New Mexico PBS and New Mexico in Depth are collaborating on a new series highlighting Indigenous joy while also discussing challenges like how Native Americans are portrayed in the media.
The series called Indigenously Positive is both for and by Indigenous people.
Host Bella Davis (Yurok) is an Indigenous affairs reporter for New Mexico in Depth who has written stories about tragedies and disparities, like Indigenous women and relatives going missing and being murdered at high rates. She told New Mexico in Focus she doesn’t plan to stop doing that reporting, but she wants to do more.
“There isn't nearly enough focus on our line of work, on Indigenous joy, resilience and achievements,” she said.
In the first episode, Davis spoke to Ptisawquah (Potawatomi, Kickapoo & Assiniboinie) at an Indigenous tattoo and music festival about how Indigenous people are viewed in the media.
“I would just like for more people to realize that we actually exist, because even our education system in the United States isn't really accurate, and sometimes talk about us as a historical people, but we're still here, and we're still thriving, and we're doing wonderful things,” they said. “People talk about us, and when they do talk about us, it's usually those poor Indians or those drunks or all the stereotypes that go with that.”
Arianna Johnny-Wadsworth (Quw’utsun) told Davis there should be more focus on the good rather than the bad.
“Less trauma porn and more celebratory stories, sharing people's successes, especially with entrepreneurs and young business owners and more ways to inspire youth,” she said.
Nicholas Pope-Lopez (Yoeme) said he’s concerned about the planet.
“Something as simple as throwing away your trash. That really worries me when, you know everything is getting warmer, it's getting harder and harder to find clean water and people take the initiative. If you see trash on the street, pick it up,” he said.
Davis said the series isn’t intended to ignore any of the struggles Indigenous people are going through but to acknowledge the achievements of Native people.
“It's about celebrating that despite centuries-long efforts to erase us and ongoing injustices, we're still here. With that it was important to us to ask everyone we talked with about what brings them joy,” she said.
Alicia Burnside (Navajo) said what brings her joy is being able to work with children.
“Knowing that I taught them something new. They have no filter. If you work with kids, you know exactly what I mean. I don't have any of my own. I love my nieces and my nephews. When I work here, they are kids that are going through a lot, and it's so amazing how they can put all that stuff aside and kind of find like their joy and their laughter and still, like crack jokes, they still find that humor in themselves, and I'm able to bring that out with them,” she said.
Johnny-Wadsworth loves traditional medicine with plants that she finds in her territory.
“So being on the land harvesting, if I get to be a part of canoe journey, where I come from being out on the water, just land based activities and just grounding myself with people and things that are just like, so comforting to me,” she said.
Marcus Moquino (Kewa Pueblo & Hopi) talked about how he turned his life around through art.
“Because before then, all I did was I was a professional drinker. You would say I lived a troubled life. You know, childhood, I was homeless. Started drinking around the age of eight. I just quit drinking going on six years ago,” he said. “So when I put down the bottle, I picked up the paintbrush.”
Davis also turned the camera on herself.
“Being with the people that I love is one of the biggest sources of joy in my life,” she said in the episode. “A lot of my family is in Northern California, so some of the happiest times are taking trips out there, making food together, and being out in nature is always really fulfilling for me.”
Her co-producer Benjamin Yazza (Diné) talked about his love for his family, his partner and his pets.
“But I think just really doing the work, like working on this content is like, what brings me joy, also, just seeing the families that are impacted, or the families that we cover, I think that it's just joyful to be able to spread that,” he said.
Indigenously Positive will continue and future episodes are in the works.
Support from the coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
Read more about this series from Bella Davis on New Mexico in Depth.
Watch the full episode on New Mexico in Focus Youtube channel.
