* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] UM, [Austin National Day of Racial Healing Celebration ] THERE'S A LOT OF BEAUTY IN YOUR WORK FOR SURE, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH POWER IN THE SIMPLE AND PROFOUND TRUTHS THAT SHE TELLS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, THIS POEM I WROTE, UM, RIGHT BEFORE THE CREATION OF MY SCHOOL'S, UM, THEY'LL CALL IT LIKE OUR EQUITY, UH, COMMITTEE. AND SO I WROTE THIS POEM, UM, INSPIRED BY THE FORMATION OF THIS COMMITTEE A AS WELL AS LIKE WHAT, WHY COMMITTEES ARE FORMED IN THE FIRST PLACE. ENVISION SOMETHING DIFFERENT. ENVISION SOMETHING DIFFERENT. MY IMAGINATION'S BEEN MAKING MISCHIEF PENON ON WHOSE PULPIT IN SCHOOL DISTRICT YOU'VE BEEN ATTENDING. PERSPECTIVE IS OFTEN A MATTER OF SOCIAL POSITION. PRIVILEGE IS OFTEN A HINDRANCE TO CHECK YOURSELF AND YOUR INTENT. WHAT ARE YOUR TRUEST TENANTS? WHAT IS YOUR REALITY OR RESULT OF? HOLD UP, I'M NOT FINISHED. NO ONE'S FEELINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO OPENLY SPEAK YOUR EXPERIENCES, EVEN IF THEY'RE OFFENDED, EVEN IF THEY BENEFIT FROM THE VERY SYSTEMS YOU MENTIONED. THE ONE THAT INVESTS IN DIVISION ON THE PREMISE, THEY ARE DIFFERENT. I E SUPERIOR. WHO IS THEY? SIR? THEY WHO BUILD LESS SCHOOLS AND MORE PRISONS PROVIDE TAX BREAKS TO BILLIONAIRES, BUT BICKER ABOUT BUDGETS AND GOVERNMENT SPENDING. THIS WORK AIN'T JUST BEGINNING. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR FAIRNESS AS LONG AS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LIVE IN POORER CONDITIONS. SO WE CARRY THE TORCH LIKE WE CARRY TRADITION WHILE REMAINING INVENTIVE UNLEARNING THINGS THAT PREVENT US FROM REALIZING A GREATER VISION. THIS IS PENT UP ENERGY RELEASED WITHOUT APOLOGY OR PERMISSION. THIS IS EVIDENCE I'VE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO REWIRE MY SYSTEM OF ASSUMPTIONS. SO THERE'S NO NEED TO WONDER WHY SO FEW LEADERS SHARE OUR PIGMENT. MY QUESTION IS, WILL WE REALIZE THE CHALLENGE AND REALIZE THERE WAS TALENT HERE LONG BEFORE PLYMOUTH OR PLUMMET LIKE EMPIRES THAT IGNORE PROBLEMS IN NEED OF FIXING MY GOD, MY GOD, YOU'RE AEST STRANGE, KIND OF GORGEOUS. IF WE'RE ALL MADE IN YOUR IMAGE, MAY THIS MOMENT, MAY OUR EFFORT BE A CONTINUANCE OF REMOVING EUROCENTRIC STANDARDS OF BEAUTY AND PROFESSION AND INTELLECT FROM OUR MINDS, OUR SPIRITS, OUR SYSTEMS. LET US NOT JUST WITNESS CHANGE, LET US PERPETUATE IT BY BECOMING DRIVEN VEHICLES DRIVEN TO GET OURSELVES IN OTHERS TO A PLACE WHERE OPPRESSION ISN'T PERMITTED OR REWARDED WITH RETIREMENT PLANS AND PENSIONS. THIS IS OUR CHARGE. I PRAY YOU ARE COMMITTED IN YOUR PRIVATE LIFE AS WELL AS THIS COMMITTEE TO HONOR THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO'VE BEEN INDI TO HONOR THOSE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN ENDED OR INJURED BY THE HANDS OF HEINOUS HENCHMEN, BLINDED BY BIAS AND FEAR AND FEAR. AND I FEAR THIS WORK MAY NEVER BE FINISHED, BUT LET'S GET IT. UM, SO IN ADDITION TO, OR, UH, NEXT TO BRINLEY, MY FAVORITE PERSON IN THE WORLD, UH, IS MY LITTLE BROTHER. UH, AND TO ME, MY LITTLE BROTHER IS THE EPITOME OF CAPABILITY, UH, WITH A LACK OF CONFIDENCE. AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT I WISH I COULD HAVE INSTILLED IN HIM GREATER, IT WAS A CONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF. AND SO THIS PALM SPRING, MY BABY BROTHER AVERY, IS TERRIFIED OF SHARKS. IT'S HIS BIGGEST FEAR. NOW, WHEN I SAY BABY, I MEAN LITTLE. WHEN I SAY LITTLE, I MEAN YOUNGER THAN HE'S ACTUALLY SIX TWO WITH HIS OWN STORY, HE'S STILL TATTOOING INTO HIS SKIN. NOW, WHEN I SEE BROTHER OR SAY BROTHER, I MEAN THE KIND THAT IS NOT BORN INTO YOUR FAMILY, BUT CHOSEN TO MAKE IT THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL TO FIND FAMILY AND FOREVER IN THOSE WHO DO NOT NEED TO SHARE YOUR BLOOD. AND BLOOD IS WHAT AVERY IS. BRIGHT RED AND BUBBLING AT THE SURFACE. HE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE. I WANT TO TELL HIM HE IS A SHARK. HOW FUNNY IT IS TO BE YOUR OWN WORST FEAR. TO BE AFRAID OF YOUR OWN STRENGTH, TO BE BOTH HUNTER AND THE HUNTED, THE THING THAT EVERYBODY'S AFRAID OF, AND THE CHUM IN THE WATER. LITTLE KNOWN FACT SHARKS ARE NOT INDIGENOUS TO AMERICAN WATERS. WHEN AFRICANS WERE BROUGHT OVER TO THE AMERICAS AS SLAVES, THEY WERE TREATED AS CARGO PILED HIGH INTO BOATS BY THE HUNDREDS AS THEY WOULD DIE OFF DUE TO THEIR INHUMANE TRAVELING CONDITIONS, THEY WERE SIMPLY TOSSED OVERBOARD LIKE TRASH. AS THE COLONIZERS REPEATED THIS JOURNEY, SHARKS IN AFRICAN WATERS STARTED TO FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF DISCARDED BROWN BODIES AND EAT THEM. THIS LED THEM TO AMERICA IN SEARCH OF FOOD. IRONIC HOW AMERICA HAS ALWAYS RELOCATED PEOPLE'S ONLY TO HAVE THEM EATEN AND MISPLACED BY CIRCUMSTANCES OUT OF THEIR CONTROL. FUNNY HOW AMERICA IS STILL FEASTING ON BROWN BODIES BY THE HUNDREDS. I WANNA TELL MY BABY BROTHER, THIS IS THE WAY AMERICA VIEWS THE BLACK MAN. HE'S A MEAL AND THIS COUNTRY IS HUNGRY AND FOAMING AT THE MOUTH AS BADLY AS I WANT TO TELL HIM. AS BLOOD RED RAGS MAKE HIM A TARGET, IT'D BE [00:05:01] NO LESS TRUE IF HE TRADED THEM IN FOR A SUIT AND TIE. IT IS SIMPLY IN HIS BLOOD THAT HE CANNOT BLEND IN OR HIDE BEHIND HIS FAMILY OR THEIR MONEY. THOUGH HE IS BRED FROM BOTH THE COLONIZER AND THE ENSLAVED, UNFORTUNATELY HIS MELANIN WILL ALWAYS BE SNIFFED OUT, WILL ALWAYS LEAVE THEM BLOOD THIRSTY, THAT EVEN THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF HIM IS BENEATH THE SURFACE, THEY MERELY MUST SEE THE FLOATING FIN TO BE FRIGHTENED. AND THEN EVEN THOSE SHIRTS CAN BE TAMED, CAN BE TOUCHED AND PLAYFUL. THEY ARE STILL FEARED, STILL SEEN AS MONSTERS STILL MISPLACED AND MISUNDERSTOOD. I WANT TO TELL HIM, DO NOT BE AFRAID OF YOUR POTENTIAL. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF YOUR TEETH AND YOUR BITE. THAT THOUGH HE MAY BE DROWNING IN THESE BAITED WATERS, HE CAN BREATHE UNDER THEM AND RIDE THE WAVE THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS FOUND A WAY TO MAKE THE BEST OF SINKING SITUATIONS. SHARKS HAVE EYES ON EITHER SIDES OF THEIR HEADS. WHILE THIS MAKES SEEING WHAT'S DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THEM DIFFICULT, IT MAKES THEIR VISION 360 ALLOWS THEM TO ADJUST THEIR SIGHT FROM 3D TO SINGLE EFFORTLESSLY. SEE HOW YOU ARE A SHARK, SHARK, BABY BROTHER? HOW WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO LOOK BEYOND OUR PAST. AND THOUGH OUR FUTURE MAY BE BLURRY, WE SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE BETTER. WE CAN ALWAYS SHIFT OUR VISION. SEE TROUBLED WATERS FROM EVERY ANGLE LIKE SHARKS. WE ARE FOR EVERY HUNGER. FOREVER HUNGRY, FOREVER HUNGRY. EAT BABY BROTHER, EAT. DO NOT SEE YOURSELF THE WAY THEY DO, BABY BROTHER DO LIKE DORY AND JUST KEEP SWIMMING BECAUSE SHARKS CANNOT STOP MOVING OR THEY'LL DIE. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE TWO MORE POEMS AND WE'LL GET THIS, UH, PANEL STARTED. WE JUST DON'T GET INTO THIS ONE GETTING FREE. IN ELEMENTARY, I LEAVE CLASS UNDER THE CLASSIC RULES OF NEEDING TO USE THE RESTROOM ONLY TO SNEAK INTO THE LIBRARY TO READ. MY TEACHER INEVITABLY FOUND ME MOMENTS LATER, KNEE DEEP IN SOME AUTOBIOGRAPHY OR MYSTERY LANGUAGE. STORIES HAVE ALWAYS LED TO MY LIBERTY GETTING FREE. I GUESS WORDS BEEN MY WINGS LONG BEFORE I WAS LONG-WINDED. I MEAN, HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN ON THIS TRAJECTORY? I'M GUESSING I'LL BE FLY IN MY SEVENTIES TIME MORE THAN THE BEATLES TAUGHT ME TO LET IT BE. TO SING INSTEAD OF SINKING TO DEFY THE TYRANT GRAVITY, TO LEVERAGE LEVITY TO LEVITATE ABOVE BICKERING ABOUT PETTY THINGS TO CELEBRATE THE LUMINOSITY OF COMMON PEOPLE, MAKING HISTORY IN THE OVERLOOKED CREVICES OF SOCIETY. GETTING FREE. FORGET TRYING TO BE DEEP. I'M STRIVING TO HEAL DESPITE THE HATE THAT COMES FROM LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY IN ANY CENTURY. IN THE HASSLE OF VARIOUS HI HIERARCHIES, BLINDING US IN BINARIES, BURYING US IN BUREAUCRACY. AS TIME HUS FORWARD AND PEOPLE GET BORED OF TRYING TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH POLICIES OR POETRY GETTING FREE, THERE'S BETTER DAYS AHEAD OF ME. BATTLE LAW, MY BROTHER SAYS, YOU ARE NOT YET IN EFFIGY. IF I DON'T SUCCEED, IT WON'T BE BECAUSE OF EFFORT OR ENERGY. I'M GIVING EVERYTHING IN MY ENTITY IN C***K, INCREMENTALLY, GETTING FREE BY REMEMBERING THE MEASURE OF A MAN IS MORE THAN WHAT APPEARS IN YOUR FEED. KEEP SCROLLING. THE SPIRIT WILL SPEAK EVEN IF YOU AIN'T LISTENING. GETTING FREE FOR THE LITTLE BOY THAT LOVE, THAT LOVED TO SNEAK INTO THE LIBRARY TO READ FOR THE LITTLE BOY THAT LOOKS UP TO ME AS I READ HIM A BOOK TO SLEEP. ARE Y'ALL GONNA DO THE CITY? WHAT WAS THAT? ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE ONE MORE POEM FOR Y'ALL CALLED THIS CITY DEDICATED TO OUR HOMETOWN. THIS CITY, MY CITY, OUR CITY IS A SONG, SONG SWEET, LIKE CANTALOUPE AND TANGY LIGHT, TEXAS SUMMER SWEAT SITTING ON YOUR TOP LIP. THIS CITY IS, IS LIT. THE CITY IS A JUKEBOX WITH AN APPETITE FOR OUR COIN AND A GOOD TIME. THIS CITY IS ALIVE. THIS CITY IS A DANCE FLOOR, A COLLECTION OF ECLECTIC FEET DANCING TO DIFFERENT RHYTHMS, SOME ON SOME OFFBEAT CITY. THE CITY IS A PLACE FOR WEIRD KIDS THAT DON'T FIT INTO ME. THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MYSELF AND MY CITY ARE SCARY. LIKE ME, THE CITY IS ROMANTIC LIKE ME. THE CITY ISN'T PERFECT. THIS CITY IS A MATCHSTICK IN A STATE THAT IS SOMETIMES STILL STUCK IN THE DARK. THIS CITY, CITY IS ELECTRIC. AUSTIN IS A TECH CAPITAL THAT MAKES GREEN CHOICES, BUT YOU CAN'T SEE THE SILICON HILLS BECAUSE THEY'RE BEHIND THE GOOGLE BUILDING. BUT THIS CITY IS ALSO BRISKET, NACHOS AND BACKYARD BARBECUES. ALL YOU NEED FOR FUN ARE TWO BOXES AND SOME BEAN BAGS. BET YOUR BUDDY, YOU CAN BEAT THEM IN CORN HOLE. DOUBLE BACK THE BET, BET YOU CAN BEAT THEM IN A FOOT. RACE. THE BARTON SPRINGS. THIS CITY IS A SPRING. SPRING BLUE BONNETS SPRUNG UP FROM FLESHY TEXAS TURF SPRING IN THE CITY MEANS THE MASSES MAKE THEIR WAY TO MY HOMETOWN. I STILL TALK ABOUT AUSTIN LIKE IT'S A TOWN UNTIL FESTIVAL SEASON. AND THEN MY TOWN LOOKS LIKE A CITY THEN WITH ALL THE TOURISTS THAT WILL LIKELY MOVE [00:10:01] HERE. THIS CITY IS FILLED WITH FAST FINGERS, CLICKING KEYS, MAKING LUNCHES, CONNECTING WIRES, HANDS DRIVING BUSES. THIS CITY IS IS TRAFFIC. TRAFFIC. I GET IT. I GET HOW MESSY GROWING UP CAN GO. THIS CITY IS A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE YOUR KIDS. CONSIDERING EVERYTHING IT HAS BEEN AND EVERYTHING IT IS. JUST IMAGINE WHAT IT IT CAN BE. JUST IMAGINE IF NEW AUSTIN STILL FELT LIKE OLD AUSTIN DESPITE RISING PROPERTY COSTS AND FEWER FAMILIAR SPOTS. JUST IMAGINE IF AS MUCH MONEY WAS INVESTED IN THE TEXAS TEACHERS AS EAST AUSTIN REAL ESTATE. JUST IMAGINE IF GOOGLE GAVE CHROMEBOOKS TO EVERY CLASSROOM IN THE CITY. JUST IMAGINE WHAT CAN BE. JUST IMAGINE WHAT'S NEXT. LOOK, I LOVE MY CITY. I DON'T JUST LIKE MY CITY. I AM JUST LIKE MY CITY. JUST IMAGINE IF AUSTIN, I WAS ALL I WANTED TO BE. JUST IMAGINE OUR FUTURE BEING AS WEIRD AS OUR PAST. BEEN MANY PLACES, BUT NONE LIKE HOME. AUSTIN'S. PEOPLE ARE THE MOVEMENT. AND THE MOMENT WE FORGET THAT, WE LOSE EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN'T GET BACK. WE ARE THE SWEAT BEFORE THE CELEBRATION. WE ARE ART MARLEY, PROTEST AND TAILGATING PARTIES. JUST, JUST IMAGINE IF THIS CITY STAYED THE BEACON. IT'S BEEN, WELL, I CAN'T IMAGINE IS BEING FROM ANYWHERE BUT HERE. THIS CITY, MY CITY. OUR OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. THAT'S OUR TIME. Y'ALL COME ON, Y'ALL COME ON UP HERE. THEY GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, RIGHT? RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT IS THAT CITY. I WAS REQUESTING IT, RIGHT? SO WHEN THEY SAID IT, I WAS EXCITED. UM, I WILL LET EVERY GUEST DANIELLE, JUST COME ON DOWN. UM, WE'RE JUST GONNA LET ALL OF OUR OUR GUESTS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. YES, JEFF, DR. JEFF, YOU'LL BE STARTING . AND THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR PROMPT. AND THAT IS, WHAT IS RACIAL HEALING? WHY IS RACIAL HEALING NEEDED AND IMPORTANT IN 2023? AND HOW ARE YOU, YOUR ORGANIZATION OR YOUR, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR WORK IS DOING, PROMOTING AND ADVANCING RACIAL HEALING. THANK YOU CARITA. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JEFF HUTCHINSON. I'M A PEDIATRICIAN, RETIRED ARMY DOCTOR. AND I HAVE TO ALWAYS START BY THANKING SPOKEN WORD ARTISTS. YOU GIVE BOTH YOU, YOU GIVE THE IMAGERY AND THE TRUTH TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. AND I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE HERE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU. UM, YESTERDAY WE CELEBRATED DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S BIRTHDAY. AND TO PUT IN A PERSPECTIVE, MY PERSPECTIVE OF EVERYTHING THAT RACIAL HEALING HAS TO DO WITH AND HEALING IN GENERAL. I USE HIS QUOTE OF ALL THE INJUSTICES. INEQUALITY IN HEALTH IS, UH, THE MOST SHOCKING AND INHUMAN BECAUSE IT OFTEN RESULTS IN PHYSICAL DEATH. SO RACIAL HEALING FOR ME IS, IS PART OF WHAT I DO. I THINK ABOUT HEALING EVERY DAY AS A PHYSICIAN. MY LIFE HAS BEEN, UH, TRIAL AFTER TRIAL OF TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE BETTER. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANT TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO UNDERSTAND, YOU CAN'T HEAL UNTIL THE INJURY STOPS. IF YOU'RE STILL BEING HURT, IF YOU'RE STEALING, IF YOU'RE STILL FEELING THOSE MICROAGGRESSIONS, MACROAGGRESSIONS, EVERYTHING THAT MAKES THE WORLD DIFFICULT, YOU CAN'T HEAL. I THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC DISEASES, CHRONIC PAIN, WITH ASTHMA, WITH ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT. IF I CAN'T STOP UNDERLYING CAUSE OF IT, HEALING IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN. SO OTHER WORK THAT I DO IS WITH AUSTIN BLACK PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATION. WE HAVE TWO MAIN MISSIONS. ONE IS TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES AND THE SECOND IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BLACK DOCTORS THAT ARE NOT ONLY WELL IN AUSTIN, CUZ WE'RE AUSTIN BLACK PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATION, BUT ALL ACROSS TEXAS, ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW, ONLY LESS THAN 5% OF PHYSICIANS IN THE UNITED STATES IDENTIFY AS BLACK COMPARED TO 14% OF THE POPULATION. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? YOU MAY THINK THAT IF I AM TAKING CARE OF SOMEBODY, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THINK ABOUT WHO YOUR CIRCLE IS. THINK ABOUT WHO YOU CARE ABOUT AND WHO YOU HANG AROUND WITH. I KNOW I CAN ADMIT MY OWN FAULT THAT IF SOMEONE ACROSS FROM ME LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT THAN I DO, I HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO MAKE A CONNECTION. THAT'S WHY WE NEED MORE PHYSICIANS, MORE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, MORE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT EVERYBODY BECAUSE [00:15:01] YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT ONE PERSON WHO CONNECTS WITH YOU UNTIL YOU FIND THAT PERSON WHO'S LIVED A LIFE SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'VE LIVED. