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westernartgirlRussell Means, Native American Rights Activist
Russell Means, the often controversial Native American rights activist and Oglala Sioux leader who in later years portrayed Native elders in Hollywood movies, died Monday of complications from cancer of the esophagus at his ranch near Porcupine, S.D. on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He was 72. “Today marks a significant and sad day in our … Read more
Decoding Punishment: the Prison System in California
Updated May 12 — As Californians — both voters and legislators — ponder how to balance the state’s budget, one of the most important questions to consider is whether and how to reform the state’s prison system. And to begin to decipher that question, says UCLA History Professor Michael Meranze, they should consider an even … Read more
An Unlikely Journey to Environmentalism
Updated May 11 — Judging from Robert Glenn Ketchum’s beginnings, you would never think he would end up one of the most influential environmental photographers of our time. When he was studying at UCLA, he was pretty well set — but on a career in rock-and-roll. He was the photographer for the Doors. Yes, that … Read more
LA Plaza Opens a Space for Mexican-American History and Culture in Los Angeles
Given that almost anywhere you go in Los Angeles, you’re likely to encounter some aspect of its Mexican origins, on some level it seems almost redundant to have a museum dedicated to L.A.’s Mexican and Mexican-American history, culture and art. On the other hand, not to have one is unthinkable. The latest effort to rectify … Read more
Gaining a Spouse and Losing Visibility
On Thursday morning, Mar. 31, National Public Radio aired a Census-based story about intermarriage among Native Americans: that they are the most likely to marry outside their group, and how that can sometimes jeopardize their legal standing as tribe members. “For the Eastern Shoshone of Wyoming, you have to be at least one-quarter Native American … Read more
In Times of Revolution, What Egyptians Really Value
The worrisome video has not stopped streaming out of Egypt in the past ten days as thousands protest in Cairo’s streets to bring down the nearly 30-year-old regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. On Wednesday, the conflict turned violent as what The New York Times called “pro-government provocateurs armed with clubs, stones, rocks and knives” … Read more
Tombstone’s Reputation, in Light of Tucson Shooting, Touches Off Another Political Debate
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s comments on the day after the horrific Tucson shooting that left six people dead, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) fighting for her life, and 13 other people wounded have again put a little Arizona silver mining town, Tombstone, at the center of a political debate. “Well, I think we’re the Tombstone … Read more
The Attack on Ethnic Studies in Education
A new law in Arizona that bans ethnic studies programs in public schools and universities denies young people access to a crucial store of knowledge they need for their future success, says Autry lecturer Paul Apodaca. “It’s a whole library full of new ideas that are not in the classic disciplines,” Apodaca said. “Can we … Read more
“Out West” Producer Gregory Hinton on Gay Teen Suicides
It was an unforgettable bit of impromptu television. In a setting we’re you’d more likely hear a discussion of the finer points of trash pickup, curb easements and property values, here was a city elder pleading for teenaged lives. Joel Burns, an openly gay Fort Worth City Council member, used his alloted time for comments … Read more
Artists and Lawyers in the Struggle for Free Expression
The third artist panel discussion around the work of the muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros last Friday, titled “Freedom of Speech and Censorship,” included a distinctly non-artist speaker: Tom Saenz, president and general counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). The previous two speaker panels — sponsored, like this one, by the … Read more
