NATIVE LANDS CULTURAL OUTREACH PROJECT / Public Good Proposal
1.
Summarize
your idea and vision for this project. How does it utilize the unique features
of a virtual
world?
The
Native Lands Cultural Outreach Project includes the establishment of an active
Learning & Resource Center, Traditional Dance Grounds, an interactive
Traditional Lifestyle area, and Public Arts and Cultural programming. Our
overall vision is a multi-phased, long term commitment to develop, create and
foster a public space that provides a respectful approach to and safe haven for
the preservation and celebration of American Indian Culture, Tradition and
Heritage.
Using SL streaming audio, video and voice chat, traditional and contemporary native music and language will be shared among and the rich oral tradition of storytelling will be shared and passed on, which is vital for the survival of these traditions.
We also, plan to use animations, derived from video capture of traditional dance steps, scripting of interactive educational kiosks and tools, and machinema to enhance and preserve our process as we "virtualize" aspects of what we identify as Indian Country.
Bringing together talented individuals, adept in the many areas of expertise necessary to successfully fine tune our vision, we hope to fully utilize every possibility that exists in the virtual environment to evolve this project beyond the realm of what many only perceive as "a game." On that note, one of our vision's hopes is to re-image the mass perception of what many in Second Life, as well as, the real world, have of American Indian Culture.
There are many in Second Life who doing a loin cloth, a feather headdress and "play Indian." We, on the other hand aren't "playing." We ARE Indian. Through our outreach efforts and interactions made possible through this unique virtual environment, we hope to politely and patiently, educate others about our history, traditions and who we truly are as individuals, and as diverse Nations.
2.
Who is your intended audience and who will participate
directly?
Certainly, our project is primarily driven by and for individuals who are American Indian by Heritage but our audience includes the general population, who are openly invited to participate through our cultural outreach programs. Our approach is very inclusive and we continually seek ways to collaborate with people of different cultural heritages, in our ongoing effort to celebrate the richness and diversity of the Human Spirit and Community.
As
a part of this particular project, we have invited our South American neighbors,
from the Visit Mexico Regions, to co-author/create a Columbus Day Parade or Dia
de la Raza celebration. Our intention is for the parade route to span many
regions and time zones, which will offer the public audience along the parade
route, a moving spectacle of interactive educational floats, giant puppets, and
festive cultural regalia, worn by marchers in the "Peoples' Procession."
Many elements of the parade will be interactive and educational, offering the
audience insight into not only the cultures we will be celebrating but also the
socio-political reason for the ritual of the parade itself.
3. What is the scope of your endeavor and
what would you most like to accomplish?
Our scope is focused on the particular task of solidifying our Learning & Resource Center, Powwow Arena (gathering space), and completing the first in our series of traditional villages, with interactive kiosk-type learning tools. Also, we would like to have
Ultimately, the Learning Center would act
as an orientation point for envisioned additions of multiple regions; each with
particular focus on independent tribes and a real world connection to that
tribe. What we hope to accomplish is a working prototype that not only stands on
its own as a project but also, demonstrates the practical purposes and aesthetic
capabilities to members of real world Tribal Communities and a model for
integrating a virtual presence into their own public and private aspects of
their Communities. This includes, distance learning, inter-tribal cultural
exchanges, genealogy, tribal youth programs and other efforts to integrate
digital technologies and promote accessibility through existing Tribal Community
Centers.
Also,
for this particular project phase, we would like to host a Premier type series
of events, to launch the new Educational and Cultural Outreach aspects of the
Native Lands Vision. This would include live performance, storytelling,
interpretive tours and lecture/discussion sessions. Other components of this
endeavor include the Columbus Day Parade and a live theatre presentation of
"Black Elk Speaks."
4.
What *public good* benefits do you see created through your proposed
endeavor?
The current global environmental issues
are, partially, the result of a world out of balance. More correctly, though, it
is the People that are out of balance with the world. Through the inherent
connection of the Indians to the Earth, we can learn to return to a balanced,
respectful way of living and being good Caretakers of the Earth. Recently, we
utilized the platform of Earth Day to integrate the overall message of
Environmental Responsibility with Earth-related native philosophies and
traditions, through events that included, native flute, storytelling, drumming
circles and powwows. For Indians, the greatest project of "public good" is to
protect and honor the Earth.
Another
effort that will be bolstered through this outreach project is the
aforementioned re-imaging of our Cultural Identity to not only role-players but
to the general population. This effort will be integrated throughout the
cultural outreach process. We feel through interaction and sharing of our
culture, we stand a good chance of reaching and creating constructive dialogue
with those who may have only a romanticized view of the American Indian. We feel
many people, in both hemispheres, have simply been misinformed over the past 300
years or more and the great public good that would come out of re-imaging, would
be a monumental step in the right direction. Certainly, we are realistic and
hope to initially, affect at a localized, virtual community level as our key
focus for re-imaging.
5. At
the end of this challenge, what "real world" impact will you measure as your
basis for success?
