public library – Page 54 – Octavia Fellin Public Library

First Peoples’ Film Festival

First Peoples’ Film Festival highlights indigenous filmmakers, writers, producers

Gallup Independent. November 21st, 2019. Richard Reyes, Staff Writer.

GALLUP – The inaugural First Peoples’ Film Festival highlighted movies produced, written and directed by indigenous filmmakers at the Octavia Fellin Public Library as part of Native American Heritage Month.

Film festival organizer Joshua Whitman, who is the experiential learning coordinator for the library, said the purpose of the event was to bring attention to works that are often overlooked in Hollywood.

“In my opinion, the film industry is predominantly white-washed,” Whitman said. “A lot of popular movies that are directed, produced, and written by people that are popular in the mainstream. The films highlighted in the festival are not really publicized because we are a minority.” Continued After Image

*Newspaper article featured in Gallup Independent. Scanned 11.22.2019 by OFPL Staff member, Joshua Whitman*.

Showcasing Native films

Whitman said he wanted to showcase Native American films because the community is predominantly Native American, making up about nearly 75% of the population in McKinley, County.

Whitman said he began planning the film festival about three months in advance, but it almost didn’t come together. He planned to show films for two weeks, but he ran into technical difficulties and licensing troubles.

There were also movies in production or post-production that he hoped to show but they are not yet ready.

Whitman researched Native American films via the library’s film streaming service Canopy. He then chose films that pertained to contemporary issues, particularly the transition from pre-colonization and colonization into modern society.

Saved by Art

Diné artist Jerry Brown finds inspiration in traditions, upbringing

Gallup Independent. November 19th, 2019. Vida Volkert, Staff Writer

GALLUP – The sight of a nun walking down Thoreau’s NM Highway 371 with an acoustic guitar strapped to her shoulder is one of the reasons Jerry Brown changed the course of his life.

Brown, now a successful artist from Mariano Lake, had dropped out of high school and had no direction. In his own words, “I was too wild.” He had spent a few years in different boarding schools in the area, a school in Utah and public schools in Thoreau, Wingate and Crownpoint. Continued after Image

‘Too wild”

“I started the public school, but I didn’t like it there and walked back to the house.” he said

It was around 1988 when Brown saw the nun walking down the street in Thoreau. The nun was “Sister Michelle.” She was the principal of St. Kateri Tckakwitha school in Thoreau, which later became St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School.

Brown remembered the school was known as “the academy,” and it was a small campus. He was so intrigued by the sight of Sister Michelle walking with her guitar that he decided to visit the school.

“They put me in 10th grade. I met all the teachers. They came from all walks of life. They were missionaries that were doing the good thing for the natives,” Brown said.

Creating Colorful Expression

Library serves up a colorful concoction: Mocktails and Coloring

Gallup Independent. November 18th, 2019. Vida Volkert, Staff Writer.

GALLUP – Josh Whitman was making non-alcoholic mojitos with club soda instead of rum, and Shirley Temple with grenadine syrup and lime juice during a mocktails-and-coloring event at the Octavia Fellin Public Library Saturday.

On the table, next to the cups, syrup, ginger ale, ice cubes, and mixers, Whitman had a spread of designs and colored pencils. On another table behind him, Whitman had a set of speakers and was streaming indie music on Spotify.

“Coloring is one of the things you can do and not stress about it.” Whitman, the library’s experiential learning coordinator said. Continued After Image

‘Creative Expression’

“I have 14 different designs for them to choose from, and three different cocktails – I call them mocktails. The holidays could be stressful time of the year when people are shopping.” he said. “This is a free of stress and gives them a nice creative outlook to creative expression.”

Danielle Leekity, 32, and her children Anjelica, 11 and Jacob, 5, learned about the activity on Facebook and decided it was a good way to spend their Saturday in Gallup. The mother and her two children were sitting next to each other on an adjacent table and were coloring while enjoying their drinks.

“My daughter is very artistic. She has pastels at home and taught herself how to draw,” Leekity said. “We usually come her for the events. Everybody says it gives children something to do but it is also for the families. a relaxing wat to spend the weekend. We go to the ArtsCrawl every month. The fun part about this area. everything is within walking distance.”

Revitalizing Language Through Storytelling

Grassroots group aims to revitalize Diné Bizaad and encourage bilingualism through Shimá Storytelling.

Gallup Independent. November 15th, 2019. Christina Tsosie, Staff Writer.

GALLUP – Shimá Storytelling began with Radmilla Cody briefly informing attendees in the audience that taking photos and recording songs and performances by the trio – comprised of Cody, Pauletta Chief-Lee, and Stefanie Littlehat – was forbidden.

Anne Price of the Octavia Fellin Public Library Children’s Branch and their staff invited Shimá storytelling as their guests for Native American Heritage Month and Native Language Programming Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m..

Along with songs aimed at revitalizing Diné Bizaad, or the Navajo language, the group also hopes to promote awareness of consent. Continued after image.

Empowering Youth

Too often in this age – the age of social media – we forget that we need to ask permission to take photos or record sessions, said Cody, after all, it is their body, their choice.

“Not only do we want to empower youth by encouraging them to speak up against anyone attempting to capture their likeness or their actions, we also want to create a safe space for everyone so that they can be free to be themselves,” she said. “We’re very sensitive towards other people’s preferences – whatever those may be. This is something that we have done from the beginning.”

When Shimá Storytelling began their story in April, their goal was to bring their children together to socialize and play with one another while listening and speaking Navajo.

The Art of Drumming

Japanese-style drumming highlights culture, discipline and creative expression

Gallup Independent. October 21st, 2019. Maggie A. Adams, Staff Writer.

GALLUP – The downtown walkway filled with the sounds of drumming as the BK Taiko Japanese Drumming group face demonstrations and taught locals the art of the great drum.

Octavia Fellin Public Library Experiential Learning Coordinator, Joshua Whitman, has been working with the group for a number of months to bring them to Gallup for a hands-on demonstration.

A diversity festival

“Back in July, I wanted to do a diversity festival … I came across their website and thought it was something different and interesting,” he said.

Whitman said the group’s unique talents were perfect for helping spread greater cultural awareness to different ethnic groups in the area.