Painting our Present, Past, and Future:

Balancing Traditional and Modern Life with Art

Annaleise M. Moquino

Santa Clara and San Ildefonso Pueblo

Annaleise Moquino.mp4

Personal Connection

Growing up as a Native American in this new age, I've always felt different. Separated. I wasn't able to fit in either of the worlds I lived in. I never looked like anyone on the screen, in the news, or on my phone. I felt out of place. Those around me were like me, but they seemed happy and stable in both worlds. I can't change my blood, or where I come from. I am pueblo, I am from Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Ohkay Owingeh, Nambe, Isleta and Zia. And after some years I started to feel less isolated. I started to accept me for who I am, and where I come from together to where I'm gonna go. Although every now and then sometimes the battles are harder than usual. I want to let those who feel and have felt like me to know it's okay. We come from strong people and although it may seem dark we have an enstilled a strong light inside every one of us.

Moquino, Annaleise. Moquino Annaleise. 13 October 2023. Authors Personal Collection

- RESEARCH LOGS -

IDENTITY

"Sharing One Skin"

The article "Sharing One Skin," by Jeanette Armstrong informs the reader that the "people" are tied together to everyone and everything. The things we do are what bond us mentally, eternally, and spiritually to the world around us and ourselves. The behaviors of what we do and what we feel are what creates us, makes us "human." Being human is what keeps us from causing "disruptions" to others, ourselves, and the world. It's what keeps us whole, and makes us apart of this earth that we all live on together.

Armstrong, Jeannette, 1996 "Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community." Pp. 460-470. Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds.), The case Against the Global Economy, San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.

Moquino, Annaleise. San I Sunset. 5 June 2023. Authors Personal Collection.

"How Place Names Impact the Way We See Landscapes"

Memories and stories are the connections to our land, to our past, and our future. B. Toastie's article allows a deeper insight on the connections of unique environments. Additionally the land can and does reveal to us insight of how we came to be. The deep cuts of feeling, history of events pertaining to the land can can have a deep and rich impact upon Native Americans and how they identify with it.

Toastie, B. "How Place Names Impact the Way We See Landscape." High Country News, Vol 1, 2

Moquino, Annaleise. Long Walk for Water. 4 August, 2020. Authors Personal Collection.

"And Then I Went to School"

While reading "And Then I Went to School " By Joe Suina, I understood that Suina was describing his hardships of growing up its the village, it being all he knows to having to be forced into going to a boarding school. Having a tremendous culture shock he didn't know how to react or how to navigate this new world. On one side he was being told to love his tradition and where he came from. Then on the other side he was told to stop speaking his language, forget the teachings of his home, and to leave it all for the whites mans world. Challenging himself, he doesn't know whether to follow his heart or to bash his "home."

Moquino, Annaleise. Pante. 10 August 2023. Authors Personal Collection

CURRENT STATE OF THE ISSUE

"A Century of Disruption"

In the book "Urban Indians," Donald L. Fixico speaks about how Native Peoples end up in urban areas. it goes deep into the history of how they came to be, although for this section, we focus on chapter 2, A Century of Disruption. It goes back into how natives on the East Coast didn't have the choice, or really know that the white men wanted their land, and to them, they had an "Indian problem," something the white men wanted and needed to fix fast. Things drastically changed. East Coast natives were relocated to dry rural areas where the only way they could sustain themselves was to assimilate into the white man's world. It gives the details these people went through, but also a taste of the hidden history of America's boarding schools. It continues to go back to the phrase, "Kill the Indian, save the man." Leading to the terror, fear, and extreme identity crisis.

Moquino, Annaleise. Almost There. 2023. Authors Personal Collection

"The New Indian Art"

In the 1960s, Native American artists started to redefine what "indian" art really meant. Mainly using western materials and techniques in their own art. Moving away from the traditional form, techniques, and style even. Some took up sculpting, making it from influence of western painters and sculptors. It was the big question of what is contemporary "Indian" art.

