NEM layout 2

32
American Indian
Action Hero s
CONTENTS
4 Letter From ›
Edi
tor
7 The Review
Blue Gap Boy z film
10 Tribal Avertising
12 NDN KINGZ
14 NDN HONEYS
18 CENTERFOLD
Melinda McCray
26 Legend Status
Q&A withCasper
28 Build the Ulti
›
mate Home Studio
Guide
30 Shoot MTV Style
Music Videos
On our Cover
© Native Entertainment
Magazine 2009. Model:
Melinda McCray for Native
Entertainment Magazine.
All rights reserved.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Letter from the Editor
letter from editor:
pg. 3
2009: History In The Making
Did you ever think there would ever be a magazine that would
successfully take a daring look at indigenous people and their culture?
We didn’t either and that is why we took the time to create this publication. With only a few dollars in our hands and a much condemned
dream. Yeah, no one thought this magazine would ever see the light of
day but, here it is – in your hands. Real as real can be.
Coming straight off the success of the debut issue is the highly
anticipated “NDN Centerfold” issue. Yes, in this issue you will see sexy females draped across these shiny pages looking drunk with passion. You
will also see high end graphics, photography and riveting articles.
Originally, we wanted to have an “action hero” type pose for the
cover. We even went as far as to employ a 3D character to use on the
cover (Narbona’s Revenge character from Rez Force One First Person
Shooter video game) to prove our point. Our goal was to put it in the
minds of naysayers that as actors and entertainers we can portray action roles and the like. Too often we are cast in “Indian roles” that seem
to further hinder our career paths instead of create opportunity.
In this issue we have a daring article titled “American Indian Action Hero’s” and it is a rough and tough look at racism in Tinsel Town
towards Native actors and the total disregard for us as a race and as
unique people from various cultural backgrounds. We discuss that as indigenous people we are often overlooked and underestimated. Furthermore we have exposed lies and mistruths surrounding the casting of
Native actors and the history of American cinema and the American Indian.
As, you read through this issue remember one thing: this is
your magazine. You can submit content or come find a job with us.
Let’s make 2009 a year for the history books.
A special thanks goes out to our friends over at Murder Dog
magazine who have been the only non-Native publication to really get
down with Indian Country in a modern, cool way since back in 2003
when they invited Tito (a.k.a. CHE GLAWNII) to do music reviews of Native
rap artist. That was the first mainstream light that any artist in the
Native rap game ever recieved and it went to show other publications
and media outlets that record labels and artist like Nightshield Entertainment and Supaman really do have something to offer the world.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Q6 360
As a founding member of what is and was most likely
the most influential activist groups of the last millenium it was
heart-warming and very surprising to read a book as compelling as Dennis Banks’ Ojibwa Warrior. Chapter Five is titled:
Machiko and is a romantic read about a young man in the
military who is falls in love with an asian woman only to be
handcuffed and sent back to the U.S. never to see her again. He
spends his entire life trying to find her and has traveled back
and forth between continents through-out the decades trying to
find her - to no avail.
Desperately the most romantic story to come out of the
rugged past of a rough and rowdy Aimster. This chapter alone
needs to be made into a full length feature film. It has all the
ingredients of a successful film venture. If you have not yet
picked up the book do so now.
Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American
Indian Movement (Hardcover)
by Dennis Banks (Author), Retail: $9.75 on amazon..com
Bigg B
Groove Central DJ
Bigg B was born Brutis Baez and is a 24 year old MC from the Warm Springs Indian Rez where he is the
music director at KWSO Radio. B also has a Native Hip-Hop radio show called “Groove Central”, “It’s A Radio
Show that plays Hip-Hop music from artist across Indian country” Bigg told us recently. You can find out
more information about Bigg B at: www. sacredgroundent.com
The Review
Is Blue Gap a flop or a hit?
Blue Gap Boy’z (2008)
From the beginning of the film to the
end you were assaulted with Navajo humor.