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE WORK ON IT CONSTANTLY. THE OTHER THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME AS, AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THIS CITY AND IN THIS COUNTRY, IS SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER. LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT IF WE ARE NOT WILLING TO MAKE THE CHANGES, WE'RE NOT WILLING TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, WHO'S GONNA DO IT. SO THAT'S ONE OTHER THING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. I MUCH MORE PREFER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT I CAN SAY AND SHARE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE ON THE PANEL GETS A CHANCE TO SAY WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO. AND THEN I WANT THIS TO BE A CONVERSATION, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. YES, SIR. YOU GOT IT. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD JAMES. GIVE THEM A HAND. I AGREE. I LIKE QUESTIONS TOO. YOU CAN MAKE UP THINGS MUCH EASIER THAT WAY. UM, MY NAME'S JAMES PAI AND I, UH, FORMALLY WORKED AT ST. EDWARDS UNIVERSITY ACROSS THE RIVER, WHICH IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC INSTITUTION IN THEIR, UH, CAMPUS MINISTRY OFFICE IN WORLDVIEW AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY. UM, I CURRENTLY DO WORK FOR INTERFAITH ACTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS, WHICH IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT. IT'S BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 40, MAYBE 50 YEARS NOW. UM, AND IT'S UH, KIND OF A CONFEDERATION OF SO MANY DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS THAT ARE REPRESENTED IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY. SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO AROUND, UH, HEALING AND SUCH IS WE DO A RED BENCH, UH, INTERFAITH DIALOGUE MONTHLY PROGRAM THAT MOVES TO DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNITIES WHO SPONSOR IT. AND IT JUST, THEY PICK A TOPIC LIKE HOPE OR PEACE OR JUSTICE OR RACISM OR WHATEVER AND, AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK, YOU KNOW, TO THAT TOPIC FROM THEIR OWN TRADITION. UH, WE ALSO DO A PASSPORT PROGRAM, WHICH IS ALLOWS PEOPLE TO VISIT DIFFERENT FAITH COMMUNITIES EACH MONTH FOR THE PURPOSE OF RELIGIOUS LITERACY, TO LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE FROM OTHER TRADITIONS AND DENOMINATIONS AND SUCH. UH, CUZ SO MUCH OF FEAR COMES OUT OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, LACK OF, YOU KNOW, UH, KNOWLEDGE, BUT OF THE OTHER PERSON. AND THEN THEY ALSO DO VARIOUS PROGRAMS LIKE HOUSING, UH, REPAIRS AND, UH, UH, REFUGEE ROUNDTABLE WORK AND SUCH LIKE THAT. UM, I WAS THINKING ABOUT RACIAL HEALING, UM, THAT SONG THAT PLAYED LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH. UH, I SANG THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME AT MY FIRST HOLY COMMUNION. I'M A ROMAN CATHOLIC AND COMMUNION IS OUR FIRST HOLY IS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER TAKE, UH, THE BREAD. YOU KNOW, IN THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN TRADITION, WE, WE TAKE EUCHARIST AS BEING IN UNION WITH JESUS, THE PERSON. UM, SO PUT SOME FLASHBACKS TO ME. FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, I ALMOST PUT MY HAND LIKE THIS CUZ THAT'S HOW I REMEMBER WALKING DOWN THE AISLE AS WE ALL PROTESTED IN. BUT BEFORE THAT FIRST HOLY COMMUNION, I HAD TO MAKE MY FIRST CONFESSION. I HAD TO GO BEFORE THE PRIEST AND CONFESS MY SINS. NOW AS AN EIGHTH GRADER, THERE'S CERTAINLY LIMITATIONS ON WHAT I WAS ABLE TO DO, BUT THERE WAS THAT PROCESS OF CALLING TO MIND THINGS THAT I HAD DONE WRONG BEFORE I COULD BE IN COMMUNION WITH GOD, SHALOM WHOLENESS WITH GOD. UM, AND I JUST, AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, SO MUCH AS I THINK ABOUT TRUTH, RACIAL HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION, UH, THAT TRUTH PART IS SUCH, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S A REASON. IT'S FIRST, IT IS VITAL, IT'S CRITICAL. UM, AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NARRATIVE TRUTH, THERE'S SOCIAL TRUTH, THERE'S FACTUAL TRUTHS. TRUTHS COMES IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT MANNERS DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CONTEXT IS. UM, AND HOW DO WE APPROACH THAT? PARTICULARLY I'M A WAIT CISGENDER MALE OF CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN PRIVILEGE IN THE UNITED STATES. UM, HOW DO I GO ABOUT THAT TRUTH PART? UM, AND I, I DON'T WANNA TALK TOO LONG CUZ I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOME DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, I THINK SO MUCH OF THAT TRUTH TELLING IS GETTING INTO OUR STORIES, UH, AND LEARNING WHAT THE TRUTH IS. YOU KNOW, IN THIS STATE, IN THIS COUNTRY, WE ARE ATTACKING THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW. AND AS A WHITE MALE, I'VE HAD TO GET INTO THE HISTORY OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE WHITE, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GRANDSON OF SICILIAN IMMIGRANTS, UH, WHAT'S IT MEAN TO BE A WHITE CATHOLIC IN SOUTHWEST TEXAS. UH, AND HOW THAT PLAYS OUT COMPARED TO COMING FROM BEING A CATHOLIC IN PITTSBURGH WHERE I'M FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, I WORKED AT AN INSTITUTION THAT WAS FOUNDED BY FRENCH PRIESTS AND THE REASON THERE WERE FRENCH [00:20:01] PRIESTS IN SOUTH TEXAS IS CUZ IN THE 18 HUNDREDS, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WOULD NOT ELEVATE MEXICANS AND INDIGENOUS INTO THE PRIESTHOOD AND INTO LEADERSHIP. SO EVEN THOUGH THESE FRENCH PRIESTS DID SOME BEAUTIFUL SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK IN THEIR HISTORY, THE ONLY REASON THEY ARE HERE WAS CAUSE OF IN SYSTEMIC RACISM WITHIN THE CHURCH. HOW DO WE AS FAITH COMMUNITIES DEAL WITH THAT HISTORY, PARTICULARLY CHRISTIANITY IN THIS COUNTRY, UM, OF HISTORIES OF BOARDING SCHOOLS AND MANIFEST DESTINY, INDOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY, AND ALL THESE, UM, ACTS OF OPPRESSION AT THE SAME TIME EMBRACE THE BEAUTY OF OUR TRADITION AT THE SAME TIME. AND FOR SOME PEOPLE, THEY'RE HOLDING BOTH OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR BODIES, UM, RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY IN THIS COUNTRY. SO MUCH OF THAT IS ALSO BASED ON RACIAL PREJUDICE. UM, I HAVE A, A GOOD FRIEND, HE'S, UH, IN THE SEEK COMMUNITY IN SAN ANTONIO. GOOD BOOK, IF YOU WANNA READ IT. UH, CARMEL SENT US TO BRING ONE BOOK. IT'S A LIBRARY. THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS ONE BOOK. UM, BUT HE'S, HE'S A SIKH, HE, HE'S A NATIVE TEXAN BORN HERE. BUT HIS PARENTS CAME FROM INDIA. HE WAS DEALING WITH MICROAGGRESSIONS ALL HIS LIFE CUZ HE WEARS A TURBINE AND ALL THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, PLAYED SPORTS. UH, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BOOK, BUT HE REALLY TALKS, HE DRAWS UPON THE ELEMENTS OF HIS TRADITION TO SPEAK ABOUT RECONCILIATION AND WHAT THAT MEANS MOVING FORWARD. UM, IBU PATEL, A MUSLIM AMERICAN BORN AND RAISED, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, SPEAKS ON IT FROM THESE DIFFERENT TRADITIONS IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION. MATTHEW