Moquino, Annaleise. City of Enchantment. 16 Dec 2021. Authors Personal Collection

Fixico, Donald. "Urban Indians." New York, Chelsea House, 1991.

"Urban Rez- Relocating"

"Urban Rez," a nationally distributed documentary exploring the lasting legacy of modern day effects of the 1950s Relocation Act, encouraged American Indians to leave their homelands and relocate into urban areas across the country. Elders who participated in this program talk about their experiences, the good and bad. Allowing the people the chance to tell their everlasting story. This act as a whole was the last attempt to assimilate the native population into white Americans. "Just because we live in the city doesn't make us less Indian."

"Urban Rez." Larry Pourier, Rocky Mountains PBS Network, Inc. 2013. Youtube, Youtube.com/watch?v=Gh3gs3eRYTS.

Moquino, Annaleise. Nit Picking. 17 May 2023. Authors Personal Collection

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

"Traditional Cultures and Modernization: Several Problems in the Case of Japan"

The article "Tradition Cultures and Modernization: Several Problems in the Case of Japan," written by Nirai Naofusa explains how Japan has accepted Western culture and it has resulted in a change in everyday life for the Japanese. Leaving cultural elements indigenous to the east to be replaced by western elements. The tension between the two causes the remolding of the country to slowly lose traditions and harmonious coexistence of man and nature. Today, it is clear that the current day Japanese do not seem to want to continue their tradition and culture. Rather, they are more interested in expanding into the tech fields, leading to environmental pollution and one of the leading factors of modernization.

Hirai, Naofusa. "Traditional Cultures and Modernization: Several Problems in the Case of Japan." Kokugakuin.ac.jp, 1999, www2.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/cimac/hirai.html. 1 Feb 2024.

Bird, Nathaniel. Cat In Japan. 17 May 2023. Authors Personal Collection

"Nomadic Culture in Mongolia. Balancing Tradition and Modernity, How Modernization is impacting traditional nomadic lifestyles in Mongolia"

The Traditional nomadic culture in Mongolia is starting to decline in the number of people who practice nomadism. In this article it is explained that in Mongolia the younger generation is looking for opportunities in the cities, such as jobs and formal education rather than continuing the traditional practices passed down. With fewer people learning the skills , there is a risk of losing traditional knowledge and practices . Which is deeply concerning to the herders who have dedicated their entire lives to the tradition. Not only that, but due to the younger generation moving into urban setting, there has been a huge increase in mining and infrastructure in these rural areas, leading to the displacing of herders and their livestock.

"Less land means less livestock." - Grimley, Valerie. 2024.

Mongolianz, "Nomadic Culture in Mongolia : Balancing Tradition and Modernity ," mongolianz.com, April 26,2023, mongolianz.com/post/2023/04/26/nomadic-culture-in-mongolia-balancing-tradition-andmodernity/

Moquino, Annaleise. "Grandpa" It runs in the family. 2 March 2024. Authors Personal Collection

" Tibetans Fight to Salvage Fading Culture In China"

“Our words will be lost to them.” -Mr. Tashi

In an article written by the New York Times, Edward Wong, tells the story of how in today the Tibetan people face the struggle of not being allowed to teach in their native tongue in schools. This, leading to the fight to save their tradition and culture. Filled with anxiety and worry, the Tibetan people hold a strong unknowing of the future and how it will all impact their keeping of life. The Chinese strongly push to encourage the assimilation, keeping a close and tight hold on not teaching their first language, but to change it to only teaching Chinese. Many families struggle and protest that it should not be the way for them, but being under the Chinese, they have no choice. This is not a new issue, but rather a silent fight that has been happening for years without many change. If everything continues as it has, the Tibetan people will have lost all of their tradition and culture, and most importantly, their identity.

Wong, Edward. "Tibetans Fight to Salvage Fading Culture in China." Archive.nytimes.com. archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/world/asia/china-tibet-education.html

Moquino, Annaleise. "QuickTrip." 16 Sept. 2023. Authors Personal Collection.

ACTION PLANS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT