UNITAS
Youth creating free-flowing art representing unity, dignity, and awareness
Spring 2021
Billings, Montana
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In February 2020, Cheyenne elder Alaina Buffalo Spirit, recent ED of Montana Native Vote, Blackfoot Marci McLean, and Blackfoot young filmmaker Dylan Running Crane and I traveled to the For Freedoms Congress in Los Angeles. We came away with a grand dream of creating art-based leadership opportunities for Native youth and those of other under-represented communities. Marci and I developed an outline for setting up comfortable gatherings where youth could share their stories, soften racial prejudices between racial groups, and learn how the power of collaboration, empathy, compassion and mutual support strengthen and create more joy for our collective community.
We used my What [(Is It) About My] Memory art installation, with its circular somas symbolizing categories of memories such as family gatherings, favorite tastes, music, homes and over four-thousand cards, hanging on the copper dendrites, on which people have written or drawn simple memories as a framework for developing personal stories. These abstracted neurons connect these stories and reflect the connections we make when we share ours with each other. The title, logo and tagline for the Unitas program were created by two teens- Jodiah LaPlant and Gage Duffy. Unitas is the latin word for unity and asks us all to "unite us." For Freedoms provided us with a generous grant to cover the costs of this program and make it free for each participant. Unitas team leaders explored symbolism and materials to create their own soma to reflect something about themselves, something they cherish or something that comforts them. They were encouraged to examine and develop the project's next steps, which lead to to a currently evolving project to offer a movie + discussion series to teens featuring movies that examine issues of race, difference, hatred and murder. |
UNITAS SPRING 2021 YOUTH TEAM LEADERS
Abbilee (Abbi)
8th grade
My names are Pretty to Look At and White Wondering Buffalo Calf. I am N. Cheyenne, Aaniiih, Cree, Hudedana Nakoda, Oglala Lakota . . . I love to sing and dance. I am a jingle dress dancer. I love to play volleyball and be active. I also love to bake and cook. Being around my family is so much fun. Being around babies brings me joy. . . I have plans to go into nursing and then go onto midwifery school. I want to help women bring healthy babies into the world. I love to volunteer and help with whatever I can.
Abigail (Abbi)
8th Grade
I am Ghannain, Italian, Irish, Jamaican. I am a Christian that loves dance. My favorite type of dance styles are contemporary and hiphop.
Emmanuel (Manny)
12th Grade
I would like to have the opportunity to work with people within my community. I am African American who has an African background. I am also a Christian raised in church and have moved and been to many places. I really love to do art, especially fun art. I am doing digital art right now but want to improve in coloring and other areas. I am currently working on a fun comic right now!
Free (Trae)
5th Grade
I am excited to learn. I like art. I am Black. I am mixed race. I am a Christian. I live with my mom and older sister. My passions are boxing and books. I am excited to learn more and inspire others with my story.
Gage
6th Grade
I am a leader. I am Black. My passion is rapping.
Ivy
6th Grade
My name is Blue Bird. I am N. Cheyenne, Aaniiih, Cree, Hudedana Nakoda, Oglala Lakota. . . I practice my traditional beliefs with my family. I love to read scripture and participate in Sunday school and Youth group. My favorite verse is John 15:4. I am a softball player. I am in volleyball and I love to stay active and like to ride skateboards. I love to ride horse and practice comedy. I am fan of BTS an Asian pop group. I am a fancy shawl dancer and love to go to pow wow to visit and meet new friends. . . I aspire to attend MSU Billings and play softball. I want to complete in Miss Indian World. I would like to study law and assist tribes in law and order.
Myniya (Nyny)
5th Grade
I like to draw, paint, write books, create things. I’m a young, black Christian. I also love basketball and football. I am interested in this program to help educate people about race issues through art.
Naomi (Nae)
6th Grade
I am Mexican, German, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Irish, Scottish. I am into art, science, fixing big problems and pets.
Siara (C.C.)
11th Grade
I love opera.
Tahlia (Lia)
9th Grade
I love art. I am Mexican, Russian, Native American, really complicated. I want to go into criminal anything, I just want to help people.
8th grade
My names are Pretty to Look At and White Wondering Buffalo Calf. I am N. Cheyenne, Aaniiih, Cree, Hudedana Nakoda, Oglala Lakota . . . I love to sing and dance. I am a jingle dress dancer. I love to play volleyball and be active. I also love to bake and cook. Being around my family is so much fun. Being around babies brings me joy. . . I have plans to go into nursing and then go onto midwifery school. I want to help women bring healthy babies into the world. I love to volunteer and help with whatever I can.
Abigail (Abbi)
8th Grade
I am Ghannain, Italian, Irish, Jamaican. I am a Christian that loves dance. My favorite type of dance styles are contemporary and hiphop.
