FUNDING FOR COLORES WAS PROVIDED IN PART BY: FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU THIS TIME, ON COLORES!

CHAMPIONING SELF EXPRESSION, THE CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM AT THE INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS (IAIA) IS NOT ABOUT WHAT A NATIVE AMERICAN MURALIST GARY WONG TELLS A STORY OF LIFE ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

CREATING A METAPHORICAL GEOLOGY, TERESITA FERNÁNDEZ, TAKES A LOOK AT LAYERS OF TIME.

"EX FABULA" EMBRACES THE POWER OF PERSONAL STORYTELLING WITH MEMBERS OF THE DEAF COMMUNITY.

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON COLORES!

THE IMPORTANCE OF WRITING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

>>JAMES THOMAS STEVENS: IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE A PROFESSOR IN CREATIVE WRITING HERE IN PART TO CARRY ON THE TRADITION THAT I MET WITH WHEN I CAME HERE AND WORKED WITH ARTHUR SZE.

WHO TOLD US TO WRITE WHAT WE KNOW, TO WRITE WHO WE ARE, TO NEVER BEND TO PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS OF US BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE HOW WE WOULD MAKE AMERICA UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE AS A PEOPLE.

>>LAYLI LONG SOLDIER: THE IDEAL IS WHEN I CAN EXPRESS SOMETHING BUT IT IS USEFUL TO OTHERS AROUND AND USEFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY OR USEFUL TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

>>TEKLU: THE THINGS THAT WE'RE EXPRESSING GOES BACK TO THAT SAME CONCEPT OF WE DO TEACH EACH OTHER HOW TO BE PEOPLE AND WE HAVE TO HEAR FROM ONE ANOTHER, I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S IT FEEL LIKE FOR YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHAT DO YOU GO THROUGH?

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR?

YOU KNOW?

HOW DO YOU SEE THIS OR THAT?

YOU KNOW?

WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

AND THEN IN TURN I WANNA TELL YOU ALL OF THAT STUFF.

IT'S SO ENRICHING.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE TO EACH OTHER THAT WORDS JUST SO...

IT'S A GOOD WAY TO DO IT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

I CANNOT EXPLAIN MYSELF.

FOR PITY'S SAKE AND DRAINED MY HEALTH.

STRAINING EYES TO ASCERTAIN THE CLIFF'S EDGE, OVER-STEPPED AND THEN I SLIPPED.

A BIT, YET STILL LIVED THROUGH ALL THE THINGS THAT HIT ME AS A KID.

NOTHING STUCK, AND YET, IT DID.

INTERNALIZED, ALIVE AND SICK.

WIDENED GYRE, FIRE-STICK.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING.

THIS JOURNEY BEGINS AGAIN, AGAIN.

I STOP, STARE AT THE SUN, IT SETS.

IDEAS IN MIND THAT I TRIED TO FORGET.

(UN)SURPRISINGLY THIS HIDE AND SEEK GAME TURNED INTO A RATHER MASTERED CRAFTS IN SHADOWS BLINKING.

NEVER FOUND, I SWEAR THIS TOWN IS RE-ARRANGING.

SPEAK IN TONGUE, A SECRET DEEPENING.

DREAM OF SOME THING, THEN SEEN IT THIS EVENING.

CREEPS AND FREAKS AND OTHER FRIENDS IN LEGION.

BARREL DOWN FROM MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS.

ALLOWED AND PROUD, YET MOUTHS UNSPEAKING.

I SPEAK FOR THEM, THEY HUNT FOR ME, THEN.

>>JAMES THOMAS STEVENS: NOTED SCHOLAR, ANISHINAABE SCHOLAR GERALD VIZENOR HAD COINED THAT TERM UM "POST-INDIAN" AND I KNOW THE FIRST TIME I READ IT I ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A MISTAKE UM TRYING TO THINK WHAT COULD THAT POSSIBLY MEAN "POST- INDIAN?"

WE'RE STILL HERE.

BUT THEN IN READING FURTHER, UNDERSTOOD THAT POST -IND- I MEAN THE TERM "INDIAN" ITSELF TO GERALD VIZENOR, HE DESCRIBED IT AS A WESTERN CONSTRUCT, THE TERM INDIAN, WHAT AN INDIAN IS AND SHOULD ACT LIKE WAS KINDA PRESCRIBED BY NON-NATIVE CULTURES.

