As technology flattens the world, are distinct cultures being pressed out as well? Not if the Denver Indigenous Film and Arts Festival has anything to say about it.
For the past decade, Denver鈥檚 has brought together artists from around the world to celebrate and learn about other cultures.
Given the region鈥檚 western heritage, American Indian culture is likely what many think of when they hear the word indigenous. Jeanne Rubin, the director of the festival, is trying to broaden that perspective.
鈥淲e take a worldwide view,鈥� Rubin said. 鈥淪o we always have films from American Indians in the U.S., from first nations in Canada, but we also get film from Maori, New Zealand, we get Australian Aboriginal film, we have been getting submissions from across the world.鈥�
How and what it means to be a multicultural society is still being grappled with in the United States says Rubin.
鈥淲hich is why we want the voices of native cultures to be heard,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause when people are talking about their own culture they bring a depth and an understanding that other folks don鈥檛 have. It鈥檚 not filtered through the lens of an anthropologist or somebody from more of a Western tradition.鈥�
is one such authentic cultural voice.
In 1997, Cody was the first bi-racial woman (Navajo and African-American) crowned Miss Navajo Nation. She鈥檚 the subject of the documentary Hearing Radmilla, which is being screened at the festival.
http://vimeo.com/13113380
Cody was also , and this year at the Native American Music Awards.
鈥淭he art of singing for me is something that comes from within the soul. It is such a beautiful way to share messages to connect with people and to share, in this case the Din茅 culture,鈥� Cody said in a recent interview about her work and participation in the upcoming festival.
In addition to film, the festival includes discussion forums, art displays, and hands-on community workshops taught by artists such as .
Gong, a member of the , creates work that fuses traditional and contemporary artistic expression on , and more.
Denver鈥檚 arts community seems to have connected with the various cultures that are highlighted during the Indigenous Film and Arts Festival. It has grown over the past decade from one venue with three nights, to a .
Perhaps that鈥檚 one way culture will transcend digitization.
Arts District is a collaboration of KUNC, Rocky Mountain PBS, and KUVO.
