RED NATION IN THE NEWS

TV star launches television network

Posted: February 27, 2008
by: Robert Schmidt / Pechanga.net

CULVER CITY, Calif. - Thirty years ago, she was a girl called Hatter Fox. Now she's a filmmaker, singer/songwriter, and entrepreneur who plans to create the first Indian television network.

Joanelle Romero, an actress of Apache/Cheyenne descent, has accomplished many things in her life. In 1977, she was the first person to star in a movie about a contemporary American Indian woman. Only three such movies have been made since then, she said: "Lakota Woman," "Naturally Native" and "Imprint.

"In 2006, Romero introduced the Red Nation Television Channel. So far, the channel is Web-based, with content such as syndicated news, documentaries and music videos. But her goal is more ambitious than offering multimedia on the Net. "We want to be - we will be the next Indian HBO/CNN," she declared.

Other groups are also trying to develop the first real Native TV network. The contenders include Native American Television and American Indian Television. But Romero isn't worried about the competition. They may have more corporate sponsors and flashier Web sites, she says, but she has the content and the industry contacts.

From actress to producer After her breakthrough in the made-for-TV movie "A Girl Called Hatter Fox," the networks began grooming Romero for her own series. She guest-starred in shows such as "Hill Street Blues," "Cutter to Houston," and "Murder, She Wrote." But she wanted to be a feature-film actress.

The roles eventually dwindled. "I got tired of being stuck in a tipi and saying we want more stew beef," she said. "I didn't study acting at the Lee Strasberg studio to be in a tipi the rest of my career." An anecdote shows how tough the going was. Romero was up to play the mother in a mother/daughter combo with her own daughter, who was also in the business. "I'm an actress. She's an actress. Let's play mother and daughter," she said. "What a great PR thing, right? But they said I was too sexy. So I didn't get the role.

"In 1991, Romero founded Spirit World Productions, her own production company. In 1994, she produced and starred in "Home, Home on the Rez," the first American Indian drama series set in the United States. In 2000, she wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning documentary, "American Holocaust: When It's All Over I'll Still Be Indian."

Celebrating Red Nations

In 1995, Romero founded Red Nation Celebration, a nonprofit dedicated to educating people about Indians through the performing arts. This led to the establishment of the first American Indian Heritage month in Los Angeles in 2006. It also led to a Native music radio program and the Red Nation Television Channel.

The need for such a channel is obvious, according to Romero. "We're not on prime-time television, and we're not in mainstream radio. For our grandchildren's grandchildren, we need to have our image [available].

"Indians are like the elephant, or perhaps the big buffalo, in the room, Romero said. They suffuse our history and culture, but they're invisible in the media. That's what she wants to change.

"The point is that the Red Nation Television Channel is a vehicle and a venue for our Indian people to go to watch. And for the general public to go to and experience who 'Indian' is, what 'Indian' sounds like, what our sense of humor is, what our culture is about.

"Stepping up to the plate

Only one thing is missing, Romero said: "Investors. We need the godfathers to step up to the plate. The godmothers to step up to the plate. To believe in our people. Believe in the people who are doing it.

"But she isn't waiting for money. "If I waited for funding, none of this stuff would've ever happened. The American Indian heritage month, the television channel, the radio show, the first American Indian holocaust film." If you want to get something done, she said, "You just have to do it."

"I've known this lady for like a decade or so," said Jay Tavare, a Native actor who has appeared in "Cold Mountain" and "Into the West." "And she is truly an ambassador for the Red Nation. Her tireless efforts have been phenomenal.

"Seated at a McDonald's not far from Hollywood, Romero said there are three kinds of people: First, the "dreamers and doers" who get things done; second, the people who "step in and try to take over" after something is finished; and third, the "yapping dogs" who sit on the sidelines. "I'd rather be the dreamer and the doer," she said. Because when people "try to get credit for something they didn't create, it always slaps them in the face anyway. It always fails. It's not their vision so it doesn't work."

And who wants to be a yapping dog? " Romero said. "I don't."

For more information on Romero's endeavors, visit Red Nation Celebration at www.rednation.com. 

