(bright thoughtful music) - [Jade] Go backstage with the Black Theater Troupe of Upstate New York.

Art acts as a window to culture at the Iroquois Museum, and catch a performance from Darien Rodriguez.

It's all ahead on this episode of "AHA!

A House for Arts".

(bright thoughtful music) - [Announcer] Funding for AHA has been provided by your contribution, and by contributions to the WMHT venture fund.

Contributors include The Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi, The Alexander & Marjorie Hover Foundation and The Robison Family Foundation.

- At M & T Bank we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M & T is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts, and we invite you to do the same.

(bright thoughtful music) (scene whooshing) - Hi, I'm Jade Warrick, and this is "AHA!

A House for Arts", a place for all things creative.

Here's Matt with today's field segment.

- We are about to head to the GE Theater at Proctors in Schenectady, New York, to speak with the Black Theater Troupe of Upstate New York, and learn more about their upcoming production of "Flying West", let's go.

- "Flying West" is about four Black women.

Three of them are sisters, in Kansas in the late 1800.

They have to fight to own a piece of land, and they have to deal with racism.

They have to deal with, that only men can own things.

But it's a very fun play to educate people what happened to us, what happened to women who fought for their right, okay?

And those are problem still happening today about women right.

- The importance of the Black Theater Troupe is to make sure that we are giving our community our narrative, not from someone else, not from another ethnic group.

We're the only ones who can tell our story and make it be real, something from the inside out.

So what the Black Theater Troupe does is provide that venue, provide that place.

So it's important for the Albany area, the capital district area, to make sure that we know that the Black Theater Troupe is here.

We've been here for a while.

- I started the theater company back in 2009.

It was under the name of So Rebel Performance Troupe.

There was too many questions.

What, you know, people were asking, "What is so rebel?"

People didn't know exactly what we do.

So I decided to change it into the Black Theater Troupe.

I wanted to promote more diversity, bring more people of color, specifically Black actors in the area.

I've been acting all my life, you know, since I was like eight, nine years old, performing.

I'm originally from Haiti, performing in French and Creole, and little Spanish.

I live in New York City from '82 to '97, and then I move up here in the capital region.

I was having fun, I was getting a lot of parts.

You know why?

Because I was one of four Black people, be actors in the area.

But then I need to stop being selfish and do something because we have to do better than that.

I wanted to do something different, you know?

Do stories about our culture, about racism, about, and our struggle, you know?

And so that's the kind of stories we do, stories that have meanings.

Stories that, you know, to educate people.

(actors chattering) All right guys, get ready.

(lively upbeat music) - I am Arnette, and proud to be a part of this cast.

My character, her name is Miss Leah.

Miss Leah is like the, how do you say, the foundry of these women.

She's come from slavery, she's 73.

She's been through it all, she takes no mess.

She's full of love, wisdom and joy, and she just brings these women together and tells the story of all these Black homesteader women back in the 1800s in Nicodemus, Kansas.

Each rehearsal I learned more about Miss Leah.

She kinda reminds me of my grandmother in a way, or and Auntie, or even my mom and even myself in some ways, because she's all about the struggle, and she knows what they're doing and why they're doing it is real.

This is a story that we're not taught.

I was never taught in school, you know, not even in college, but I've learned over the years that even though this is in the late 1800s, this is so relevant for 2022 right now, especially in the times that we're living.

You know, in civil unrest and health, and just so many disparities going on right now in America.

Come on out, see this, play, learn this story.

- We need to do those stories, those plays, so we can play a major role.

Not just the sidekick, not just the maid, not just the slave, not just the assistant, but we need to be, we need to have leaders and artistic directors and you know, of color to be in the area, we don't have enough of that.

- Read about what took place during that time period with "Flying West".

Read about what happened with the women, and how they had to endure.

It's happening again, we can see that now, but if you read and do some research on what's going on in the past and what's going on now, and then after you do that, please try and make sure that whatever it is that has connected to you in the story, that you make sure that you do something about it to make it better, 'cause that's what art is.

It's supposed to make us better.

- Each character is exciting, inviting.

This play is educational.

It will have you saying, "Oh my, well."

I mean, you're gonna love some, you're gonna hate some.

You're gonna cry at some and you're gonna laugh at everyone.

You're gonna feel the joy that we do.

So without telling too much, just know that you are in for a flying adventure out West with us.

We're gonna take on this journey, and it's gonna be a cool time, for real.

