A Virtual Salon: Indigenous Narratives in the Modern Context
Indigenous histories are often ignored within the United States, which has led to the erasure of place-based narratives. At this event, a panel of Native scholars and journalists discuss how colonial mapping practices have created complex jurisdictional issues, inspiring a new generation of journalists and storytellers. This event was live streamed on Friday, May 15. 2020 at 6 pm PDT.
Stacey Montooth, a citizen of the Walker River Paiute Nation, is the Executive Director of the State of Nevada Indian Commission (NIC), appointed by Governor Steve Sisolak on September 1, 2019. A member of his cabinet, Stacey is the liaison from Governor Sisolak to the 27 Nevada Tribes, bands, and colonies. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Stacey has spent over a decade in service to Nevada Tribes. From 2012-2019, she worked at the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony as that Tribe’s first public relations/community information officer. Upon returning to Northern Nevada, she was the Indian Education liaison for her alma mater, Churchill County High School in Fallon. Before returning home to the Great Basin, Stacey spent nearly 12 years working in community relations, primarily in higher education and college athletics.
Autumn Harry is a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe in northern Nevada. Autumn is currently a Masters student at the University of Nevada, Reno, studying geography with an emphasis on Indigenous mapping methods and restoration of Indigenous place names. Autumn is a fisherwoman, land defender, and Indigenous rights advocate who continues to work within Indigenous communities, learning about how climate change affects cultural and natural resources. Recently, Autumn has been involved in organizing actions such as the Reno Women's March, bringing awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and the importance of preserving water in Nevada.
Tsanavi Spoonhunter is a reporter and filmmaker from the Paiute, Arapaho, and Lakota nations. Spoonhunter is an enrolled member of the Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, but was raised in the Owens Valley of Central California. She is currently a Masters of Journalism documentary film candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. While studying at Haskell Indian Nations University in 2012, she realized that Native perspectives and stories are significantly underreported, this began her interest in covering Indian Country. She transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno’s Reynolds School of Journalism with an emphasis in print reporting. Following her inherent passion to pursue the current landscape of Native issues, but in a captivating way, she was led to documentary filmmaking. Her thesis film that highlights the Crow Tribe of Montana in the southeastern region of the state is scheduled for completion by May 2020.
Jarrette Werk, A’aniiih and Nakoda of Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana, is a junior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studying multimedia journalism. Inspired by the lack of mainstream media coverage of the Dakota Access pipeline, Werk decided to pursue a degree in media. His work focuses on positively and accurately covering the issues of Indigenous Peoples within Indian Country. Werk has been a fellow of the Native American Journalists Association since 2017, as well as a 2018-2019 Generation Indigenous Movement Builders fellow. His MBF cohort created the ‘Reclaiming Our Narrative’ project—the multimedia narrative change project highlighting the work of young Indigenous professionals conducting impactful and important works within Indian Country, including activism, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, climate change and media representation. As a portrait photographer, he captures and creates fresh and contemporary imagery of Indigenous Peoples. Jarrette currently works as the Communications Lead for the Center for Native American Youth at The Aspen Institute, providing a platform to amplify the voices of Indigenous Youth.
A special thanks to Sundance Books and Music, our forever partners in the Nevada Humanities Salon Series.