FOR SO MANY YEARS, NATIVE EXPERIENCE WAS DISCOUNTED IF IT DIDN'T FIT THAT MOLD OF WHAT AN INDIAN SHOULD BE, AGAIN BACK TO THE WHOLE CONSTRUCT.

SO PEOPLE'S NARRATIVES WERE DISCOUNTED IF THEY WERE URBAN, IF THEY DIDN'T GROW UP ON A RESERVATION, IF THEY GREW UP ON A DIFFERENT RESERVATION THAN THEIR OWN.

SO AS EARLY AS 1829 WHEN WILLIAM APESS, A PEQUOT AUTHOR WROTE HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

HE WAS A CHRISTIANIZED NATIVE LIVING IN NEW ENGLAND, SO PEOPLE JUST DISCOUNTED HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY; IT WAS PROBABLY OVER A HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE NATIVE SCHOLARS STARTED LOOKING SO JUST THIS IDEA THAT ALL OF OUR EXPERIENCES ARE VALID.

>>LAYLI LONG SOLDIER: THE BEAUTY OF A PROGRAM LIKE IAIA WHERE WE DIG INTO CERTAIN TEXTS TOGETHER AND WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR PREDECESSORS OR WHAT I LIKE TO CALL OUR LITERARY ANCESTORS, WHAT CONDITIONS THEY WERE WRITING UNDER.

WHAT WHAT KIND OF BOUNDARIES THEY WERE BREAKING.

WE MIGHT BE WORKING WITH THE VERY SAME ISSUES THAT SIMON ORTIZ OR JOY HARJO WERE WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW ISSUES PERHAPS OF IDENTITY OR LAND OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

BUT IT'S OUR JOB TO DO IT IN A NEW WAY.

>>TEKLU: MY WRITING IS INCOMPARABLE TO WHAT IT YOU KNOW?

AND THERE'S TICKS AND LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE BOTH GOOD AND BAD THAT STILL EXIST IN THERE AND I LEARNED A LOT OF TECHNIQUES BUT THE REAL IMPACT FOR ME AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE IS THE TIME THAT I SPENT IN THE SPACE THAT CO-CREATED, THAT I WAS ABLE TO CO-CREATE WITH ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT FOR THEIR OWN REASONS CAME TO THAT CAMPUS.

>>JAMES THOMAS STEVENS: AS I WAS TOLD HERE WHEN I WAS AN UNDERGRADUATE, MY EXPERIENCE HAVING JUST MOVED HERE FROM BROOKLYN AT THAT TIME, IS AS VALID AN EXPERIENCE FOR A HAUDENOSAUNEE PERSON TO HAVE AS, YOU KNOW THE VERY TRADITIONAL POWWOW KINDA CIRCUIT NATIVE THAT WAS EXPECTED IN LITERATURE.

SO IT IS HUGELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TELL OUR OWN STORIES AND THAT'S VERY MUCH HAPPENING NOW.

A MURAL FOR THE WANDERING SPIRIT.

>>GARY: I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M JUST A DOG PISSING ON THE WALL, I FEEL LIKE I'M MAKING A PIECE THAT I WANT TO HAVE SOME MEANING AND SOME SUBSTANCE, AS WELL AS BEING A LARGE, VISUAL THING.

I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM ASA JACKSON.

ASA, AND KEN, AND CARRIE ANNE, THE STREET MUSEUM PEOPLE.

THEY JUST SAID, "YOU COME DO SOMETHING."

I THINK THEY HAVE 10 MURALS GOING, AND LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

L.A. AT THE TIME WHEN I WAS A KID, THE STREETS WERE LINEGRIDDED WITH ELECTRIC STREET CARS, AND I GREW UP FROM JUMPING ON TROLLEYS AND TRAINS, GOING FROM HERE TO THERE.

AS I GOT OLDER, IN THE SUMMERS WHEN I WAS A KID, I WOULD TAKE TRAINS AND GO UP TO OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA WHERE I WAS BORN.

I'D SEE THE HOBOS, I'D SEE THE TRAMPS, I'M CURIOUS.

I GOT WITH THE SECRET SYMBOLS AND SIGNS THAT THEY LEAVE FOR EACH OTHER TO TELL YOU WHETHER IT'S COOL OR NOT, WHETHER THERE'S A MEAN DOG, A VICIOUS DOG, YOU CAN BATHE HERE, OR A BARN'S AVAILABLE.