Blessing in DisguiseThis Thanksgiving, take a moment to thank those whose country we borrowed By Ellen Snortland
My late Uncle Howard Snortland shared a story about my Grandma Aline and a dear friend of hers, an American Indian woman. My grandparents lived on an Indian reservation at Devil’s Lake, ND. It was around 1915, and the woman — let’s call her Blessing in Disguise for this story — visited Grandma frequently to swap stories, child-rearing philosophies and drink coffee. Grandma noticed little things missing after their get-togethers. The items were insignificant; a nearly empty spool of thread, a sliver of soap or a tea bag. Grandma chalked it up to petty theft based on sheer need since the “res” was poverty-stricken.Years later, when Grandma related her observation about Blessing in Disguise’s thefts to a North Dakota historian, he told her they were done for Grandma’s own benefit. Blessing in Disguise was worried that Grandma would bring shame to her family because of her stinginess. In Blessing’s culture, it was bad manners and a sign of ill-will not to give a gift to a visitor. Since Norwegians very rarely gave gifts except at Christmas time, Grandma never gave Blessing in Disguise a gift when she’d come calling. Concerned for Grandma’s spiritual welfare, Blessing helped herself to something, to keep Grandma’s karma clean. Fast forward to our age and we have another American Indian woman taking responsibility for our collective spiritual house. We owe so much to the tribes of this nation and yet their nations are often invisible to so many of us. So Joanelle Romero — singer, actor, activist and founder of Red Nation Celebration — wants us all to have a gift: The celebration of National American Indian Heritage Month all through November. She has been declared First Lady of the event by Jimmy Castillo, the tribal representative of the Tongva, a Los Angeles-area tribe. Romero has worked tirelessly for years to have November recognized as something we all celebrate, not just American Indians.She has been particularly triumphant this year. (I asked Romero about the use of Native American; isn't that the proper way to refer to the indigenous people here? "Anyone born here is native,” she said. “There are many of us who prefer American Indian.") Romero brought the vision of an American Indian Heritage Month to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “We chose Los Angeles for our inaugural event,” says Joanelle, “because this city is the home of the largest American Indian urban population in the United States. It is the second largest city in the country and the entertainment capital of the world. Mayor Villaraigosa has proudly stood alongside us to bring our heritage month to fruition.” Joanelle’s vision is to create a new understanding of tribes and American Indians. “I want people’s image of the American Indian to be one of energy and light and of all people lifted up because of us,” she said by phone. She is devoted to our “oneness,” and to the end of stereotypes. Indeed, it is very bad manners and bad karma to ignore people who have come before us.Thanksgiving is a perfect holiday since theoretically it’s a time where we give thanks collectively to the indigenous people who were kind enough to not kill us the second we set foot on THEIR shores. That’s mighty neighborly. American Indians have every right to despise white folks and curse us, rather than bless us. And yet, there are leaders like Romero who boggle the typical pedestrian mind. Thank goodness there are other people like Nelson Mandela, a prime example of forgiveness in action. He had every right to call for a blood bath when he was finally released from prison in South Africa. Romero stands on mighty global shoulders. Mandela-like, she too calls for “oneness,” love and what she describes as “female energy.” Fortunately for the San Gabriel Valley, Romero will be on the board of the Pasadena/Foothills Chapter of the United Nations Association next year. During the weekend of Dec. 9-10, she will perform and host a screening of her movie, “American Holocaust,” at A Celebration of Oneness in December at the Pasadena Convention Center(www.celebrationofoneness.com). When I asked if there was anything she wanted to make sure I mentioned in this column, she asked that her “brother,” spiritual partner and ally, the late Edward Albert Jr., be remembered for his commitment to social justice. Albert’s best known role was in “Butterflies are Free,” opposite Goldie Hawn. Devoted to social justice and particularly American Indian rights, he served on California’s Native American Commission. A female member of the Chumash tribe did a traditional ceremony at his death. Just as my Grandma Aline was the beneficiary of Blessing in Disguise’s altruism, we also can receive such continued blessings from our American Indian sisters and brothers. Remember them all month, but especially when we celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s at best shortsighted if we don’t. Let’s go for the long and loving view. To learn more about Red Nation Celebration November activities, isit www.rednation.com. Contact Ellen at www.snortland.com.11-23-06

On June 3, 2007 - United Nations Pasadena Chapter gave Montano Rain of HELP THE EARTH their "YEA AWARD" for youth environment projects.

Visit: HelptheEarth.org for more information.