Emmanuel (Manny)
12th Grade
I would like to have the opportunity to work with people within my community. I am African American who has an African background. I am also a Christian raised in church and have moved and been to many places. I really love to do art, especially fun art. I am doing digital art right now but want to improve in coloring and other areas. I am currently working on a fun comic right now!
Free (Trae)
5th Grade
I am excited to learn. I like art. I am Black. I am mixed race. I am a Christian. I live with my mom and older sister. My passions are boxing and books. I am excited to learn more and inspire others with my story.
Gage
6th Grade
I am a leader. I am Black. My passion is rapping.
Ivy
6th Grade
My name is Blue Bird. I am N. Cheyenne, Aaniiih, Cree, Hudedana Nakoda, Oglala Lakota. . . I practice my traditional beliefs with my family. I love to read scripture and participate in Sunday school and Youth group. My favorite verse is John 15:4. I am a softball player. I am in volleyball and I love to stay active and like to ride skateboards. I love to ride horse and practice comedy. I am fan of BTS an Asian pop group. I am a fancy shawl dancer and love to go to pow wow to visit and meet new friends. . . I aspire to attend MSU Billings and play softball. I want to complete in Miss Indian World. I would like to study law and assist tribes in law and order.
Myniya (Nyny)
5th Grade
I like to draw, paint, write books, create things. I’m a young, black Christian. I also love basketball and football. I am interested in this program to help educate people about race issues through art.
Naomi (Nae)
6th Grade
I am Mexican, German, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Irish, Scottish. I am into art, science, fixing big problems and pets.
Siara (C.C.)
11th Grade
I love opera.
Tahlia (Lia)
9th Grade
I love art. I am Mexican, Russian, Native American, really complicated. I want to go into criminal anything, I just want to help people.
IN GRATITUDE
Thank you to ForFreedoms.org and particularly Emma Nuzzo, who chose us to receive the generous funding and confidence that our teens would create a rewarding a community-positive experience!
Thank you to Marci McLean, Alaina Buffalo-Spirit and Dylan Running Crane, who attended the For Freedoms Congress in February 2020 with me and collaboratively created the idea of creating an art-based youth leadership project focused on bringing together kids from different backgrounds to learn about each other, create community and more joy in their worlds.
Thank you to Marci for creating with me the outline for the initial phase of this dream.
Thank you to Reverend Lisa Harmon for believing in this project and opening Billings First Church's chapel for the installation of my What [(Is It) About My] Memory project as a frame and space for UNITAS to meet and blossom.
Thank you to Billings First Church for being an open-armed community center for social justice.
Thank you to Nina Hernandez, Youth Director at Billings First Church, for finding and inviting the youth who have become our "seed leaders" in this first phase of UNITAS.
Thank you to Edward Barta for the enthusiastic support of us using the chapel art space at Billings First Church
Thank you to Morgan Satterfield at Billings First Church for all the logistical support.
Thank you to Gage Duffy and Jodiah LaPlant for creating the UNITAS title, logo and tag line for the program.
Thank you to the Billings area creatives who provided a wealth of materials for the collaging portions of the symbolic somas the youth created: Linda Lemire, Shelley Young, Grace Kim, Michelle Dyk, Rachel Larson Long, Gail Greene.
Thank you to Nikki and Josh Kostelecky for assisting with the installation of WIIAMM.
Thank you to Jaci Webb for taking photos and helping the kids on our last day.
Thank you to Marci McLean, Alaina Buffalo-Spirit and Dylan Running Crane, who attended the For Freedoms Congress in February 2020 with me and collaboratively created the idea of creating an art-based youth leadership project focused on bringing together kids from different backgrounds to learn about each other, create community and more joy in their worlds.
Thank you to Marci for creating with me the outline for the initial phase of this dream.
Thank you to Reverend Lisa Harmon for believing in this project and opening Billings First Church's chapel for the installation of my What [(Is It) About My] Memory project as a frame and space for UNITAS to meet and blossom.
Thank you to Billings First Church for being an open-armed community center for social justice.
Thank you to Nina Hernandez, Youth Director at Billings First Church, for finding and inviting the youth who have become our "seed leaders" in this first phase of UNITAS.
Thank you to Edward Barta for the enthusiastic support of us using the chapel art space at Billings First Church
Thank you to Morgan Satterfield at Billings First Church for all the logistical support.
Thank you to Gage Duffy and Jodiah LaPlant for creating the UNITAS title, logo and tag line for the program.
Thank you to the Billings area creatives who provided a wealth of materials for the collaging portions of the symbolic somas the youth created: Linda Lemire, Shelley Young, Grace Kim, Michelle Dyk, Rachel Larson Long, Gail Greene.
Thank you to Nikki and Josh Kostelecky for assisting with the installation of WIIAMM.
Thank you to Jaci Webb for taking photos and helping the kids on our last day.