Alas, and once again, as in Turquoise Rose, if
you were not Navajo than most likely the
humor just went right over your head. Which
is not bad since the target audience is definitely people from the Dine reservation. As in
Turquoise Rose this film is mostly made up of
Navajos and the main characters are without
a doubt very recognizable in that community.
So, in that respect we applaud the film as being
a hit within that under-served region.
However, if we are to give a fair rating of
the movie we have to mention that the camera
work and the film editing was very lacking in
professional style and quality. A lot of times
you find yourself asking “Hey, didn’t they just
show that same scene?” And, in fact you will
see redundant scene usage over and over
through-out the film which makes the film
seem to lag a lot. Quite often you will find
yourself wondering if you were watching the
movie just to be supportive of the actors and
genre or if you are watching it because it is
a genuinely funny movie.
It is funny, in case you were wondering.
It is just not that funny.
The dialogue should have been better.
There were a lot of scenes that were just so out of
place it confused you more than help you understand the point of the movie.
All in all it just seemed a little redundant and
confusing.
There was, however, one clever character –
Frankie B. You just have to love the very advanced
look at this small time hustler. His style and his
slick tongue make you imagine a film where he
plays a gangster or something of that nature. He
would be perfect in an action movie (much like
one we’re writing about in this issue). We would
definitely all love to see Frankie B return in
maybe a shoot ‘em up film where he plays the
same type of character, except this time he’s a big
time shot caller... now, that would be fun.
“...We would definitely all love to see
Frankie B return in
... a shoot ‘em up
film...”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Q6 360
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Advertising
to American Indians
Their are not very many businesses that
advertise to American Indians. Advertising is
used to reach populations and let them know
about different products and services available
for purchase.
American Indians are not highly sought
after because most businesses are under the impression that they are not a profitable demographic. However, research has discovered that
as of 1997 Native American owned businesses
“generated $34.3 billion in revenues.” Therefore, it
would be wise to market intelligently products
and services to Americans Indians whose, median household income is “statistically not different from Hispanics ($31,703)” and “higher than for
African Americans ($28,679).” (Heard Museum,
2001)
Advertising to this specific group is
scarce and needs to be broadened to include: Cinema, Television, Radio advertisement. The problem with Hollywood cinema is that cameras have
been pointing at American Indians since the
early days of television yet, for some reason Native people have failed to break into mainstream
culture. American cinema has continually fueled
a stereotype of an entire race of people and that
racial stereotype has influenced the masses
worldwide for generations to believe that American Indians are either deceased or if they are
still alive that they must still live in “Tipi’s” or
walk around wearing War Bonnets.
Much like typecasting stereotyping has
can hinder a persons growth. Take for example,
George Reeves, who played Superman from 1951 to
1957 in a television series called The Adventures of
Superman. Reeves allegedly committed suicide
due to a lack of cinematic roles because moviegoers only recognized him as Superman and
would not accept him in any other role other
than the Man of Steel. He was typecast which
may have led to depression and allegedly to sadly
taking his own life at such a young age.
(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001660/bio)
Character Name> Sgt.
Benalli › REZ FORCE ONE
team leader
Character Origin>
First Person Shooter video
game being created by ROI
Game Division.
edg page 2
pg. 21
(continued on next page)
Advertising
to American Indians
(continued from previous page)
Using this example one can get a basic
understanding that an individuals personal
growth is closely connected to that persons social growth and vice versa – one cannot have one
without the other.
