MANGILAO, Guam—Speaking before an audience of 130 people at the University of Guam Fine Arts Theatre on Oct. 10, acclaimed indigenous choreographer Rulan Tangen urged attendees to fulfill their role as inhabitants of native land.
Held as part of the “Indigenous Dance: Restorying our Environment” community performance, Tangen’s lecture focused on environmental justice and the strong artistic ties indigenous people hold with their home lands.
“Indigenous voices have been minimized,” Tangen said. “Land is what will outlast each one of us. The spirits of that land, especially coming from an animistic place, will have a say.”
Since indigenous people are the original caretakers of land, she believes that they should be allowed a voice in matters regarding their environment. According to Tangen, conversation is key in achieving a peaceful coexistence in biocultural communities.
“If people can sit and hear each other’s stories,” she said, “there’s a better chance that a decision can be made that truly speaks to history, emotion and spirituality.”
Tangen’s lecture was followed by a 30-minute dance production that brought together various contemporary performing arts to illustrate Dancing Earth’s grand mission of honoring native communities by breathing new life into old traditions.
In addition to highlighting the performers’ dance and vocal talents, a preview of the piece “Seeds: Regeneration” utilized dancers’ silhouettes to mimic the organic processes that occur in nature, such as a seed blossoming into a tree and a deer foraging through the forest.
The intertribal dance ensemble, primarily composed of collaborators from Native American communities, toured Guam as part of a special weeklong presentation organized by Humanities Guahån.
“This is a great opportunity to foster cross-cultural exchange,” said Bernice Santiago, a programming and marketing coordinator for Humanities Guahån. “Different cultures express their relationship with the lands and their resources in different ways.”
“What we saw with Dancing Earth is how their environments informed their movement,” Santiago added. “When we see that, we can think about the ways our dancers here are inspired by the land and that gets us thinking more deeply about our cultures as well as cultures of different indigenous people.”
Marlene Mendiola, a sixth grade teacher at Benavente Middle School, attended the production in hopes to expose her daughter to how different cultures interact with their environment.
“I like the idea that they used the fabric that they say was organic, recyclable,” said Mendiola, referring to the sustainable Native American garb worn by the dancers. “I’ve never been around a dance company that uses dye that’s environmentally friendly.”
Founded by Tangen in 2004, Dancing Earth has traveled across the nation in efforts to foster a greater appreciation for indigenous cultures through contemporary performing arts. Their previous programs have explored themes of animism, nature and decolonization.