SAYS, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T OFFER YOUR GIFTS TO GOD UNTIL YOU, YOU SET THOSE DOWN. GO MAKE AMENDS WITH THE BROTHER THAT YOU HAVE OFFENDED AND THEN COME BACK AND TALK TO GOD. DON'T, DON'T BE SKIPPING A STEP. UM, YESTERDAY WAS MLK DAY. THIS WILL BE THE LAST THING I SAY. I, I THINK, UM, I LOVE THE DREAM SPEECH, UM, BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S A WAY FOR US WHITES TO COP OUT OF THE ORGANI OUR ORGANIZING. THAT WAS A, THAT WAS AN ORGANIZED MOVEMENT. THAT SPEECH, IT WAS PART OF A LONG SERIES OF ORGANI ORGANIZED, UH, NON-VIOLENT PROTESTS, ACTION AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM THAT WAS ENDEMIC IN OUR, IN OUR COUNTRY. AND IT'S EASY TO THINK ABOUT A DREAM, BUT I THINK THE, THE THING I LIKE FROM THAT, UH, SPEECH MORE IS THE PROMISSORY NOTE THAT DEFAULTED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE NOT TAKEN CARE OF THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES. AND UNTIL WE LOOK BACK AT OUR TRUTH AND, AND WRESTLE WITH THAT, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE RACIAL HEALING. AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT GONNA HAVE TRANSFORMATION. BUT PEOPLE LIKE ME LIKE TO JUMP THE TRANSFORMATION. WE CAN'T DO THAT. SO THAT'S UP THERE. WELL, WELL THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU AND DES SKY. HOW WATMAN OTTAWA ANDAL, MY NAME IS SKY, HOW OF THE POTAWATOMI IN OTTAWA TRIBAL NATIONS. AND IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE IN COMMUNITY WITH EACH OF YOU TODAY. I JUST WANNA BEGIN BY THANKING CARMITA FOR YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR VISION, AND YOUR LEADERSHIP TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. I REMEMBER BACK IN 2017 WITH THE IDEA OF, UH, THE NATIONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING. UM, THE KELLOGG, UH, FOUNDATION AWARDED A GRANT TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT BROUGHT MANY OF US IN THE ROOM TOGETHER, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HONOR THIS IMPORTANT DAY. AND IT WAS JUST A VISION FOR HOW, UH, WE COULD BE MM-HMM. IN, IN THIS WAY OF CELEBRATING THIS IMPORTANT DAY. UM, AND, AND HERE IT IS COME TO FRUITION, UM, ALL THIS MANY TIME LA LATER. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION. AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR DR. STEPHANIE HOLLY, WHO WAS A, A LEADER AND VISIONARY IN THIS WORK BEFORE ALL OF US. I THANK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE AT THIS TABLE, EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TODAY, AND THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US, UH, VIA ZOOM, CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS BEYOND TODAY. THAT IS, THAT'S HOW WE DO THIS WORK, RIGHT? WE CAN'T JUST DO IT ONE DAY A YEAR. UM, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I LOOK AT MY OWN RACIAL HEALING JOURNEY AS A BIRACIAL WHITE NATIVE WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN DE TRIBALIZED BECAUSE MY DAD WAS STOLEN FROM OUR NATIVE FAMILY WHEN HE WAS ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD, ALONG WITH FOUR OF HIS SIBLINGS. AND SO I'VE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF MY ADULT LIFE TRYING TO FIND OUR FAMILY WITH MY FATHER. LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR IN 2022 THAT WE WERE ABLE [00:25:01] TO RECONNECT WITH OUR FAMILY. THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO WORDS REALLY TO DESCRIBE THAT FEELING AND THAT HEALING THAT COMES FROM, FROM KNOWING AND RECONNECTING. UM, AND FOR ME PERSONALLY, CONNECTING IN COMMUNITY, WE'RE REALLY FAR AWAY FROM OUR TRIBE IN MICHIGAN, UM, AND OUR FAMILY. AND SO FINDING FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHO ARE DOING THIS WORK, WHO ARE LEADERS IN OUR NATIVE COMMUNITY, HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT. I AM NOW HONORED TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF GREAT PROMISE FOR AMERICAN INDIANS. AND YOU'RE GONNA GET TO SEE AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE LATER THIS AFTERNOON, UM, FROM GREAT PROMISE. UM, AND WE HELP TO HOST THE ANNUAL AUSTIN POWWOW. ANYBODY IN THE ROOM BEEN TO THE AUSTIN POWWOW? ALL RIGHT. IT IS SO MUCH FUN. IT'S THE LARGEST ONE DAY POWWOW, UM, IN THE NATION. UH, IT'S BEAUTIFUL. IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY OF CELEBRATING AND COMMUNITY, HONORING OUR CULTURE AND OUR TRADITIONS AND OUR SONGS. WE ALSO OFFER CULTURAL EDUCATION AND WORK WITH THE LIBRARIES, WORK WITH SCHOOLS, AND, AND HAVE SOME ADVOCACY IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. I WANNA HONOR MY SON TODAY. WHEN I TOLD HIM ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING, UH, HE WAS SO EXCITED AND HE SAID, I WANNA COME JOIN YOU TODAY. SO THIS IS LAUREN, AND LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT DOING THIS WORK FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. UH, SINCE MY SON STARTED SCHOOL, WE'VE BEEN PROACTIVE ABOUT CHECKING OUT THE CURRICULUM, LEARNING WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE CURRICULUM. AND LET ME TELL YOU, FOR THE MOST PART, JUST AS I WAS TAUGHT, JUST AS I'M SURE YOU WERE TAUGHT, NATIVE PEOPLE ARE RELEGATED AND INVISIBILIZED TO THE PAST, RIGHT? AND SO WE GET AHEAD OF IT, WE TALK WITH HIS TEACHERS AND HE, UM, STARTED DOING VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS WHEN HE WAS IN FIRST GRADE. AND THIS YEAR HE WAS INVITED TO PRESENT TO ALL OF HIS THIRD GRADE IN PERSON IN A STAIRCASE JUST LIKE THIS. NO. AND SO THIS IS WHY WE DO THIS WORK. I ALSO AM A PART OF AN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY, THE YARA FOR TAINO AND GA SHOW. AND WE HONOR SACRED CEREMONIES. WE RECONNECT WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EARTH. UM, SO FINDING A COMMUNITY TO BE A PART OF WHERE YOU CAN CELEBRATE TOGETHER, WHERE YOU CAN, UM, NOT JUST WORK THROUGH THE PAIN, BUT ALSO EMBRACE THE JOY BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH JOY AND BEAUTY IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS NECESSARY FOR RACIAL HEALING. MY FIRM, UH, AND, AND DR. PII IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT IS, UH, PART OF THIS WORK, UH, WITH FULL HUMANITY. WE WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE. AND SO THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET INVOLVED. AND I INVITE YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT HOW TO DO THIS WORK, HOW TO RECONNECT, UM, NO ONE'S GONNA GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO DO IT BUT YOURSELF, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR EACH AND EVERYBODY HERE, WHETHER YOU ARE WHITE, WHETHER YOU'RE A PERSON OF THE GLOBAL MAJORITY, WE HAVE GENERATIONS OF HEALING TO DO, AND WE EACH HAVE HARD PART IN THAT. . UH, SO AS I SAID BEFORE, MY NAME IS ZAY SADLER. UM, I'M A TEACHER IN TRAINING. I'M A WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. YEAH, I'M GONNA BE A TEACHER, UM, AT AUSTIN. ACHIEVE, UH, AUSTIN, ACHIEVE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. IT'S, UH, TUITION FREE. AND I FEEL LIKE FOR THE MOST PART, THE WAY THAT I AM TRYING TO CONTRIBUTE ON A DAILY BASIS TO RACIAL HEALING IS SIMILAR TO WHAT SHE SAYS IS JUST STARTING WITH THE YOUTH. UM, ONE TRYING TO BE AVAILABLE IN, IN THE WAY, UM, THAT, THAT YOU SAID, AND JUST BE SOMEBODY THAT LOOKS LIKE THEM, THAT'S, THAT'S TEACHING THEM. UM, AND ALSO IT BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND BE AVAILABLE TO POSE QUESTIONS. UM, 90% OF OUR STUDENT BODY IS LATINO. UM, SO PRIMARILY WE HAVE A LOT OF EMERGING BILINGUALS. UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS THAT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AND WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS WHO I'M PROBABLY THE FIRST BLACK FRIEND THEY'VE EVER HAD BEFORE. SO I TRY TO BE AVAILABLE IN A WAY TO HOLD COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY WITH THEM. UM, AND JUST BE REPRESENTATION FOR PEOPLE THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY GET TO SEE WHEN THEY GO HOME AND LET THEM KNOW THAT JUST LIKE THEM, I AM NOT A MONOLITH. UM, BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT A MONOLITH. AND, UH, TO TRY TO SHOW THEM THAT THERE IS LESS THAT SEPARATES US THAN THAT CONNECTS US. UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN HARPED UPON FOR ME. UM, I COME FROM EDUCATION, BIG, VERY LONG LINE OF EDUCATION. UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MY DAD STARTED WITH, WITH ME AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, IS TRYING TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT AND FOSTER A COMMUNITY BETWEEN, UM, BLACK, BROWN AND NATIVE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THAT'S HOW HE WAS RAISED. MY DAD COMES FROM A VERY SMALL TOWN, PACUS, TEXAS. IT'S [00:30:01] BASICALLY MEXICO , SO IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE BORDER. SO MOST OF MY FAMILY SPOKE SPANISH AND ENGLISH. UM, SO FINDING THIS SCHOOL THAT PROVIDES A PLACE FOR ME TO TRY TO CONTINUE THAT, UM, THE SAME WAY THAT HE AND MY GRANDMOTHER DID IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE WAY I FEEL LIKE I MOST READILY ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, TRY TO, UH, EMIT AND JUST LIVE IN RACIAL HEALING AND TRY TO SHOW THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT IS. AND THAT'S THE BEST I CAN DO EVERY DAY. , HI. UH, YO. YO. UH, WE GOOD HERE. COOL. UH, MY NAME IS BRENTLEY CABALLERO, AGAIN, SPOKEN WORD, WRITER, PERFORMER, TEACHER, UH, IN TRAINING ISH ALSO IN SCHOOL. UM, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING PRIMARILY IN, UM, WITH THE SCHOLARS WHO STRUGGLE THE MOST WITH MATH. AND IT'S FUNNY CUZ WE DON'T TALK, RIGHT? THE SUBJECT IS NOT RACIAL HEALING YET INEVITABLY EDUCATION IS A PART OF HOW WE HEAL. UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOCIAL LS, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE GENERATIONS OF POVERTY, THE CYCLES OF POVERTY, THE KEY TO BREAKING OUT OF THAT CYCLE WE KNOW IS EDUCATION. BUT WE CAN'T JUST REGURGITATE WHAT THE CURRICULUM TELLS US. WE HAVE TO BE READY TO, AS MY WIFE OFTEN SAYS, TEACH THE KIDS AND NOT THE LESSON. AND SOMETIMES YOU HEAR THEM SAY THINGS THAT JUST REEK OF PREJUDICE. AND SO YOU PAUSE WHAT YOU HAD TO TEACH AND YOU SPEND 5, 15, 50 MINUTES HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHY WE DON'T EQUATE BLACK TO EVIL OR WE DON'T EQUATE COLOR TO A CERTAIN VALUE. UM, I LOOK AT RACIAL HEALING AS MULTIFACETED. LIKE A LOT OF Y'ALL, LIKE A LOT OF US, UM, WE HAVE THE PERSONAL, WE HAVE THE SOCIAL, AND OF COURSE THE TWO ARE FOREVER CONNECTED. SO ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I DO MY BEST TO IMMERSE MYSELF AROUND PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE ME, UH, GROWING UP AROUND PREDOMINANTLY LATINO AND BLACK PEOPLE THAT I FIND THAT TO BE RELATIVELY EASY. SO THESE DAYS I FIND MYSELF PUTTING MYSELF IN ROOMS WHERE, UM, I KNOW THAT I'M NOT EXACTLY WELCOMED, BUT IF I'M THERE AND I AM WELCOME, I'M NOT GONNA ASSUME THAT THEY'RE JUST GONNA SHOOT ME OUT. AND SO TRY TO HAVE CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS WITH, LET'S JUST BE BLUNT WITH WHITE PEOPLE, WITH WHITE PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE MEXICAN MAN TELLING THEM ABOUT THE COUNTRY THAT THEY LIVE IN OR THEIR REALITY. AND SO FOR ME IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S WHAT JAMES BALDWIN SAID, RIGHT? IT'S TRYING TO, IF I LOVE YOU, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T SEE. AND MY LOVE FOR HUMANITY MEANS WILLING, BEING WILLING TO HAVE REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS, EVEN WITH COWORKERS, EVEN IF IT IS THREE TO FOUR MINUTES, I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE. UM, BECAUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONVERSATION, EVEN IF WE CHOOSE TO DISAGREE, THERE IS STILL THE INHERENT DESIRE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. AND THAT TO ME FEELS LIKE HEALING. JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER, TRYING TO BUILD SOME TYPE OF RAPPORT, EVEN IF IT MEANS RIGHT. UM, TOTALLY DISAGREEING ON, UH, A CERTAIN FACT ABOUT HISTORY OR POLICY OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. UM, SO I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO SAY. I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO BE AMONG, UH, THE ESTEEMED PANEL. AND SO THANK YOU MS. CARMELITA FOR FACILITATING THIS EVENT. AND LET'S GET INTO IT. Y'ALL. THANK YOU. CAN I ADD SOMETHING ELSE? YES, DR. HUSK, GO RIGHT AHEAD. THANK YOU. SO I FORGOT YOU ASKED ABOUT A BOOK RECOMMENDATION. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT BEFORE, ISABELLA WILKERSON'S BOOK CAST, PLEASE, PLEASE READ IT. THE REASON TO READ IT IS BECAUSE THE SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU JUST SEE THEM, SHE EXPLAINS IT SO WELL AND IT IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHY THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE. I SAID BEFORE, YOU CAN'T HEAL UNTIL YOU STOP SOME OF THE BLEEDING. YOU CAN'T SEE THE BLEEDING, YOU CAN'T SEE THE INJURY UNTIL YOU EDUCATE YOURSELF AND START LOOKING FORWARD. SO THAT'S ONE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HEAR SPEAKERS AND PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS SAY, BE MORE INCLUSIVE, BE MORE ACCEPTING, YOU MIGHT THINK, WELL HOW AM I GONNA CHANGE? HOW CAN I DO THAT? WELL, I CAN'T RELATE TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON CUZ I DON'T IN IN ALL OF MY MULTITUDES OF IDENTITY. I DON'T INCLUDE EVERY IDENTITY. SO THE WAY THAT I DO IT IS I TRY TO SEE EVERY SINGLE PERSON I INTERACT WITH AS A POTENTIAL RELATIVE TO ME. I SEE EVERYBODY ON HERE IS POSSIBLY MY COUSIN, I JUST DON'T KNOW YET HOW I TREAT SOMEBODY WHO I'M RELATED TO IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN HOW I TREAT SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST WALKING DOWN THE STREET. SO THINK OF HOW YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY IN ORDER TO EMPATHIZE, IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE, IN ORDER TO CONNECT AND HAVE THAT COMMUNITY [00:35:01] THAT'S BEEN USED SO MANY TIMES HERE AT THE TABLE. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, UM, TRANSITION, I THINK DR. UH, HUTCHINSON, HE WANTED US TO OPEN UP FOR A FEW. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE? IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE'RE GONNA TRANSITION AND WE GONNA BRING OUT, UM, GREAT PROMISE. ARE YOU ALREADY? YES. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS TABLE OFF THE OFF THE STAGE AND WE'RE GONNA BRING IN OUR PERFORMANCE BY GREAT PROMISE. THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. WHAT DID HELLO? HELLO EVERYONE. UM, MY NAME IS NAN BLA GAME. I AM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR GREAT PROMISE FOR AMERICAN INDIANS. AND WE ARE HERE SHOWCASING OUR NATIVE AMERICAN DANCE STYLE FOR A PART OF THE CAUSE TODAY [00:40:01] FOR WHAT THE LIBRARY IS HAVING. AND, UM, I'M A MEMBER OF THE CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO TRIBES OF OKLAHOMA, BUT I'VE LIVED DOWN HERE FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS AND I'VE WORKED WITH GREAT PROMISE FOR MOST OF THAT TIME. AND WE JUST GO INTO SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, UM, FESTIVALS AND SHOWCASING SOMETHING YOU WOULD SEE IF YOU CAME TO A POWWOW. UM, AUSTIN IS HOME OF THE LARGEST ONE DAY POWWOW IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS IN NOVEMBER. WE'RE ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU CAN FIND US. AND IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. EVERYBODY'S WELCOME TO COME AND LEARN. THIS IS A VERY SMALL SCALE OF WHAT YOU WOULD SEE AT A POWWOW. AND SO WE'RE GONNA START, WE'RE GONNA DO EACH CATEGORY AND I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE STYLE THAT YOU'RE SINGING. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR MEN'S GRASS DANCER COME OUT FIRST. CHAAN IS A MEMBER OF THE KAH BAND CHEROKEE OF OKLAHOMA. AND THIS IS THE MEN'S GRASS DANCE. THIS STYLE WAS A SOCIETY A LONG, LONG TIME AGO UP IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS BEFORE THEY HAD THEIR GATHERINGS TO DANCE. THESE, THIS GROUP OF MEN WOULD COME IN DAYS BEFORE THEIR GATHERING AND DANCE AND PAT DOWN THE PRAIRIE GRASS SO THAT WE HAD A NICE BIG CIRCLE TO DANCE IN. SO HE'S GONNA SHOW US THE MEN'S GRASS DANCE. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE OUR PRINCESS. UM, HANNA IS MS. AUSTIN. SHE , SHE IS DANCING THE FANCY SHAW. THIS STYLE IS THE, UM, ONE OF THE NEWEST STYLES THAT STARTED AT ABOUT THE 1950S. THE LADIES DANCED IN TRADITIONAL TEA DRESSES AND THEY HAD THEIR SHAWS VERY GRACEFULLY OVER THEIR ARM. IT WAS A VERY GRACEFUL, SOFT STEP. THESE TWO LADIES WERE AT A POWWOW AND THEY KEEP TYING FOR FIRST PLACE. THEY KEEP CALLING THEM OUT THERE TO DANCE AGAIN. OVER AND OVER AND OVER. FINALLY, ONE OF THE LADIES TOOK HER SH AND PUT IT OVER HER SHOULDERS. NOWADAYS WE PUT, UM, DESIGNS ON THERE GETTING MORE FANCIER. IT'S FANCY, IT'S FANCY SHAW. SO WE'RE GONNA LET HY SHOW YOU THE LADY'S FANCY SHAW. [00:45:29] NEXT WE HAVE JOSEPH. UM, HE IS A MEN'S TRADITIONAL DANCER AND THE MEN'S TRADITIONAL DANCE, THEY ARE THE WARRIORS. THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WENT TO BATTLE. THEY WERE THE HUNTERS. SO YOU CAN REALLY SEE IN HIS DANCING, HE MAY BE TELLING A STORY ABOUT HIS HUNT AND UM, OR HOW HE WAS OUT, YOU KNOW, IN BATTLE AND SUCH. THAT'S, THESE DANCES COME FROM LONG, LONG AGO. I MEAN, YES, WE'VE GONE TO BRIGHTER COLORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, MORE ACCESSIBLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE HOBBY LOBBY AND JOANNE. SO BRIGHTER COLORS. SO JOSEPH IS NOT THAT JOSEPH'S IN, BUT HE IS THE MEN'S TRADITIONAL. SO WE'RE GONNA LET HIM SHOW YOU THE MEN'S TRADITIONAL ROBERT. I WILL BE DANCING NEXT. I AM DANCING THE LADIES JINGLE. THIS STYLE STARTED ABOUT, UM, 1920. THIS MAN, HE KEEP HAVING TO STREAM. HE'S FROM THE OJIBWE TRIBE IN THE GREAT LAKES AREA. AND HE KEEP HAVING TO STREAM ABOUT THE DRESS. THEY HAD THE METAL CONES HANGING ON IT. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED MAKING THESE, WE USED, UM, LIKE THE COMMODITY CANNED LIDS. AND THEN IT WENT TO COPENHAGEN LIDS. AND NOW COMPANIES MAKE JINGLES AND THEY JUST, UM, HE KEEP HAVING TO STREAM ABOUT THE STRESS OF VISION, YOU KNOW, THAT HE NEEDS TO MAKE DISTRESS. SO THEY MAKE FOUR OF THEM, LIKE THE FOUR DIRECTIONS. EVERYTHING WE DO IS FOR THE FOUR DIRECTIONS. HIM AND HIS WIFE MADE FOUR OF THESE DRESSES AND THEY PRESENTED THEM AT THE NEXT GATHERING IN THEIR TRIBAL COMMUNITY. AND AS THE LADIES WERE DANCING AROUND A CIRCLE, THIS LITTLE GIRL, SHE WAS VERY ILL. SHE WAS ON HER DEATHBED AND SHE GOT UP AND BEGAN TO DANCE WITH THEM. SO THEY CONSIDER IT A HEALING DRESS, A MEDICINE DRESS. UM, I LOVE MAKING JINGLE DRESSES. THEY ARE MY MOST FAVORITE THING TO MAKE. UM, I'VE, LAST YEAR I MADE A RECORD AMOUNT AT THE EVER. I MADE 22 DRESSES LAST YEAR. AND, UM, I'VE, I'VE SHOWN 'EM IN FASHION SHOWS. I'VE GONE TO NEW YORK FASHION WEEK, UH, AUSTIN FASHION WEEK. I DO FASHION. I'VE TAKEN MY TRIBAL WEAR AND TURNED IT INTO BALL GOWNS AND PUTTING DESIGNS AND WHATNOT ON THERE. SO, UM, I WILL SHOW YOU THE LADIES' JINGLE. [00:51:26] SORRY IT'S BEEN A LONG WINTER. YESTERDAY WAS OUR FIRST TIME DANCING SINCE NOVEMBER. UM, WE HAVE OUR FIRST TIME DANCER HERE WITH US TODAY. OH, ELLISON IS FROM THE ALABAMA ALTA TRIBE HERE IN TEXAS, LIVINGSTON AREA. AND UM, HE'S DANCING THE MEN'S FANCY, AS YOU SAW THE LADIES FANCY EARLIER, THE MEN'S FANCY STARTED IN THE LATE 18 HUNDREDS. THERE WAS A WILD WEST SHOW. WILD BILL HAD A WILD WEST SHOW AND HE WOULD BRING THE NATIVE AMERICANS IN TO SHOWCASE THEIR DANCING. WELL, IT BECAME MORE COMPETITIVE AND THEY WANTED TO GET FANCIER AND, YOU KNOW, WIN FIRST PLACE AND GET THE, THE CROWD'S ATTENTION. SO THE MEN'S FAN CAME OUT TO BE, YOU SEE HOW JOSEPH HAS ONE BUSTLE ON HIS BACK? THEY WEAR TWO TWO BUSTLES. AND SO WE'RE GONNA LET HIM SHOW YOU THE MEN'S FANCY. I'M TELLING YOU, THEY ARE SO ENTERTAINING. THEY, UM, AT POWWOWS THEY ALWAYS MAKE THE MEN'S FANCY GO LAST. YOU WILL SIT THERE ALL DAY WAITING TO SEE THE MEN'S FANCY. AND THEN I KNOW SOMETIMES UP IN MONTANA WE ARE THERE TILL LIKE TWO, THREE IN THE MORNING WAITING TO SEE THOSE MEN'S FANCY DANCERS DANCE. AND I MEAN, AND THAT'S THE END OF THE POWWOW. SO THEY ARE JUST, UH, VERY ENTERTAINING. I'VE SEEN SOME TURN CARTWHEELS FRONT FLIPS. THEY ARE JUST VERY ENTERTAINING DANCERS. UM, SO YES, THAT'S ALL THE CATEGORIES WE HAVE TODAY. UM, WE ARE GONNA DO A GROUP PERFORM, UH, A GROUP PSALM. LIKE IF YOU EVER COME TO A POW WOW, THERE'S TIMES WHEN YOU CAN COME OUT AND DANCE WITH US. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN A POW WOW OUTFIT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO STOP ON TIME, LIKE WHEN THE DRUM STOPS. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE JUDGED ON IS YOU GOTTA STOP RIGHT WHEN THE DRUM STOPS, WHEN YOU'RE AT A POW WOW THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU'RE JUDGED ON. SO WE START OUR KIDS DANCING FROM ZERO TO FIVE YEARS OLD. WE JUST PUT LITTLE OUTFITS ON 'EM AND UM, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE OUT THERE LEARNING TO LISTEN TO THE DRUM AND BY THE TIME THEY TURN SIX YEARS OLD, THEY'RE IN THE, UM, COMPETITION AGE CATEGORY. SO IT'S A FAMILY EVENT ALL THE WAY UP TO GRANDMA'S AND GRANDPA'S DANCE. UM, IT'S JUST FOR EVERYBODY. WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT SONG. AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'RE, I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS [00:55:01] IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS THEY WANT TO ASK. SO, UM, WE NEED SOME VOLUNTEERS. ANYONE WANT TO COME DOWN AND DANCE WITH US? CARMEN ALITA . IT'S CALLED A ROUND DANCE. IT'S A FRIENDSHIP DANCE. SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE A CIRCLE, MAYBE AN OVAL RIGHT UP HERE. COME ON, COME ON DOWN. COME ON DOWN A CIRCLE. OUR OVAL, IT WAS GONNA HAVE TO BE AN OVAL. YEAH. SO, UM, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING IS DANCING TO YOUR LEFT IN A BIG CLOCKWISE CIRCLE. IT'S STEP TOGETHER. STEP TOGETHER. VERY SIMPLE. WE'LL LET ELLISON BE THE LEADER. LEADER. SO, AND YOU JUST LISTEN TO THE DRUM. WHEN THE DRUM STOPS, THAT'S WHEN YOU WILL STOP. HERE WE GO. ROUND DANCE THIS WAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. OH, DO Y'ALL WANT TO? YOU GOT IT. THE GUYS ARE GONNA DO ANOTHER SPECIALTY SONG. UM, WHEN YOU COME TO A P A LOT OF THE TIMES IT'S A STRAIGHT SONG, WHICH WE ALL JUST DID. AND THEN THEY SOMETIMES THE DRUM CAN GIVE YOU A SECOND SONG OF THEIR CHOICE. YOU DON'T GET TO PICK. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GET TO GO OUT AND SAY, HEY DJ, PLAY MY FAVORITE SONG SO I CAN WIN FIRST PLACE. YOU KNOW, YOU, THAT'S WHY THE KIDS LEARN WHEN THEY'RE VERY LITTLE CUZ THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE SECOND SONGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEIR DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE. SO WE HAVE A CROW HOP AND THE GUYS ARE GONNA DEMONSTRATE IN THE PRINCESS IF SHE WANTS TO. UM, THAT'S THE STYLES THAT THEIR CATEGORIES WOULD BE GIVING AT A POWWOW. DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS. [01:01:06] GOOD JOB EVERYONE. SO THAT'S A SONG THAT THEY WOULD HAVE FROM THE DRUM, THEIR SECOND SONG. AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU BEFORE I FORGET TO CARITA FOR GIVING US A UH, TIME SLOT FOR TODAY. AND OUR DRUMMERS AND ROBERT, ROBERT FROM THE DRUM AS WELL. THEY, WE CONSIDER THE DRUM THE HEARTBEAT OF THE CIRCLE CUZ WITHOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OUR DANCES WOULD BE LOST AND OUR TRADITIONS WOULD BE LOST. UM, IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. I MEAN IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN YOUR BEST FRIEND AND THE DRUM TO GO TO A POW WOW, YOU GOTTA TAKE THAT DRUM . YOUR FRIEND'S GONNA HAVE TO FIND THEIR OWN WAY TO GET THERE. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. WE CONSIDER IT THE GRANDFATHER, YOU KNOW, HE'S THE KEEPER OF ALL THE SONGS THAT WE, UM, SING AND EVERYTHING. AND ANOTHER PART ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE TOPICS WE'VE HAD TODAY. UM, DAY OF RACIAL HEALING. ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS, WE ARE THE ONLY HUMAN RACE THAT HAS TO SHOW PROOF OF BLOOD QUANTUM OUT OF ANY OTHER HUMAN THERE IS. THE GOVERNMENT KEEPS TRACK OF US STILL TO THIS DAY BY BLOOD QUANTUM. ONLY OTHER ONES THAT HAVE TO SHOW BLOOD QUANTUM ARE HORSES AND DOGS. AND SO WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE A TRIBAL IDENTIFICATION CARD THAT PROVES THAT WE ARE AND HOW MUCH PERCENTAGE WE ARE OF BLOOD FOR OUR NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES. THERE'S OVER 567 FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES RIGHT NOW IN THE UNITED STATES. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HAVE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. WE COULDN'T COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER JUST BY HAND SIGNS AND WHATNOT. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. SO IT WAS, WE DIDN'T COMMUNICATE LONG AGO OR EVEN TODAY THE LANG UM, THE LANGUAGES ARE ALL DIFFERENT. SO THIS IS SOME OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SHARE WITH TODAY AND POINT OUT. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. DO WHAT THE REASONS PEOPLE WOULD, UH, DO THE TRADITIONAL DANCES IN THE OLD DAYS, THE REASONS WHY THE TRIBES WOULD DO THE DANCES, THE REASONS WE DID THE DANCES. THEY WERE JUST PROBABLY, I MEAN I'M SURE THERE WASN'T MUCH GOING ON BUT HUNTING AND UM, COOKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO ENTERTAINMENT. MY TRIBE HAS UH, A TRADITION THAT THEY STARTED IN THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS THAT EVERYONE DRESSES UP. WE CALL IT CLOWN DANCING. THEY PUT A MASK ON THE GUYS DANCE LIKE THE GIRLS AND THE GIRLS DANCE LIKE GUYS. AND AT THE END YOU GET TO UNMASK AND SEE WHO WAS THE FUNNIEST. WE WERE LIKE THE CLASS CLOWN TRIBE. SO , WE STILL DO THAT AT NEW YEAR'S AND CHRISTMAS EVERY YEAR THE CLOWN DANCING AND NO ONE GETS IT, BUT IT WAS OUR TRIBAL, IT'S AN ENTERTAINMENT TO THE ELDERS, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEPING THEM LAUGHING. A LOT OF US DANCE FOR THE ELDERS WHO CAN'T DANCE ANYMORE AND THEY WISH THEY COULD STILL BE OUT THERE. SO EVERYTHING YOU KNOW, IS FOR THE ELDERS AND THE KIDS CUZ THE KIDS ARE WATCHING. I GOT TO, UM, SHARE THE DANCE FLOOR WITH MY NIECE YESTERDAY AND THAT WAS ONLY HER SECOND TIME DANCING AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA BE SCARED AND SHY. BUT NO, SHE WAS OUT THERE POSING FOR THE CAMERAS AND DANCING WITH ME AND I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE PROUD CUZ SHE JUST MOVED HERE . SO YES. YOU HAD A QUESTION, SIR. THE WARRIOR, UH, DANCER, YOU HAVE THE FAN, WHICH I WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FANS, BUT UM, ALSO THE OTHER IMPLEMENT YOU HAVE THERE. WHAT'S, WHAT THAT SYMBOLIZES YOU WANT TO TELL HIM? [01:05:02] OH, , IT WAS LIKE THEIR WAR CLUB, YOU KNOW, IN BATTLE THAT'S WHAT SOMETHING THEY WOULD USE. AND SOME OF THE THINGS ABOUT THEIRS, UM, IT'S CALLED COUNTING COOP. SO THE SHORTER YOUR STICK ARE IS YOU WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO GO UP AND TOUCH THE ENEMY WITH IT. AND THAT WAS LIKE A SHAME IF YOU LET SOMEONE GET THAT CLOSE TO YOU AND HIT YOU WITH THEIR STICK. SO THEY STILL CARRY THAT, UM, WEAPON AS A DANCE, UM, PART OF THEIR DANCE OUTFITS AS WELL. SO YES, IT'S ASIDE FROM THE PRACTICAL, UM, ASPECTS OF, OF HAVING A FAN, IS THERE OTHER SIM SYMBOLISM BECAUSE THEY'RE MOSTLY WINGS OF SOME KIND OR ARE FEATHERED THAT'S IS PART OF THEIR, UM, DANCE OUTFITS? MINE IS, YOU KNOW, I YOU SEEN WHEN I PUT IT IN THE AIR AT CERTAIN BEATS OF THE DRUM, THAT'S CALLED THE HONOR BEATS. SO WE, TO US THE EAGLE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, BIRD CAUSE WE FEEL HE FLIES THE HIGHEST AND CARRIES OUR PRAYERS TO THE CREATOR. SO WE HONOR, YOU KNOW, DURING THE HONOR BEATS I PUT MY FEATHERS UP TO HONOR THE EAGLE AND SUCH. AND I HAVE OTTERS THAT REPRESENT THE WATER. I HAVE PORCUPINE QUILLS. THIS WAS OUR FIRST FORM OF DECOR BEFORE WE TRADED FOR THE BEADS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC. UM, THIS, ALL OUR OUTFITS WERE DECORATED WITH PORCUPINE QUILLS AND THERE WASN'T TOO MANY COLORS. THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, LIKE RED SCREENS, SOMETHING YOU COULD DYE THEM WITH FROM THE EARTH. AND IT WAS A DYING ART. A LOT OF US DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW MOVED TO CANADA, HE LEARNED HOW TO DO IT UP THERE, THEN HE BROUGHT IT DOWN AND HE WAS GONNA TEACH ME, WELL YOU STICK EACH QUILL AND YOUR MOUTH AND SOAK IT WITH YOUR SPIT AND USE YOUR TEETH TO FLATTEN IT. I DID ONE QUILL, I'M LIKE, I CANNOT DO THIS , I CANNOT DO THIS. SO MY HUSBAND LEARNED HOW TO DO IT AND HE FIGURED OUT ANOTHER WAY WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT IN YOUR MOUTH. SO HE'S, HE'S FIGURED OUT A SYSTEM AND HE'S MADE THE QUILL WORK HERE AND EVERYWHERE. I HAVE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORK. OH, YOU'RE NOT WEARING YOUR ARMBANDS TODAY. . HE ALSO MAKES THESE DEER TOE, UM, THE OUT OF THE FRONT HOOFS OF A DEER. THE GUYS WEARING THEM AROUND THEIR, UM, SHOW, UM, BICEPS. AND SO YEAH, HE'S GOTTEN THAT ART DOWN. HE ALSO DID ALL MY B WORK. UM, I REALLY FEEL THE GUYS ARE REALLY GOOD AT THE BEAD WORK AND CRAFTS BECAUSE I'M LIKE, I HAVE TO GO PUT CLOTHES ON THE DRYER. I GOTTA COOK DINNER AND . I CAN'T JUST SIT THERE AND FOCUS ON ON THE BEAD. I CAN SEW, I CAN SEW ALL DAY, BUT OTHER THINGS I HAVE TO JUST HAVE A FULL FOCUS TO SIT DOWN AND DO, DO THAT. YES. WELL I SENSE THAT HUMANITY HAS THE TENDENCY TO HA HAVE ACTIVITY TOGETHER TO GROUP SO THAT THEY BOND. AND I'M INSISTING THAT YOUR