(soft thoughtful music) - The Iroquois Indian Museum is deeply committed to fostering understanding of the Iroquois culture.

Art plays a significant role in their efforts by giving visitors a window to the Haudenosaunee culture.

Let's learn more.

Welcome to "AHA".

Heather, Steph, it's nice to have you here today.

- Thanks for having us.

- Thank you.

- Awesome, well I'm here to talk about the Iroquois Indian Museum.

So first, let's start with what is the history and the background of that museum?

- Well, the museum was actually formed in 1980.

So we've been around for a long time.

At the time the founding director was doing research on finding as many Iroquois artists as she could find, through Canada, New York, Wisconsin, wherever the Iroquois communities are.

She traveled with a number of other Native people, did the research.

From that, Iroquois Arts Directory was made, and then in the process of that, they were interviewing one of the well-known antler carvers, his name was Stanley Hill, and he and his wife said, "You know, you're doing all this research.

You should start a museum."

- Right, "Let's put it somewhere."

(chuckling) - So right, so and because she was from our area, Schoharie County and there was no, at the time the New York State museum was kind of moving away from their life groups that they had, of the Native people.

And we're like, "There's really no Iroquois museum in our part of the state."

So we pulled together as much as we could, and we opened the museum in 1981, and it was all about trying to educate the public about who the Iroquois people are through their contemporary artwork.

- [Jade] Amazing.

- So it was starting, collecting all kinds of different art that we could find, everything from baskets, to bead work, to sculptures, and amassing a collection which is now one of the largest collections of contemporary Iroquois art that anybody has.

And then archeological records, historical records, and it's all about, this is who the Iroquois people are.

- That's beautiful.

So I know the Iroquois is just one naming convention or term.

So what would you explain the other name the Iroquois people like to be referred to by?

- The word Iroquois is actually a term that was given to the people from, the original people from New York state, by the Algonquin peoples and the French.

And it's a derogatory term, which most people don't realize.

But it's widely used, it's widely recognized, because it has been used for so many centuries, but the actual name that the Iroquois refer to themselves as the Haudenosaunee, which is people of the long house, and the long house was the traditional housing that the people lived in, which was a great big, long, elm bark house.

So we're trying to transition, we're trying to educate about the naming, and it's a slow process, but people are really starting to learn that Haudenosaunee is really the preferred term.

- All right, very empowering.

I will try to use that going forward.

- Me too.

(laughing) - So just to point back a little bit, you touched on education at the beginning.

So I wanna talk about the educational programming the museum offers, like what educational programming do you offer that really brings in folks to learn more about the ho Haudenosaunee people?

- We have multiple facets of our education.

Our basement, or our downstairs, is a children's museum.

And we have many different activities that we do with small children versus the school age kids who come in, and we have different programs there.

We also have some video visits.

So if you're out of state or even in Canada, we can do introduction to the Haudenosaunee that way.

We also have groups that are gonna come in.

We have, like the Boy Scouts are coming in.

We have crafts people come in all throughout the summer.

Usually every weekend we have some sort of demonstration with a different type of crafts person to show the culture and educate people.

And we have people that just come in to do research as well, at our museum.

So it's been very interesting, and a very dynamic way to teach people.

- What about community events?

Is that part of the educational programming?

'Cause community events are educational, so what about that?

- Yes, community events are too, and we just had our big fundraiser at the museum where we advertise in our whole local area especially, and we brought in a band and we bring in the community.

We had a teacher appreciation luncheon, or reception this year, where we invited all the schools in the local area to appreciate the teachers, 'cause the last couple years have been quite challenging.

And we go to different festivals in the area, and we set up a table and just bring our information.

We did go up to Akwesasne this year, which is a reservation on the border.

And we brought, it was for a children's powwow.

And all we did was bring our information about the museum, and then we brought some activities for the children to do.

So we figured the kids would probably get bored between dances.

(Jade laughing) So we had quite a fun time doing that.

And it was really neat too, to sit next to a grandmother who, as I counted the beads with the child, she counted them in Mohawk, and she only spoke in Mohawk to the child.

So it was really educational for us too.

So we're always learning interesting things.

- Yeah, goes all around, full circle.

That's beautiful.

It seems like there's a lot of stuff for folks to be able to do at the museum.

- Yes.

- So how do you center folks who identify as Haudenosaunee within the museum?

- Well that is, you know, something we're always striving to do is include the Haudenosaunee in what we're up to at the museum.