Television and Radio campaigns are
without a doubt very lacking when it comes to
the advertising of American Indian goods and
services to the American populace. This is true
on both sides of the spectrum. Native American
businesses historically have not done a whole lot
of advertising over the radio in efforts trying to
woo new non-Native clientele and, on the same
token it fairs true that non-Native businesses
react in very much the same fashion. Typically,
the basic reasoning behind this is the lack of
cultural understanding in the marketplace. This
is also still true within the Hispanic business sector as well. White Collar Hispanics feel mainstream media does not “get” them. Much like
Hispanics Native American’s are “college-educated, English speaking entrepreneurs and white
collar knowledge professionals… .” (Hispanic Business, 2008, p. 29 para 7)
In conclusion, the main goal of every
business is to sell something –whether, there are
goods and services or be it digital downloads. The
main focus is always to supply a demand and
make money. The question is why are there so
few businesses willing to advertise to a population of people who have expendable incomes exceeding $30,000 a year? It would seem logical to
think that any rational business would go where
there is an opportunity to make money and dominate the market in that area. In looking at the
grand view of things one can see the substantial
amount of financial wealth to be made via marketing to this unique niche market
If you have any questions, comments or concerns
regarding this article please feel free to drop us
an email: [email protected]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
edg page 1
pg. 20
pin-up poster
article page
pg. 47
pin-up poster
tats page
pg. 54
“tats” page
pg. 56
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
pg. 14
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LEGEND STATUS
Q&A: CASPER
We chop it up with the Chief MC™ himself in this exclusive Q&A session
Since 2003 what have you been up to (as a person and
as an artist)?
C: A lot has happened since 2003. I've continued working in the engineering field and have been still plugging away at school. The family life has also kept me
busy with two daughters who have finally finished
high school and are currently in college. As an artist,
and a record label, we have managed to release 4
cd's since 2003 including 2 of our own, on our own
label.
I've performed at some of the most prestigious musically events in the US like The Kennedy
Center, The Smithsonian Institute, The New Orleans
Jazz and Heritage Festival and just recently, Madison
Square Garden sharing the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Ben Harper, Richie Havens, Dave Matthews, and
many many more. The live music keeps us in demand and the music is still going strong!
What is the last album you worked on?
C: We finished up "Honor the People" in 2004 and did
a few complication cd's, one called "Dread in America", and the other called "Summer Solstice" which is
native hip hop.
Could you tell us about your new album?
The new works entitled "Brother's Keeper" is a work
in progress project. The reason I say that is that this
cd should have been completed 2 years ago! I've
learned that in this business that the music never
get's old, only the artist does. This project will have
10 - 12 new tunes with 2 dub versions for a total of
about 75 minutes of music. Of course, all original!
What inspires you to perform live on stage and any
tips to those barely getting their feet wet in the industry?
C: The inspiration is the need to have our music
heard in all directions because music can make a
difference in a person's life. The song's I write about
are true accounts of my life where I wear the emotions on my sleeve for the whole world to see! My advice is to never give up and always look for ways to
stand out from the pack. Also understand that music
is a business and should be treated as such. You got
to work hard to get your music out there and live
performances are what have worked for me...
How did you get into making reggae?
C: Actually, reggae picked me! Since the late 80's, "Cultural Connection" (which is a group of friends from
Hopi) has been bringing the best reggae in the world
to Hopi land.
They got tired of driving either to Flagstaff or
Phoenix to see these shows and made a decision to
reach out to these artists and start bringing them
out home. I started going to these concerts at an
early age and knew that this was my calling.
Who is your favorite Native entertainer to date?
I have a few but one that I see who's going to make
it in this business because he's humble, focused and
talented has to be Levi Platero from New Mexico. For
someone who is so young in this business I think he'll
be the one to become a superstar! He deserves it
also...
Who is your favorite Native actor?
That's an easy one. Elaine Miles
What is your favorite Native oriented movie?
The last of the Mohicans. Definitely one of my all
time favorite native movies...
If you could do a collabo with any artist in the world
who would it be and why?
Carlos Santana because for one, he's a very humble
man. For two, his music is awesome. And three, he's
a professional that would make you be on his level.
The better musician you work with, the better musician you aspire to become.
How long have you been a performer?
16 Years professionally
Do you ever think about quitting?
Everyday! I get so frustrated with this industry and
the demands they put on an artist with sometimes
no returns. I also hate dealing with jealousy ass people, including family members who liked me better
when I was in dire need! I've accomplished everything I've ever wanted to musically so the thought
has crossed my mind.
Did you vote for Obama?
Yes. I also performed for him in Washington, DC at
the American Indian Inaugural Ball in January of
this year.
Do you think Obama will benefit the Native community?
