Roundhouse Intern Emily Clarke Celebrates her Last Day
I started working as Heyday’s first ever Graton Roundhouse Intern in June of 2022. I had just graduated with my BA a week prior and was ecstatic to go straight from school, where I majored in creative writing and Native American studies, to working in the industry. However, the most alluring part of the internship wasn’t the extensive writing and publishing experience, it was the fact that I would get to work directly with my community: the Native tribes throughout California. Starting out this year-long endeavor, I didn’t imagine how truly rewarding, challenging, and transformative it would be. Now, as I am saying my goodbyes at Heyday, I am immensely grateful for the things I have learned, the wonderful people I have worked alongside, and the colorful cultures of Native California that have inspired me along the way.
I began this position not only a week after graduation, but also during an extremely rocky period in my personal life. During my first few weeks at Heyday, I accidentally slept through meetings, struggled to focus on my responsibilities, and at times wondered if I could pull myself together enough to uphold the expectations of my position for an entire year. However, as I pushed through the first month, I became deeply inspired by the tribal people I interviewed and wrote about. A few months later, I curated an article titled “What does Thanksgiving mean to you as a California Indian?” Although the article included only one paragraph of my own writing, I was immensely proud of it because I had the privilege of listening to members of my community and highlighting their words. That article was a favorite of mine, but I also hold many other projects close to my heart. I got to interview and write about inspiring Native women, business owners, and organizations, and seeing their platforms grow due to the resulting exposure provided some of my proudest moments.
Over the year I spent as Heyday’s Graton Roundhouse Intern, I have written and posted over forty articles on the News from Native California blog; contributed articles, reviews, and photos to the News from Native California print magazine; created a TikTok page with videos highlighting California Native events and news, expanded the News Instagram page, and most recently served as guest editor for the upcoming Summer edition of News, which focuses on a passion of mine: Native poetry. When I first began work at Heyday, I couldn’t have imagined that I would leave this internship having curated and edited an entire magazine. But with help from my coeditor, Emmerich Anklam, our designer, Timara Lotah Link, and our copyeditor, Kim Hogeland, I am leaving Heyday with an extensive capstone project.
Although I am very proud of myself regarding the work I have done this year, none of this would have been possible without the support of the Heyday team, the guidance of the News editor, Terria Smith, and the generosity of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and the Roundhouse program. Most importantly, this work wouldn’t have been possible without the California Native community. Native people are resilient, funny, colorful, and deeply intelligent. It was an ultimate honor to write about and for my people, and to highlight the beauty of the Native communities throughout the state. I am happy with my accomplishments and growth, and I am even happier that this internship gave me the time, funding, and encouragement to become more involved with the California Native community and to highlight their stories. The voices of the Native people I connected with are the true heart of my work.
Thank you to the Heyday team, the community members who gave me the gift of their stories, and to everyone who supported me this year. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to see all the amazing things the next intern will do! As we say in Cahuilla, achama, it is good we have shared together.
