North Bay Woman

S P R I N G | S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 NORTH BAY WOMAN 61 A licia Mary Retes is education director at the Museum of the American Indian in Miwok Park, Novato. For over nine years, Retes has con- ducted interactive programs about California Native Americans and other regions to over 4,500 kindergarten- to 12th-grade students as part of their California social studies curriculum. She performs stories, composes and sings trilingual songs (English, Spanish and Miwok) throughout the Bay Area. 1 How should we refer to native people here in America? "The first native peoples of the Americas are not a single undifferentiated group. They have diverse ways of life, specific homelands, cultural backgrounds, beliefs and historical experiences with different senses of identity. If you know the specific name of their tribe, use it. If not, then ask. Marin and Southern Sonoma is the traditional territory of the Coast Miwok. Individuals may have their own preferenc- es, but Native American or American Indian are generally acceptable. 2 What is the significance of the Museum of the American Indian? "Created over 50 years ago, the museum serves as a community cultural center to conserve, research, exhibit and interpret cultural and ethnographic materials related to Native American peoples. We have community outreach programs for underserved youth and seniors and many vol- unteer opportunities. Our new outdoor program with county parks provides explorations of Marin landscapes with native perspectives. And the annual Native American Trade Feast features intertribal drummers, singers and dancers as well as native foods, basketry demonstration, regalia making, shell- bead drilling and children activities. 3 What can we learn from indigenous cultures? "Many things. Perhaps the most important and immediate lesson would be that humanity is a part of nature, not sepa- rate from it. That we may live in our environment and on the planet without destroying it. We are, in fact, vitally depen- dent upon nature and 60% of food in the world originates from cultivation by American indigenous civilizations (corn, potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, etc.). 4 What do you enjoy about storytelling? "I love the interaction with the audience, social connection and the transformative nature of storytelling. It is exhilarat- ing. I was a shy, junior high school girl before I first per- formed on stage playing the role of comedienne Phyllis Diller. Quite the opposite personality! It was a magical Alicia Mary Retes at a museum school tour in which Retes emphasizes respect and communication in her story telling when talking with children. – Photo courtesy of Alicia Mary Retes By Sandy McCready

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