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Charlie Stately at his
shop Woodland Indian Crafts
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On a regular day Rafael (Rafa) Gonzalez, also known Hip-Hop artist
Tufawon, wakes up in his South Minneapolis home and heads to work.
The Native (Dakota) and Puerto Rican artist teaches Audio Production
5-days a week at the Folwell School of Performing Arts in South
Minneapolis.
On a more relaxed day when he's not gigging at the Franklin Library
after work, speaking at a public event, or serving at Cafe Racer
Kitchen in the Seward neighborhood, he'll head to his mother's house.
Coffee in hand, Gonzalez will visit his mom while she beads her
latest project the perfect afternoon. If the mood is right
and depending on the day, he'll head over the YMCA or play basketball
at the Minneapolis American Indian Center. One thing is for sure,
no matter what day it is, it's not over until he spends hours in
his recently finished home studio making music.
This used to be "a day in the life" when schools and libraries
were open, when community centers were still able to welcome the
community inside, and meals could be eaten in gathering spaces.
With the Covid-19 pandemic shutting things down, the only thing
that is certain for Gonzalez is his music.
Like all dedicated artists, Gonzalez has spent the last several
years completely dedicated to his work. He's been working on promotion,
going on European tours, learning more about music production and
with the completion of his studio, it was time to start focusing
on the music again.
"As an artist, I have to perform my music. After all, being on
stage is my favorite part of the process. That part is pretty much
gone, well, completely gone." Gonzalez said. "It's these seasons,
spring and summer. Concerts, outdoor festivals, gatherings
all those things should be happening and I was excited to be a part
of it."
Gonzalez isn't the only person whose life has been forced to a
sudden stop. According to CNN, 16% of Americans are suffering from
layoffs, furloughs or reduced hours. Over the last five weeks, 26.6
million adults have filed for unemployment, all due to the Covid-19
pandemic.
For the businesses that have not shut down in non-Indigenous communities
there are somewhat simple solutions to supporting them. Take out
meals, online shopping or large bailouts. But what about our Indigenous
small businesses?
Music, speaking and teaching were all forms of income for Gonzalez.
Those are gone now but he still has the ability to sell his music
digitally. The more he can promote himself, the more people will
engage and listen to his music via online streaming services.
"I immediately started thinking of alternatives," he said. "This
quarantine pushed me to be more resilient in the ways I work as
an artist and to be more flexible. I realized that the online and
social media marketing of myself as an artist had to be dialed all
the way up."
His resilience as a Native, Minnesotan artist was not unmatched.
Chase Manhattan, an Ojibwe and Lakota hip-hop artist and businessman
is attacking every new day with a fighting attitude. He has been
doing music since 2007 and has been thriving with his clothing company,
Hustle Tribe, since 2013. Hustle Tribe relies almost exclusively
on powwows and other community gatherings for business.
"My whole year for 2020 has been planned since December," Manhattan
said.
Manhattan remembers driving back from the San Carlos Powwow in
March when the fear of Covid-19 hit him. By the time he got home,
it was all too real. "I was in four or five days of really deep
uncertainty. I was spending every moment trying to think of what
to do."
Manhattan would be attending every major powwow, basketball tournament
and event across the country for the rest of the year. Since March,
he has lost at least 10 events. Though, like Gonzalez, the question
was never "if" it always remained "how".
Manhattan and Gonzalez both turned to the internet Facebook
and Instagram as possibly, their only options.
Having similar businesses strategies they both started almost daily
liveshows on social media, the goal is to connect with their communities
any way possible. Manhattan does daily sticker giveaways and Gonzalez
promotes his live shows like he would a regular concert, making
fliers and having set days and times for each.
But what about the many traditional artists who rely on the face-to-face
business they've had for decades?
Charlie Stately (Red Lake Ojibwe) has owned Woodlands Crafts Gift
Shop inside the Indian Center since 1980. His day to day was simple,
working with customers in his shop to get them what they need for
their projects while simultaneously beading a pair of earrings he'd
be selling next. Depending on the week, he may be getting ready
to head to a powwow that weekend. In the summer, that would be almost
every weekend.
Aside from making his traditional bead and leather work, Stately
would try to be available to his community every day of the week
to answer their questions or even teach them. He says since the
Center has closed, that has stopped too.
"I thought shelter-in-place would be a couple weeks." Stately said.
"It's been very difficult, I'm used to opening the shop, working
everyday and weekends too. A lot of people have felt the financial
strain of being closed for this time."
All three artists are anxiously awaiting the coming months. Manhattan
is keeping his eyes and ears open for July and August powwows that
have not been cancelled yet. Stately is eagerly awaiting the reopening
of the Indian Center, saying he would go back to work today if he
could.
Stately has also been slowly making the move to social media, posting
earrings here and there on the Woodland Indian Crafts Gift Shop
Facebook page. He says he is working on online shops, but would
really prefer to go back to his beloved shop.
Something all three of them can agree on though, is that this time
has given them the ability to focus on themselves and make new art.
Gonzalez is dropping his latest album around early July. He says
the project is definitely influenced by our "new normal" and there
is already a song written specifically about this experience and
what it has shown us about our world.
Manhattan said this is the most time he has had for himself in
a long time. He's been working on his music as well, also finishing
projects in the studio. As for Hustle Tribe, he just put new designs
on the website and says there will be more new designs coming soon.
Stately is also loving the ample time for creating, he says he's
been working on new projects and trying new techniques he hasn't
had time for. "They're turning out pretty great. I am happy to create,
I have new ideas all the time," Stately said.
They all agree it can be tough supporting artists at this time,
but it can be done and it needs to be done. Manhattan believes that
with the influx of online marketing, especially with indigenous
art, it's time to choose our small businesses and give back. Tuning
in to live shows, buying online or promising to show up when it's
over, these artists are just a few of many that have made their
place in the most sacred parts of our culture.
"Indigenous artists preserve our culture," Manhattan said. "We've
always traded, we've always worked together. This is our economy
and we have to preserve indigenous culture with our artists."
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