And so for many, many years we've had Haudenosaunee on our board of trustees, we've had Haudenosaunee work at the museum, we've had interns.

We really, we write for grants so that we can bring the artists actually to the museum.

For instance, on every Labor Day weekend, we have our big event, which is our festival, and that is bringing as many Iroquois people as we can there.

And so it's dancers, and it's artists, and it's storytellers, and it's food vendors and it's nature park people.

And so it's always trying to bring the Haudenosaunee voice into what we're up to.

And we have guest curators who help us with exhibits.

After 40 years of the museum and really going out to the communities and meeting people and striving to find a new artist, and up-and-coming artists and older artists, we know a lot of people, and we use that to say, "Well, is there anybody, you know, you would recommend that we bring in?"

So it's, because we are not Native-run, we really try to get as much Native input as we can.

- Which is very important to do, I think.

- [Steph] Yep, very important.

- What's super exciting too this year, is that we're having a gentleman come in, and he's coming in every weekend in August, and he's actually doing a beading display with public participation.

So it's actually a fence that we have, and some of us have prepared all the pieces.

- We've cut a lot of PVC pipes that we're gonna weave into a wampum belt.

- Yes.

- Oh, wow.

- And then that piece, that installation stays, so it's- - That's beautiful.

- So that'll be on the landscape, which is nice.

And it's all about, there are many of the traditional wampum belts, which were made by Haudenosaunee people to commemorate policies or agreements between them and the non-Native community, you know, back in 1700s.

And a lot of the wampum belts contain figures that are holding hands, it was all about, you know, trying to get along with each other, and that.

So this wampum belt will be a take on that.

It'll be sort of a modern representation of the older wampum belts of the figures holding hands.

And it's kinda cool, because the artist who conceived of it, who's a Mohawk guy, who will be here, each one has a different color heart.

So it's gonna be really cool.

- That's gonna be very beautiful.

- Yeah, it's gonna be fun.

- Folks gotta visit that.

- That's it.

- (laughing) So that's an installation.

What about your exhibits?

Do you have any past exhibits or favorite exhibits that you wanna speak about?

- Well, we have run the gamut.

In the past we've done Native Americans in baseball.

We've done performing artists.

We've done fashion exhibits, and we brought in Native fashion designers.

Currently our exhibit is material shift, which is, and I'll see if I say this right, is taking non-traditional materials and making traditional items, or making non-traditional items out of traditional materials.

So for instance, one piece we have is a COVID mask, but it's made out of corn husk, which is normally used to make corn husk dolls, or corn husk mats, so it's a fun exhibit.

We have a whole bunch of rattles hanging from the ceiling that are made from Mr.

Potato head and- - Cabbage Patch doll.

- Cabbage Patch dolls, and all that, as opposed to the traditional cow horn rattle.

So that's kind of a fun exhibit, but most of the exhibits, when we ask the Iroquois for input, there's usually some sort of a lesson to be learned there.

It's not just a fun exhibit, but it does talk about identity, or it talks about things that are happening in our world today that affect not only us, but the Haudenosaunee and everybody else.

And so there's usually a little bit of a thing to be learned by looking at the labels, and really viewing the exhibit.

- I love that it's two-facet, and it's educating while being entertained as well, and appreciation for the art.

- Yeah, yeah.

- These folks are thinking.

- People are enjoying this exhibit, I think, yeah.

- Well, thank you.

Well, it was nice having you today, and I was super pumped to hear about this, and I'm definitely gonna visit myself, and- - Absolutely.

- Yeah, it was great having you today, Steph- - Well thank you very much.

- And Heather, it was nice.

- Thank you.

- Yeah.

Please welcome Darien Rodriguez.

- Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is do it scared, do it crying.

This song is called "Whispered Yes", and it's all about just trying.

♪ If I tell you my secrets ♪ ♪ Would you try and write them down ♪ ♪ You ask where my hope comes from ♪ ♪ You can find it for yourself ♪ ♪ 'Cause I don't share stories, mm ♪ ♪ Unless somebody asks ♪ ♪ The past is in the past ♪ ♪ Sometimes the boldest answer is a whispered yes ♪ ♪ So I'll be caught lying ♪ ♪ When I've had too much to drink ♪ ♪ I can get so restless ♪ ♪ That I care what people think ♪ ♪ And it could be nothing, mm ♪ ♪ Names or numbers, oh so small ♪ ♪ You'd never even notice if I've told you at all ♪ ♪ And sometimes my feelings ♪ ♪ Are so real in my mind ♪ ♪ That I've lived life over and over ♪ ♪ Just to find a way to write ♪ ♪ Away all this boring, mm ♪ ♪ I feel so deep inside ♪ ♪ Yet anything but truth will loose my mind ♪ ♪ And oh truth, has never planned to change ♪ ♪ As much as me ♪ ♪ It sets me free ♪ ♪ And oh truth, has never planned to change ♪ ♪ As much as me ♪ ♪ It sets me free ♪ This song is called "Clock In".