I can only pray that I made the right decision in voting for him. I feel that our new president is a friend
to native people and only time will tell what he'll do
for the native communities. I also know that he's a
politician and I have never trusted a politician
BUILD THE ULTIMATE HOME STUDIO
By Rezz’d Out Inc.
Okay, so you are the next best thing to fried
bread and spam but, you are tired of getting that
low-budget sound everyone else has? Don’t worry we
are going to help you build the ultimate home
recording studio.
No. We are not talking about building a
cheapo recording “room” what we are talking about
is building the rez-mecca crème ala crème studio
where you can chill out with your friends and watch
the super bowl in super loud lovliness and also the
same place where you will be able to audition and
eventually record the talent that you are looking for.
If you are the talent then by building your own studio you will be able to save money and be able to
make music at your leisure.
For a scrawny investment in microphones,
preamps, audio interfaces and software you can be
on your way. We are going to tell you all about the
latest and greatest gear, tell you what you don’t really need and what you absolutely have to have in
order to get that enriched clear professional sound
the big dogs have. What we will not do is waste your
time with fluff and BS. We are a family of musicians
and music experts so this is the soundest advice you
will be able to get for free. So, pay attention.
Before we begin we just want to caution you
that just because you have the equiptment does not
mean you will make bad-ass music. That is a common misconception. In order to make good music
you have to have some creative level in understanding music and measurements in musical notes and
so on. You have to possess some idea of what sounds
good to the ear and what sounds like doo-doo, plain
and simple. If you do not have that “ear” then we
suggest just leave the recording to the pros.
In this guide we’re going to cover the basic
main things you need to have in order to record the
next megalithic album. We will not tell you which
microphone to buy nor will we tell you which software to use. Instead, we have narrowed the view
down to the basic things you need to begin building
the ultimate home studio and, they are:
1.
A recording booth
2.
A Microphone
3.
Recording software
4.
Proper soundproofing
Everything else will fall in place and make
more sense if you have these four main ingredients.
So, make sure to follow our instructions and you will
have the baddest studio in your area.
In the next section of the “Ultimate Home
Studio” guide we have designed step by step instructions on how to build the perfect vocal booth for your
Rezz’d Out-esque recording studio. We know these
instructions work because we have used them to
build our own vocal booths over the years and that
is how we get our superior sound and quality. So, if
you follow the guide you will hopefully get the same
results.
The Vocal Booth
7 Steps to Creating the Ultimate Vocal Booth:
Here Is Your To-Do List:
By Rezz’d Out Inc.
Without a doubt one of the most important
parts of the recording studio is the Vocal Recording
Booth a.k.a. the vocal booth. Building the vocal booth
can be quite a task and so you should be well prepared to spend time buying material, cutting, sawing,
measuring and finally screwing everything together
to ensure an adequately designed recording space.
I you do not build a vocal booth then you
might as well not spend the extra money on the best
software or the best microphones and, while you are
at it do not tell people you have a studio because
without a vocal booth you really do not have one, all
you have is a recording space.
Not a recording studio.
1.
Choose a place where you want the vocal
booth.
2.
Measure the height of the room from the
floor to the ceiling. A rule of thumb is to make sure
the booth stands about 4 feet above your height as
you may have taller people coming over to record.
This also helps with the ventilation and sound quality.
3.
Build your walls. Make sure to measure and
measure again before cutting anything. REMEMBER
measure twice before cutting.
4.
Use drywall to enclose your booth. Hang it
over the wood beams you used to build the vocal
booth. Be patient and do this next step – let the drywall set for up to 24 hours before continuing. No need
to rush things and ruin a perfectly good vocal booth.
5.
Ventilation is important. Use a saw to cut a
circle in an out-of-the-way place where you will install a small fan for ventilation purposes. It gets hot
very quickly inside a vocal booth so make sure you
do not skip this part as it will help you stay comfortable.
6.
Soundproofing the vocal booth. Eggshell foam
works wonders when it comes to soundproofing your
vocal booth. On the other hand you may want a more
professional appeal – in that case buying standard
industry soundproofing foam will cost a little more
but will work majestically when it comes to deadening the room for supreme vocal recording.
7.
Microphone placement. Place your microphone stand in the room, close the door, turn on the
vent fan and get a feel for the spacing. When you get
the right stand adjustment set ensure that it is not
leaning on any walls or cables. Run the microphone
cables through an out-of-the-way hole to your
recording equipment and make a test recording to
adjust the new audio levels.
Shoot Your Own MTV Style Music
Video
By Rezz’d Out Inc.
I
f there is anything MTV has taught us it is
that music videos sell your music. Period. If there is
anything Rezz’d Out Music has demonstrated – anyone can make music videos and make money. Let’s
take a look at the history of Native made music
videos before 2005 – ugh, well, there really were not
any around and the ones that were around were so
lack luster no one paid any attention to them. Rezz’d Out Music almost single handedly introduced the
idea that you can make flashy, fun music videos on
a budget. They practically pioneered the field with
groundbreaking music videos like “I’m So Broke”,
“Crazy” and “The Projects”. All of which were shot on
shoestring budgets and with limited resources. “The
Projects” was so revolutionary it has yet to be replicated – since it is the only 100% animated Native
music video out there. There are several other music
videos created by Rezz’d Out Music but, that is not
the point here. The point is that with a little imagination, time and money you can create works of art.
In creating music videos you should always
keep a couple things in mind. One being that this is
a business and, since this is a business just because
you are showing your music videos on youtube.com
for free does not mean you cannot make money. On
the contrary, let’s look at MTV again, shall we. MTV
showed us music videos for free and what did we do
in return? That is right – we went to the store and
bought tapes, records and CD’s. Use this simple example as a blueprint and before long you will find
your own formula for successfully marketing your
own music videos.
Some keys to always remember are to always
follow your gut. If you feel you want to try something
– do it. It is okay to listen to people and take their
advice just keep in mind that sometimes you have to
venture out and do you.
In this guide we are going to give you some
tips on how to shoot your music video using green
screen technology, proper lighting as well as tell you
what software and recommended camera type to
use. We are only going to touch on the basics so, pay
attention and after you read this go make some badass videos.
The Music Video
Creativity, productivity & Style
By Rezz’d Out Inc.
Shooting a music video can be a very difficult goal to accomplish and, yet it is fairly easy to do.
Before venturing out to make a music video you
should follow the guidelines we have provided.
1.
Location. If you want an outdoor
scene in your video choose a locale that does not require you to get a license for shooting film in the
area. Some places may also ask you to pay to use
their facilities if it is an indoor scene – so, make
sure to ask ahead of time and be prepared when
you arrive. All in all plan out your location shoots.
2.
Simplicity is the key to success. If you
are on a tight budget do not try to get too fancy in
an effort to try and make the video look like you
spent alotta bucks on it. Instead spend the least
amount of money possible and just keep the video
simple. In the end it is about the music and the style
of the video not the crazy props that keep falling
over in the background.
3.
Angles of creativity. When shooting a
low budget music video keep in mind that lighting
and camera angles are your best friends at this
point so, use them to your benefit.
4.
Editing. Just because you are done
shooting the video does not mean the video is complete. On the contrary, you need to properly edit the
footage you spent time carefully filming so that it
makes sense to the viewer. Do not be afraid to lightly
add special effects and designs. Take a cue from
Rezz’d Out Music and their videos and you will see
how dressing up a low budget video can add to the
overall entertainment quality.
Keep in mind that if you are using green
screen technology to place an orange colored light in
front of the person being filmed against the green
screen. This will help take out the “green trace
around the body” of the person being filmed. Also,
take note of the lighting behind the subject to ensure
an even amount of light dispersion on the background. This makes it easier to “take out” the green
later when you are doing the editing.
While we do not really prefer one brand over
another we do recomend getting an HD camera or
at least renting or borrowing one for the duration of
your music video shoot. As far as software we do
recommend edting with Vegas Pro. This software is
so easy to use and has a multitude of functions that
your music videos will rival the pro’s any day (if you
take the time to edit your footage properly that is).