Our
goals and vision are very long termed and we hope our success is eventually
measured by the virtual presence of tribal youths and Elders, from both Indian
Reservations and around the world, participating daily in a variety of in world
arts, community, education and tribe-specific opportunities that connect the
native community at large through the virtual environment. Specifically, for
this particular challenge, a good marker of success would be the realization of
the Learning Center as a repository of American Indian-specific information, our
Traditional areas to be completed and utilized as intended, and for the planned
outreach programming and events to be well-received and meet their purpose of
extending American Indian culture
6.
Do you, or your team, have a solid track record and positive success stories in
Second Life or other
virtual
spaces?
Animator (5000) (finalizing traditional native dances)
Researcher/Archivist (10,000) (Archival Process, structuring the Resource Center)
Multi-Lingual Interpreter (5000)
Builder #1 (5000) finalize all builds
Builder #2 (0) phased out
Scripter (10,000) (integrate all educational kiosks, information givers, teleports, interactive elements, particles and environmental effects)
Sound (.wav) Development (5000) researching, harvesting or recording & engineering of authentic sound
Machinema
Documentary (5000) completed project fee
Premiere Opening (Integrated
Sub-Project) Cultural Event / Public Orientation & Project
Discussions TOTAL=12,500
Performing
Artist Series:
Traditional
American Indian Storytelling (2500) (2
performers)
Traditional Native
Flute (9000) (3 performers)
Coordinator (1000)
Pre Production: (Integrated
Sub-Project)
Theatre Production "Black Elk Speaks"
TOTAL=27,500
royalties/script (5000)
Performer (12500) 5 performances (Slated for Oct-Nov, rehearsals/design,
Aug-Oct)
Promotions
(5000)
Director
(5000)
Columbus Day Parade/ Dia de la Raza , with Mexico Board of Tourism's "Visit
Mexico" Region (Oct 12)
Budget Month 3 TOTAL=
23,500
Float Manager (3000)
Float Manager #2 (3000)
coordinates for European Time Zone
Cross-Cultural Promotion (10,000) including multiple language press, distributed
educational materials & information
Float Design (0)
complete
Costume Design (0) complete
Coordinator (5000)
Assistant to Coordinator (2500) parade route management, people wrangler,
IM's/Notices for European Time Zones
10,000
promotions (underfunded)
25,000
tier
40,000 production
5,000 documentary
12,500 Premier/Orientation
(underfunded)
27,500 Theatre
(underfunded)
23,500 Columbus Day Parade
---------TOTAL
MONTH 3 EXPENDITURES= 143,500
GRANT FUNDING REQUESTED FOR MONTH 3 =
100,000
ENTIRE PROJECT BUDGET: L$330,500
---
Time Line for Project Completion
JUL 17th -
Team assignments, prototyping, independent projects begin
JUL 20th - Columbus
Day Parade designs and logistics begin
AUG 1st - Full charette of ideas and
programming details, based upon independent project progress
AUG 5th -
streamlining of project and matching of technical needs per project components,
i.e., scripts for kiosks, teaming up of Researcher with Linguist
AUG 16th -
Initial Builds in place, interior design of Learning Center worked out for
archives and interactive library, Premier OCT 16 presentation finalized
AUG
20th - Columbus Day general meeting, route walking, information translations
begin
SEP 1st - Review of projects to date, progress report,
refinement of needs per project components
SEP 16th - Columbus Day Parade
route finalized, designs completed, Traditional Dance animations completed,
press teasers begin
SEP 20th - Traditional Village completed, with
interpretive kiosks placed
OCT 1st - Initial test run of all key
elements, assignment of elements to be reworked, full Press releases
begin
OCT 5th - Learning Center complete for initial round of development,
all educational materials cross translated
OCT 10th - Columbus Day Parade
General Pre-Event Meeting
OCT 12 - Columbus Day / Dia de la Raza ACTUAL
EVENT
OCT 14th - Final rundown and testing of all elements, prep final push
Press releases,
OCT 16th - Premier Opening & Orientation of Outreach
Project
Also, to be scheduled will be the machinema documentary shoot
dates, although some of this process will be ongoing and
unrehearsed.
Project Team
Boondoggle Gruppman, Nany Kayo,
Johnamendsall Unsworth, Randel Shepherd, Fricker Fraker
Include
any applicable information you would like to have considered, such as brief bios
of
participants, existing in-world locations or groups, existing URLs related
to this project, or photos,
videos, or other supplemental
materials.
-------------
Team Member/ Job Descriptions:
Researcher/Archivist - This
position is of great importance, as our intention is not simply to immolate our
culture but to improve upon the in world resources, aesthetics and traditional
representation of our culture/virtual identity. Our goal is to utilize
authenticated research hand-in-hand with the process of designing, building and
scripting
items and environments that reflect the traditional practices of
our ancestors. One particular hope is that all end products produced in this
process, would have embedded or at least, accompanying educational information
about the real-world origin and its traditional creation process and use.
Thus, making each item a tool for learning and preserving elements of our
cultural heritage. It is also very important for the Researcher to aid in
distinguishing between allowable and sacred traditions, as our project will not
condone the public display or distribution of such items or
rituals.
======================================
Additional Support Materials and Development Progress Available upon Request.