SANTA CRUZ—Contemporary Indigenous Voices of California’s South Coast Range: Enduring Relationships with the Land is a project featuring a traveling exhibit of photography and short film interviews, presented as in-person events with presentations, demonstrations, and discussions. It explores tribes’ land-based culture, cultural restoration, the perspectives of elders and youth, and barriers to cultural expression in the modern world.
Its first opening will be the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) (Amah Mutsun territory) and will focus on this region, Amah Mutsun, Indian Canyon Nation, Salinan Tribe of San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties, and Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. Join the opening reception on August 19, from 2-6 pm, where project participants will share their stories and hold a Q&A panel discussion around issues raised by the exhibit.
Photographer and documentarian Kirti Bassendine is leading this traveling exhibit, part of a project to interview and document tribal participants from the 10 tribal groups from the ancestral homeland of the Ohlone territories from California’s South Coast Ranges. It weaves together still photography, narrative storyboards, and short films that will be presented as an exhibition/event with in-person presentations and demonstrations.
Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History | 705 Front Street, Downtown Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Panel discussion and cultural demonstrations: Saturday, August 19, 2-5 pm
Exhibit runs: August 17-27, 2023
Free and open to the public!
Learn more and purchase tickets at MAH’s website.
This project is supported by a Humanities for All Project Grant.