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cameras have been pointing at American Indians
since the 1800’s and yet for a people as publicized
and recognized as the American Indian they
have yet to come full circle into mainstream
media.
American Indians in Hollywood are usually molded from the same look and style of Jay
Silverheels (Tonto fame). Whilst this is not so bad
as Silverheels was a very prominent figure back
in the fifties and sixties and had himself a very
lucrative career it is bad in the sense that he always seemed to play monosyllabic, stereotypical
roles. That’s where the root problem is when it
comes to Tinsel Town and its “Redman” view of
American Indians as actors and as a people.
Since the 1950’s there has only been a
slight variation in the type of American Indian
that is cast in movies. They are: the old wise
“Injun”, the young dumb brave and the sexually
enticing Pocohontos type-female. All play a key
role in how not only Native people have been
viewed but, also how they have begun to view
themselves and this has had a direct impact on
them as a race of culturally distinct and very
unique people.
For the longest time up into the 1960’s the
majority of “Indian” roles were played by non-Native American people. Then, with the Civil Rights
movement in full motion Hollywood began to listen to the public in its shout to stop the racist
stereotyping of the American Indian and also to
actually cast Native people in the roles that have
predominately gone to non-Native American actors. For a while it seemed that Native American
actors were on the right track to gaining
celebrity. This was not the case as we have seen
not much has changed in the last forty years. The
only thing that seemed to change was that American Indians began to play the roles of “Indians”
but still they were stuck in the same monosyllabic, stereotypical roles as Jay Silverheels from
years past.
Year after year it seemed that more “Indian” actors were cloned from either Jay Silverheels or the old wise “Injun” that is always
present in all Native American oriented films.
Year after year the cloning process continued
and year after year we all became numb to the
feeling of degradation.
(continued on pg 30)
(continued on pg 29)
That is until in the late 1980’s something
strange happened.
A glitch in the matrix let a very nonstereotypical American Indian slip through the
cracks in the system and right into the mainstream American conscienceness forever. You
may not know him by his birth name, Sonny
Landham but, without a doubt you will recognize
him as “the big Indian guy in Predator”, who
starred alongside mega-star Arnold Swartzenegger. Landham, actually began his career years
before his meteoric rise to quick stardom in
Predator. At one point he was a well paid porn
star who made a lucrative living in adult film before he ever made a high profile career in Hollywood.
Being American Indian seems to have
been the stumbling block for most Native actors
but, for Sonny Landham it was just the opposite.
Landham never knelt down and played the dumb
Indian role and instead always chose to portray
his characters with a sense of humanity.
Whether it was playing Billy Bear (his most famous character) in 48 Hours alongside Eddie
Murphy and Nick Nolte or starring along side
Chuck Norris in Firewalker Landham always
seemed to have a knack for being the most unusual and most non-stereotypical “Indian” in
American cinema. Those days are gone forever.
Now in his sixties Landham will most likely fade
into history like most other Native actors.
Character Intel>
Narbona prototype 43
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
American Indian Action Hero
American In
Character Origin>
First
Person Shooter video game
being created by ROI Game
› Di
sion.
Side and Front Views
Game Name: Narbona s
Revenge › also, look for thi
character in the upcoming ga
titled: REZ FORCE ONE which
was set to be released summer
2009 but, is being pushed bac
little longer to work out som
bugs.
With all the majot films
coming out based on video
games and their characte
›rs Na
bona would be a great charact
to base a majot action film o
Starring, of course, an Ameri
Indian as the lead role.
Narbona is a cybergen
› eti
cally enhanced soldier create
by NDN DNA Research.
ndian Action Hero Want
Trailer>You can watch the video
game trailer at youtube.com just type
the keywords Narbona s Revenge .
Training>Spec Ops Warfare,
Advanced Military
Tactics
Occupation> Gun for Hire,
Bounty Hunter
Subject> NARBONA 45
Age> Unknown
Status> Violent, Highly Intelligent
Advertise In This Magazine
Reach new customers and gain more exposure
Email us today for current ad rates and our media kit
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History In The Making
www.nemagazine.net