MEDIA ALERT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERed Nation Film Festival: New Kid on the Block Earns Respect and Recognition Los Angeles, JANUARY5, 2007 – Three years. Not a long time, but long enough for the annual Red Nation Film Festival to already have earned the respect of Southern Californians form studio executives, students, European filmmakers, environmental activists, Native spiritual leaders, film fans, to the mayor of Los Angeles.Red Nation, which ran in Los Angeles on November 14-15th, is an annual celebration of the Native culture and its influence on American society. Last year’s theme, “Environmental and Global Warming,” featured former Vice President Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Not a likely choice for an American Indian venue, but a film that is nevertheless fundamentally Native in its perspective, asserts Festival founder Joanelle Romero. “American Indians were the first environmentalists and have been telling this story forever; the importance of saving the earth for all our relations. Vice President Gore’s film was about Mother Earth. It was about Turtle Island—and the Native people who attended were so overwhelmed with what he was saying,” she says. “We even had a 12-year-old boy, Montano Rain, who was so inspired by what he saw that he is changing the mission statement of the environmental organization he started.” It’s that level of enthusiasm that caught the eye of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who attended the second day and presented Romero with an official Certificate of Appreciation, citing her “vision and support in making American Indian Heritage Month a reality, for her leadership and extraordinary work in promoting and preserving American Indian culture in the arts and community, for her outstanding continuous support of justice not just in the American Indian community but for all Angelinos and women everywhere as well as the Red Nation Celebration for producing Red Nation Film Festival and being at the forefront and showcasing American Indian stories of truth.” Romero, in addition to her role with the festival, is the founder and Executive Director of Red Nation Celebration. “It was wonderful to experience the gentle and powerful presence of our mayor and receive such an unexpected honor,” she acknowledges. “It only further encourages our feelings of hope and pride.”Alan W. Silberberg, Former Paramount Pictures executive and Red Nation Board Member, concurs. “The film festival garnered tremendous attention from film goers, politicians and others. It’s fitting that in the city with the largest urban Indian population there is finally a film festival to celebrate Indian Country.” Building on this success, the Red Nation Film Festival will continue introducing people of all ethnicities to the depth and diversity of contemporary Native America.Planning for next November’s event is already underway with the theme of “Native Women in Film,” celebrating the accomplishments of Indigenous women filmmakers as well as movies with a uniquely Native female perspective. Filmmakers may submit a film for consideration to www.rednation.com at any time until August 2007. Three years. Not a long time, but long enough for this feisty little festival to get noticed by the young, the powerful, by Natives and non-Natives alike. And you ain’t seen nothin’ yet… Held annually each November during American Indian Heritage Month, the Annual Red Nation Film Festival is the only American Indian Film Festival in the City of Los Angeles; the entertainment capital of the world…

Red Nation Media Channel, the first internet television channel dedicated entirely to American Indian programming, is announcing its schedule for December and early 2007. The site promotes live news from Indian Country as well as includes films music videos, documentaries, drama series, and music specials. In association with Spirit World Productions, Red Nation Media is presenting the American Indian drama series, Home, Home on the Rez starring well-known Native actors Larry Sellers, Joanelle Romero, Elaine Miles, Elizabeth Sage, and Conroy Chino. Using the approach Bill Cosby employed, the new series is advancing diversity on television by using an all-Native cast and production crew. A second addition to the lineup is the Native news program, Red Nation News—Issues Within Indian Country. Red Nation Media Channel carries a heritage that comes from the original storytellers of this land. “It’s time to tell and air our own stories and screen our own images—written, produced, acted, scored b American Indian storytellers,” says Joanelle Romero, chairperson of Red Nation Holdings, Inc and the creator of Red Nation companies. “I simply got tired of being told NO by the industry and I, and others, decided it was time to do something about it.” “To have American Indian contemporary images on Internet TV is more important than any other time in history. It’s important not only for economic status, but our channel will carry entertainment value; outreach resources, public relations opportunities, for the generation now and the generations to come.” Red Nation Media Channel is a leader in providing quality American Indian Media Entertainment on the internet and will soon become so on television as well, responding to the growth of Native American entertainment media in recent years. In building its place in show business, the new channel will compete with other distribution platforms to build a bankable market to support American Indian actors, filmmakers, and recording artists. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So what are you waiting for? Tune in and enjoy www.RedNation.com

December 15, 2006 - National Women's History Project named Joanelle Romero an honoree for their Generations of Women Moving History Forward, for the creation of the first American Indian Television Channel. Red Nation Television Channel - Your Channel for Everything Native. This theme recognizes the wisdom and tenacity of the generations of women who have come before us and those who will follow. Recognition of the historic anniversaries of 2007 presents special opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate the courage, determination, and steadfastness needed to move history forward.

Joanelle Romero Received her Award in Washington DC in March 2007

Recognizing the 2007 Honorees in Washington, DC

On March 21, 2007, the National Women’s History Month held a special event at the Hotel Washington in Washington, DC, to celebrate National Women’s History Month and to recognize the 2007 NWHM Honorees.

The beautiful gala reception was underwritten by the Lifetime Television Network, the media sponsor for National Women’s History Month. Lifetime Network has made the National Women’s History Project’s (NWHP) special celebrations of National Women’s History Month possible for the last six years.

The Hotel Washington’s Parkview Room was filled to capacity as over 120 people celebrated the 2007 National Women’s History Month Honorees who represented “Generations of Women Moving History Forward”.