piece? Is it only the Rancheria policy to only have the chairwoman attend?
Answer: No.
Q: Was the fact that the Indians were not there a self exclusionary choice? Who wrote the play?
If there were Native people participating would there have been more liberty to make fun?
Q: What did you mean by levels of power?
Answer: Referring to advocacy model, encouraging equal power to lead to working out of issues; used it to describe how unequal the power structure was.
Q: The Rancheria only has 50 people?
In the region, there is a much larger population, but the people of the Rancheria are the ones that built the casino.
Q: I got the sense of disappointment from David Rooks. What was the reaction of the whole community?
Q: I’d like to hear more about the process of thinking about form, hear more about the other ideas....
There wouldn't be room for Native American actors if it was all Dell ‘Arte people. That’s not an issue here, but an issue for other work we are developing...Because of the style we work in, how do we come with a common ground of style?
Michael describes that to do what they want to do as artists they need to change...It is a slow trusting process.
A point of discomfort, about the native voice: as if it were singular. The great point about the play is the range of opinion shown within the white community. I’m sure there is the same range in Native American voices. How well do you have to know a person to do satire?
This is a fascinating project. It is dealing with such an unusual situation—a minority group that is empowered...it’s different. They are doing fine. What is the compelling issue here? What compels you in your work? What can help the white folks become more comfortable with power change and better understand their community? Perhaps that the Native Americans don’t need the white folks this time.
A comment on casting: I don't know that the Native cultures are doing just fine. Life is long, and even though the project has a time frame, there is relationship that has opened the door to a continuum of time.
Make sure that the art-making part of it does not get left out of conversation. Laughter as a form of recognition, a physical response to recognizing something in yourself. Arla loved the play, she has an idea for the play...It was what they wanted 18 months ago, but it takes time, and that is the next step...The dialogue process is natural...We were using radio in a rural community where radio is still very powerful...lots of people heard but did not see it.
There is a visioning process; the Rancheria is driving it. Arla is truly interested in there being a full community that she remembers as a child, that is better in every regard...It’s an inclusive vision. What can we gain from this? She wants to be part of the community, not separate. But in the long run, using the casino to gain money is a catalyst for saving money. We have the last salmon run—they spawn several times in a lifetime. This is a metaphor for the company—you hope they hatch, maybe not this year, but if you tend the river right eventually you leave something. That's our intent with this work, ultimately, that's the effort...Where do I choose to put my effort? As an artist, the effort came from the art, not from the dialogue...It’s different for everyone here. It’s a way to take art to another level in terms of how it engages the audience. It comes out of the roots of where they work as theatre artists living in a community.
FL: Everyone sees instability; people are looking for sustainability.
In terms of work changing, is that a typical process? The piece must change because the town has changed—the casino is now open, there are new people in the town.
About artists being separated from dialogue: My interest is having people exchange their stories. This would not have been authentic dialogue if there had been someone taking notes. It is important for people to have a chance to exchange stories. We did not want to do it just for theatre. When we opened, it didn't make that much of a difference. We use satire. In the dialogue, it was clear that the theatre group was not neutral. Even the location of dialogue was important.
Q: What happened to Arla co-facilitating?
Answer: She was great with the project. She didn't have to do anything, but she was truly interested and became more so. At the first dialogue, those people had never had a conversation together. Arla's voice was heard, and she brought people from the Rancheria. Problem solving ended up occurring within the dialogue.
Q: What happened in the dialogue session, how did you get people talking?
It started with simple stories—we asked people to tell the story of their name. This revealed a lot without putting pressure on people.
Q: What opportunities and challenges does the casino bring to all levels? What would allow or create the relationships you would like to have with community?
Basic proposed guidelines: listen to each other, to yourself, the whole, look for patterns, stay curious, slow down...keep thinking.... Concept of reconciliation: the project can be about long history; what does it look like to be involved in long term process of reconciliation?
Quotes:
"Learning local issues and getting to know council members fostered an emerging interest in the office which was catalyzed by the mutant vision of a future Blue Lake expressed in Wild Card.”
“There were some points in the play that showed the potential for growth that could happen in our town. This is the time to get involved if this town and this way of life mean something to you.” —Marlene Smith, City Council candidate
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” —Meg Wheatley
“Every question possesses a power that does not lie in its answer.” —Elie Wiesel
