My NNC Instagram Takeover
By Emily Clarke
Last Saturday, November 5th, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians hosted their annual Native American Learning Day and Market: Kewet for the first time since pre-pandemic. The event was held at Palm Springs High School and included vendors, cultural demonstrations, traditional (and non-traditional) foods, Bird Singers and Dancers, and more. Terria Smith was there tabling Roundhouse books including titles like “Bird Songs Don’t Lie” by Gordon Johnson and ‘A is for Acorn” by Analisa Tripp as well as recent editions of the News from Native California magazine. Our friends at Idyllwild Arts were also set-up with information about their Native American Arts program and scholarship opportunities. I was also a vendor at the event for my small business, Cahuilla Woman Creations, and sold beaded earrings, bracelets, and other art. In addition to selling beadwork and catching up with Terria at the Roundhouse booth and Shaliyah Ben from Idyllwild Arts, I spent the day doing an Instagram “take-over” on the News From Native California Instagram page.
We plan to host four Instagram take-overs throughout the month of November in celebration of Native American Heritage month. Each weekend in November, someone who identifies as California Native will be showing our followers what a day in their life looks like. Not only is this a way to celebrate California Native people during Native Heritage month, but also a wonderful way for our non-Native followers to understand more about Native culture, art, and people in a fun, light-hearted way. This upcoming weekend, Carolann Jane Duro (Serrano and Kumeyaay), founder of Quiet Quail Books, will be showing our followers how she sets up her book displays at events as well as fun moments throughout her day. We are so excited to spend the day with her on Instagram and experience a little bit of her life as an Indigenous bookseller and fanatic.
My own Instagram takeover was exciting, colorful, and chaotic, which is very fitting as an honest depiction of my daily life. I showed the News From Native California followers a bit of my small business set up, shouted out the Roundhouse set-up as well as Idyllwild Arts, and even shared my Indian Taco. I wanted to be 100% authentic, even sharing a detail about my borderline addiction to caffeine because of my busy schedule. I also thought it was important to show our followers (especially the non-Native ones) what I, as a Native artist, do “after-hours” by including a short video of my attendance to a food festival after I finished work for the day. Oftentimes, I think the general public separates “Native life” from the rest of the world, but for me, my Native identity is not separate from my identity as a 23-year-old woman. My Instagram takeover ended with a short Q&A where I answered questions about my inspiration as a poet and artist and then promptly took myself to bed after a long day. It made me feel very warm to be able to share my life with other Native people and artists through social media and I loved being able to represent the Roundhouse program while also showcasing the other aspects of my life as a Cahuilla artist and tribal member.
Overall, it was an exciting weekend filled with learning, community, and an amazing event hosted by Agua Caliente. I think many people emphasize Indigenous pain and suffering when they think of Native American Heritage month because U.S. history is what immediately pops into their minds. Although it would be ignorant to ignore the violence inflicted on Native peoples within this country historically, I think Native American Heritage month should be centered around the celebration of Native resilience and living culture. Events like Kewet help to show the public that Native culture is very-much still alive, arguably thriving, and central to many of our Native identities. As Native people, we value our communities, our cultures, and our Native ancestry, and that is what we hope to show by giving California Native people the opportunity to express themselves during our Instagram takeovers throughout the rest of the month. In addition to spreading awareness to the public this month, we also want to encourage conversation and community between Native people across the state by showcasing influential California Natives and their perspectives. The best part of my weekend truly was meeting and chatting with other Native people at Kewet, feeling the love from the Native community on Instagram, and reflecting on the beauty of my community. I can’t imagine a better way to kick-off Native American Heritage month.
