The writing about Moana, was interesting, funny, ironic, sad, maddening, and informative…
Many years ago I was asked to speak at the National convention for the American Planning Association. I was asked to speak about Native economy on a panel of other native American “scholars”. I like to be the last to speak as I get to comment on what I have heard. The other panellists were academics or representatives of native companies. Each one spoke about the vision, and then the education where they sold out the vision for something “better”… It was a sad production, but far from unusual. It is just easier to abandon the vision for things…
It is easy to be a voice of dissent and a beacon in the darkness, as you will nto change much when the allure of the latest basketball shoes is more compelling that those old stories and those old people banging on some drum, none have a recording contract or radio air time or CDs, why bother to listen?. Where is the attraction of the heritage? What are we saving, remembering?.
It is an interesting business… I am much too old, few people care about what I have to say or advise. A huge part of the stories, history and so forth goes the minute I die, and no one could care about what I know. Everyone is too busy chasing money, status, things…. It is much too late to live traditionally.
Meanwhile everything will continue to be sanitised, merchandised, and there will be no people to speak. those people are just in the way of sales and profit.
Craig Santos Perez 
The writing about Moana, was interesting, funny, ironic, sad, maddening, and informative…
Many years ago I was asked to speak at the National convention for the American Planning Association. I was asked to speak about Native economy on a panel of other native American “scholars”. I like to be the last to speak as I get to comment on what I have heard. The other panellists were academics or representatives of native companies. Each one spoke about the vision, and then the education where they sold out the vision for something “better”… It was a sad production, but far from unusual. It is just easier to abandon the vision for things…
It is easy to be a voice of dissent and a beacon in the darkness, as you will nto change much when the allure of the latest basketball shoes is more compelling that those old stories and those old people banging on some drum, none have a recording contract or radio air time or CDs, why bother to listen?. Where is the attraction of the heritage? What are we saving, remembering?.
It is an interesting business… I am much too old, few people care about what I have to say or advise. A huge part of the stories, history and so forth goes the minute I die, and no one could care about what I know. Everyone is too busy chasing money, status, things…. It is much too late to live traditionally.
Meanwhile everything will continue to be sanitised, merchandised, and there will be no people to speak. those people are just in the way of sales and profit.
Biba
I Love Black Rice!