COMPOSER, ‘RESERVATION DOGS’

Hi, my name is Mato Wayuhi. I’m an Oglala Lakota artist from South Dakota. I mainly focus on music these days, writing and producing my own stuff as well as composing scores for film/television, such as FX/Hulu’s ‘Reservation Dogs’ and the award-winning film ‘War Pony’. When I’m not making music I like to visit with my relatives, go on rugged walks across the Midwest, and tend to my secret vegetable gardens. I serve as vice president of Outlast Arts and Education and have been a part of the organization since 2017.

As a Native artist, breaking into the industry was a dynamic experience. No one knew what to do with us for a while. Entertainment is reactive — the culture shifts and Hollywood plays catch-up. After Standing Rock, folks possessed more of a literacy rate for Indigenous people, while the industry grew an interest in our artfulness. With that societal evolution towards authentic storytelling, I found better opportunities to express myself to non-Native listeners who were more willing to meet me where I was at.

This mainstream attention towards Native art and media can waver, affecting the infrastructure in which artists can operate within, which is why supporting Native youth voices is so important. Outlast strives to instill a sense of creative autonomy for its students, so they don’t feel as if they need to ask for permission to create stories about their experiences and their culture. No matter how things change in the industry, the students we mentor will forever feel emboldened to express themselves.

ACTRESS, ‘ANNA’ IN ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’

By now everyone should know that representation matters. Movies, TV, and social media are the main way for us to receive our information, whether it’s true or not. Growing up I saw a few brown people on screen, but I never saw myself. I loved shows like ‘Family Matters’, and ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, but still, I didn’t see myself. I watched movies like ‘Dances with Wolves’ and ‘Last of the Mohicans’, movies about Natives, but at ten years old, I didn’t relate to the characters. Not seeing myself represented is the reason I didn’t think acting was a career choice for me. It wasn’t until my husband told me to take an acting class that something clicked.

Sixteen hard years later, here I am, on the verge of the biggest movie of 2023. I am number six on the cast list, working side-by-side with legendary actors and the incredible Martin Scorsese. It’s a movie that is being lauded as ground- breaking because it features Native Americans, in a Native story. My biggest question is, why is this ground-breaking and not the norm?

That’s when I think back about growing up and our lack of representation. It has become a mission of mine to show the youth that not only do we belong here, but our stories matter, our voices matter. Native representation has gotten better in film and television, but there is still a huge gap that needs to be filled, especially in power/decision making positions. Social media has helped give us a voice, yet we still seem to be missing on the big screen. That is why I teach acting/ filmmaking workshops free of charge to the youth. I have traveled to reservations, and watched the youth start out shy, then realize the creativity involved and their eyes light up and they begin to volunteer to act or get behind the camera and direct.

Showing our youth that we can do this, and we belong in these spaces is such an important thing to teach. They are our future storytellers, no matter the medium that takes. Be empowering our youth, and giving the support they need to create, we are making a more inclusive and enriched future.

Not only are we showing the world we still exist, but that our voice is integral to the fabric of the future.

ACTOR, ‘SASAPPIS’ IN ‘GHOSTS’

My name is Román Zaragoza and I am an actor, filmmaker, and lover of the arts. I can currently be seen on the CBS Television show, ‘Ghosts’, where I play Sasappis, a sarcastic Lenape man from the 1500s.

My experience in the industry has been a bit all over the place. When I was 17, I thought I would easily get into UCLA's musical theatre department because that is where my oldest sister went and because I had quite a big head at that age. Senior in high school. You know how that is. Spoiler alert: I didn't get in. My 5 year plan went out the window and I only got into 1 university out of the 4 I applied to: California State University, Northridge. I ended up pivoting to film production to learn how to make my own projects because I was sick of auditioning for stereotypical and racist characters. I found myself incredibly lost and disappointed at 18, but if this all never happened, I wouldn't be where I am today. I am so grateful I did not get into UCLA. When one door closes...

And I would like to shout out one of my dear mentors, Randy Reinholz, the former Artistic Director of Native Voices, the only Equity theatre company in the nation. He truly helped me through so much at this time. I am so grateful for him.

It is so important to support Native youth voices because Native people have been so underrepresented in film and TV. We need more Native stories created by Native people. I am so excited for this new generation of Native filmmakers because they have people like Sterlin Harjo, Tazbah Chavez, Lily Gladstone, and many others to look up to. The youth are our future and I am so excited to see all they create.

Outlast Arts and Education is an incredible organization run by genuine people who are taking it upon themselves to support Native youth voices. This is how we create change. Giving the next generation the tools and resources we didn't have is the key so they can be better than us. I recently heard a quote that said, "Our parents worked with their hands, so we could work with our minds, so our children can work with their hearts." Support Outlast Arts and Education. Support Native youth voices!