CEREMONIAL DANCES IS A WAY FOR THE, UH, IDENTITY BONDING. UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER WAYS THAT, UH, THE DIFFERENT TRIBES MIGHT TRY TO BOND OUTSIDE OF THE DANCE OR IS THAT THE MAIN, MAIN ONE? NO, THERE, THIS IS THE MAIN ONE. YES. BUT TRIBES DO HAVE THEIR TRIBAL DANCES THAT THEY DO. THAT'S NOT COMPETITION. IT'S JUST A SO SOCIAL GATHERING. AND, AND WE DO IT FOR FUNDRAISING FOR THE BIG POWWOW. MOST TRIBES HAVE ONE BIG POWWOW A YEAR, USUALLY THE SAME WEEKEND EVERY YEAR. AND YES IT IS, THERE IS SOCIAL DANCING AND THEN THERE'S THE PERFORMANCES LIKE THIS. THERE'S POWWOWS AND UP IN UH, CANADA, THEY HAVE LIKE 12 NIGHTS OF ROUND DANCE RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND YOU JUST TRAVEL TO ALL THE RESERVATIONS AND THEY'RE DOING THE ROUND DANCING LIKE WE DID. AND THAT'S MY DREAM. I THAT'S ON MY BUCKET LIST. I WANT TO GO THERE SOMEDAY. YES THAT YOUR GOWN IS A MEDICINE GOWN. UH, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE, TO THE MEDICAL, THE MEDICINE VALUE OF THE DANCE? YEAH, IT WAS JUST CONSIDERED A MEDICINE DRESS BEING THAT THE LITTLE GIRL WAS ON HER DEATHBED AND SHE GOT UP AND BEGAN TO DANCE WITH THEM. CUZ BACK IN 1920, I'M SURE THERE WASN'T MUCH DOCTORS ON THE RESERVATION OR YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE NEAR, THERE'S NOTHING THEY COULD DO. BUT AS SHE SAW THE LADIES DANCING, SHE GOT UP AND BEGAN TO DANCE WITH THEM. YES. SORRY, I COULD JUST TRY TO BE LOUD. . OKAY, Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME. SHE'S ALMOST THERE. SO I'M, I'M REALLY CURIOUS, UH, THE MEN, I I WON'T BE AS LOUD NOW. THE MEN HAVE, UH, WHAT IS THIS ACROSS THE TOP? WHAT'S IT MADE OUT OF, UH, NOW VERSUS I GUESS HISTORICALLY, WHAT WAS IT MADE FROM? IT'S STILL MADE OUT OF THE SAME THING. IT'S PORCUPINE HAIR, NOT THE [01:10:01] UM, THE QUILLS, BUT THE SOFT HAIR AND IT'S PORCUPINE HAIR. THERE'S A DEER TAIL IN THERE AND UM, THAT'S IT. YEAH, THERE'S THE, IT WAS MADE OUT OF A DEER TAIL AND PORCUPINE GUARD HAIR AND THERE'S STILL THE SAME AS THEY WERE A LONG, LONG TIME AGO. MAYBE JUST LONGER. THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT LONGER DOWN THE BACK. YES. IN THE TRADITIONAL TRIBE, WERE THERE ANYTHING LIKE 80 DANCES, DATA TOWELS, ? I DON'T KNOW. , I WOULD SAY IT'S THE ROUND DANCE THAT ROUND. THOSE ROUND DANCES. THEY, THE WAY THEY SING, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN, UM, A FEW YEARS BACK, NORTHERN CREE WAS ABLE TO OPEN FOR THE GRAMMYS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN GROUP. THEY OPENED HIM FOR THE GRAMMYS WITH THEIR HAND DRUMS. THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW THEY DO THAT UP IN CANADAS THEY HAND DRUM THESE LITTLE SMALL ONE PERSON HAND DRUMMING. AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE ROUND ANSWERS. MM-HMM. , IS THERE A A NO-NO THAT YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T TURN UP AT A POWER WOW. AT AN OUTFIT WITH SOMETHING OR YOU'RE MISSING SOMETHING LIKE YOU HAVEN'T GOT CERTAIN, UM, QUILLS OR BEADS OR SOMETHING. IS THERE, IS THERE A SOCIAL THING THAT YOU'VE DEFINITELY GOTTA HAVE CERTAIN THINGS ON TO COME AND BE A DANCER? YEAH, EVERY CATEGORY HAS ON WHAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO WEAR FOR THAT CATEGORY IN DANCE STYLE. UM, SO YES, I MEAN WE DO HAVE TRADITIONAL DRESSES. NONE OF US ARE WEARING THEM TODAY, BUT IT'S A TRA TRADITIONAL, WE CALL OURS LIKE A WING, A TEA DRESS. IT'S CUT OUT IN A SHAPE OF A TEA AND IT HANGS DOWN YOUR ARMS LIKE A, A WING. THAT'S MY TRADITIONAL TRIBAL STYLE OF DRESS. AND YES, IF I'M GOING TO JUST A DANCE AT MY TRIBE, I'M WEARING THAT. BUT FOR POWWOWS I DANCED THE JINGLE DRESS. SO, UH, MY HERITAGE IS SCOTTISH, IRISH AND NATIVE AMERICAN AND THAT'S ALL I KNOW. AND SO IS THERE A WAY OR A SERVICE TO KNOW, UM, HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY WAS THE NATIVE AMERICAN LINEAGE? I, I JUST DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHICH TRIBE, UM, YOU WERE, WHAT TRIBE IT IS. AND UM, YOU REACH OUT TO THAT TRIBE AND IF THEY HAVE ANY OF YOUR ANCESTORS IN THE TRIBAL ROLES, DAOS, THEY CALL 'EM DAOS, UM, THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO BE ABLE WITH LIKE CERTAIN BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO GET THERE. I WAS GONNA ASK, HOW APPROXIMATELY, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PUT TOGETHER ONE OF THESE GARMENTS? LIKE IT LOOKS LIKE IT PROBABLY TAKES A REALLY LONG TIME. WE'RE NEVER ENDING. LIKE, UM, WE ARE JUST ADDING SOMETHING NEW ALL THE TIME. I KNOW THE BEE WORK THAT I HAVE ON MY HUSBAND, IT TOOK HIM TWO YEARS TO DO IT BECAUSE WHEN WE DID, WHEN WE SAW THIS WHITE BEAD AT A POWWOW, THE POW VENDOR HAD THE WHITE BEETS AND WE BOUGHT ALL THEY HAD AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE WANTED THE WHITE BEADS TOO. SO WE WOULD GET TO THE POWWOW, GO GRAB A FEW OF THE HANKS SHE HAD LEFT AND HE WOULD BEAD A LITTLE BEAD A LITTLE. IT TOOK TWO YEARS. AND THEN FINALLY HE CALLED A UM, BEAD STORE UP IN WASHINGTON AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, WE JUST GOT 40 HANKS IN YESTERDAY. SO HE BOUGHT ALL 40 HANKS SO NO ONE ELSE COULD GET 'EM. AND THEN WE FINISHED AND IT'S, I MEAN LIKE THE JINGLES, THE PURPLE JINGLES, THOSE ARE $40 PER A HUNDRED JINGLES. SO I PUT THE STRESS HAS OVER 300, UH, JINGLES ON IT. SO THAT'S ALREADY, UM, GROWING IN PRICE, EVERYTHING, IT JUST DEPENDS. I MEAN WE INVEST EVERYTHING INTO OUR OUT. WE MAKE MONEY TO BUY MORE OUTFITS AND DRESSES AND WHATNOT. UH, SO YES, SO IS THAT IT FOR THE QUESTIONS? WE CAN DO A GROUP PICTURE OR WE CAN DO SOME PICTURES WITH EVERYBODY IF YOU WANT TO COME DOWN AND TAKE SOME PICTURES WITH THE GROUP, UM, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY CARMITA? I JUST WANT US TO GIVE THEM A HAND. UM, MAN. UM, AMAZING. THIS WAS JUST AMAZING SKY. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOREVER AND WE FINALLY GET IT DONE. SO, UM, GREAT PROMISE FOR AMERICAN INDIANS TRIBE DANCERS. UH, WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING WITH US TODAY. UM, AND THEN THEY'RE OPENING IT UP SO YOU CAN TAKE PHOTOS TO GET A PHOTO SESSION ON TOP OF IT, UH, UM, COURTESY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO NA NAN IS WRAPPING IT UP CUZ SHE GOT A BABY TO GO TAKE A GIG . SO WE GONNA, UM, END OUR PROGRAM, BUT [01:15:01] I JUST WANNA UM, HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS THAT WAS SAID TODAY. UH, RACIAL HEALING. WE ARE, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THE NATIONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING AND YOU SEE HASHTAG HOW WE HEAL. UM, AND AS THEY STATED BEFORE, WE HAVE A LOT OF ISMS IN OUR COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO OVERCOME. BUT RACIAL HEALING, IT STARTS WITH YOU AND I, UM, THAT'S WHY I STARTED THE PROGRAM WITH THE SON. LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH AND LET IT BEGIN WITH ME. UM, EACH OF US IS A STAKEHOLDER IN HOW WE ARE CHANGING OUR WORLD, OUR SYSTEMS, UM, OUR INSTITUTIONS. SO I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE YOU THAT WHEN YOU WALK AWAY TODAY, THAT YOU TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THIS WITH YOU TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, TO YOUR HOME, TO YOUR SCHOOLS, TO WHEREVER YOU'RE GOING, UM, THAT YOU BE A PART OF THAT CHANGE. YOU ARE THE CREATORS OF CHANGE IN YOUR WORLD AND WE VALUE YOU AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU CAME TO DO THAT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.