Native Nations in LA provides a comprehensive look at the diverse tribal communities present in Los Angeles, California. Through a series of captivating images, viewers are given a glimpse into the contemporary lives of Native Americans hailing from various tribal nations, shedding light on cultures often overlooked in the diverse landscape of Los Angeles. Furthermore, the exhibition also aims to address the lack of awareness surrounding the migration of Native peoples to urban areas and the enduring cultural significance of tribal nations in today's society. Many of the individuals captured in these images are descendants of parents or grandparents who made the journey to Los Angeles due to U.S. relocation policies, or they themselves relocated for educational or professional opportunities outside of their tribal reservations. Despite the widespread recognition of national flags as symbols of pride, there remains a significant lack of understanding among many Americans regarding the nation-to-nation relationship between the United States and sovereign tribal nations. The historical and cultural depth of this connection, which tribal communities have managed to uphold despite facing challenges such as displacement and economic hardships, is a central theme that the exhibition seeks to explore and bring to the forefront.
Real NDNZ Re-Take Hollywood showcases native adults in photographs to disrupt and decolonize clichéd portrayals of Native actors. The series “re-takes” and creates classic, iconic portraits of movies stars of yesteryears by replacing those past film icons with contemporary Native American actors. The project shows real Indian actors in the elegant clothes and iconic poses of James Dean, Audrey Hepburn, Tony Curtis and others from the classic period of Hollywood films – rather than in the buckskin, feathers, and painted faces featured in most Hollywood films of Indians. JaNae Collins (Crow/Dakota), Noah Watts (Blackfeet/Crow), Shayna Jackson (Cree/Dakota), Deja Jones (Eastern Shoshone), Krista Hazelwood (Seminole), Kholan Studi (Cherokee), Brian Vallie (Crow).
Legacy of Exiled NDNZ discusses the historical US policies of relocation of Indians to urban establishment and the legacy it has created to today. It provides a narrative of seven native adults currently living in Los Angeles. Shot in a neorealist visual aesthetic reminiscent of Kent Mackenzie’s 1961 film, The Exiles, we catch a glimpse of the group of urban Indians living their hopes and dreams in the city. Spencer Battiest (Seminole/Choctaw), Vivian Garcia (Cherokee), Tony Moran (Navajo), Courtney Alex (Navajo), Gladys Dakam (Lakota), Heather Singer (Navajo) and Kenneth Ramos (Barona band of mission Indians).