It's all about working really hard to get where you wanna be, and kinda the world pulling you back down anyway.

♪ Clock in, clock out ♪ ♪ I keep filling pockets full of change ♪ ♪ My friends, the world keeps spinning ♪ ♪ Round the sun again ♪ ♪ Today I heard myself for the very first time ♪ ♪ And I won't sleep til I die ♪ ♪ Lay me down, tuck me in ♪ ♪ Tender words, meteor eyes ♪ ♪ This is where I begin ♪ ♪ Cul-de-sac jobs, puddle-soaked suede ♪ ♪ Higher dreams, no raises ♪ ♪ Longer days, ladder climbs ♪ ♪ Title change, rephrases ♪ ♪ Ekphrastic pages we call cover letters ♪ ♪ We'll never upgrade this ♪ ♪ Clock in, clock out ♪ ♪ I keep filling pockets full of change ♪ ♪ My friends, the world keeps spinning ♪ ♪ Round the sun again ♪ ♪ Today I heard myself for the very first time, mm ♪ ♪ Clock in, clock out ♪ ♪ Again, again, again ♪ ♪ And it's just a different day ♪ ♪ Doing this over and over ♪ ♪ Clock in, clock out ♪ ♪ I keep filling pockets full of change ♪ ♪ My friends, the world keeps spinning ♪ ♪ Round the sun again ♪ ♪ Today I heard myself for the very first time ♪ ♪ I heard myself for the very first time ♪ I think we see people stuck in bad relationships sometimes, and we wonder why on earth they're still in it.

And I think we forget sometimes that it didn't always start that way.

The song is called "Bruises".

♪ I'm in your head, in your heart ♪ ♪ You wear me like a sleeve ♪ ♪ When your day is down ♪ ♪ I'm the one who sets you free ♪ ♪ And I know right now you think I'm all you need ♪ ♪ But I got bruises where kisses should be ♪ ♪ Gone for hours, no reply ♪ ♪ Baby, no I don't mind ♪ ♪ Have your fun, just stay safe ♪ ♪ I know we're well-defined ♪ ♪ Don't you worry as I roam ♪ ♪ You won't get left behind ♪ ♪ 'Cause I got bruises where kisses could be ♪ ♪ On our first date by the docks ♪ ♪ You asked to hold my hand ♪ ♪ I met your buddies two weeks later ♪ ♪ And they said, now you're the man ♪ ♪ And when you I kiss you anytime ♪ ♪ I feel my heart skips beats ♪ ♪ You heal my bruises where kisses should be ♪ ♪ I stay out late with a friend ♪ ♪ And you blow up my phone ♪ ♪ It's like you're scared at any time ♪ ♪ I'll choose to turn and go ♪ ♪ If I found the door I'd leave you ♪ ♪ But I cannot see ♪ ♪ That you got bruises where kisses should be ♪ ♪ Late one night we start to fight ♪ ♪ And then you raise a hand ♪ ♪ I sit and cry, you say you're sorry ♪ ♪ And ask I understand ♪ ♪ You say your love is overwhelming ♪ ♪ And our hearts don't plan ♪ ♪ To find such beauty in our intimacy ♪ ♪ I'm in your head, in your heart ♪ ♪ You wear me like a sleeve ♪ ♪ When your day is down ♪ ♪ I'm the one who sets you free ♪ ♪ And I know right now you think I'm all you need ♪ ♪ But you got bruises where kisses should be ♪ (soft thoughtful music) - Thanks for joining us.

For more arts, visit wmgt.org/aha, and be sure to connect with us on social.

I'm Jade Warrick, and thank you for watching.

(soft thoughtful music) - [Announcer] Funding for AHA has been provided by your contribution, and by contributions to the WMHT venture fund.

Contributors include The Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi, The Alexander & Marjorie Hover Foundation and The Robison Family Foundation.

- At M & T Bank we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M & T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts, and we invite you to do the same.