SO I HAVE THIS WHOLE VOCABULARY SINCE I WAS KID OF THAT KIND OF LIFESTYLE, SO IT'S IN ME.

AND THEN WHEN I SAW THE RAILROAD TRACKS IN THE PICTURE, I SAID, NOW THAT'S THE WALL FOR ME.

MY WORK GENERALLY ROTATES AROUND STORYTELLING, POETRY, MANTRAS, ANY NUMBER OF THINGS THAT I MAY BE IN THE MOMENT OF, AND IT SAYS I GOTTA DO A PIECE.

THIS GUY, A-NO1, LEON RAY LIVINGSTON, WAS DEEMED THE KING OF THE HOBOS AT ONE TIME AND THEY MADE A MOVIE OUT OF HIM, HE USED TO RUN WITH JACK LONDON.

WELL, HE'S GOT ALL THESE STORIES ABOUT LIFE ON THE RAILS.

WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS WRITE A-NO1'S WARNING HIS WARNING IS, DON'T EVER JUMP ON A MOVING TRAIN, 'CAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU GET HOOKED AND YOU'RE DOOMED TO A PITIFUL EXISTENCE.

I WANT THE TEXT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON UP THERE BY READING IT, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT CAUSE A LITTLE DIFFICULTY.

BUT NOTHING, USUALLY I WOULD JUST OBSCURE IT.

MY CONCENTRATION IS WHAT THE BRUSH IS DOING AND WHAT THE MEDIUM IS DOING.

SO I REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE SOURCE OF THE, WHAT THE WORDS ARE, AND THEY JUST BECOME MARKS AT THIS POINT TO ME, I'M NOT EVEN READING, I'M JUST WRITING IT DOWN IN MY STYLE.

I'M TOTALLY DYSLEXIC AND COLORBLIND, SO I DON'T INVOLVE MYSELF WITH HAVING TO PICK AND CHOOSE COLORS, AND I DON'T INVOLVE MYSELF WITH READING BACKWARDS, UPSIDE-DOWN 'CAUSE I DO THAT ANYWAYS.

SO I'VE TAKEN THOSE QUALITIES THAT I HAVE NATURALLY THAT HAVE GOTTEN ME IN TROUBLE ALL MY SCHOOL LIFE USING IT AS ONE OF MY TOOLS.

I THINK IT'S HONEST.

THE WALL STARTS TALKING TO ME ABOUT, "YEAH, THIS IS ALL RIGHT, THIS IS NOT ALL RIGHT.

"WELL WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THIS?

"WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THAT?"

AND I'M SAYING, "WELL, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I HEAR YOU."

>>MEG: IN THE PROCESS, IN THE FLOW AND EVOLUTION OF THE PIECE, I ASKED HIM IF I COULD DO THE WINDOWS, AND HE SAID, "NO," AND THEN HE SAID, "YES, GO AHEAD, DO THE WINDOWS."

AND THEN FROM THAT I JUST DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO DO THIS ODE BECAUSE HE IS SO MUCH THE HOBO HIMSELF, I MEAN, HIS WHOLE FASCINATION WITH THE RAILWAYS, AND TRAMPS, AND THEIR SECRET LANGUAGE, AND EVERYTHING REALLY COMES FROM HIS WANDERING SPIRIT.

>>GARY: MEG AND I, MY WIFE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE WALL AND EVERY DAY HAS BEEN JUST LIKE PHENOMENAL SOMETHING.

THE TRAIN GOES BY, FIRST YOU HEAR IT, IT'S THERE, YOU KNOW IT'S COMING, IT'S DANGEROUS, IT'S BIG, IT'S AN IRON HORSE, AND I'M WAVING TO THE CONDUCTOR, AND I GET A BOOP-BOOP.

SO NOW THIS SIGHT THAT WE'RE SITTIN' THERE JUST GOOFIN' ON HAS BECOME A LIVING THING.

SO I'M NOT TALKIN' TO HOBOS AND TRAMPS, EVEN THOUGH I AM, I'M JUST TALKING TO EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT WILL BE PASSING THIS WAY, MAINLY THE GUYS THAT RIDE ON THE TRAINS.

YOU KNOW, MY DAYS OF RIDING THE RAILS ARE OVER, BUT CERTAINLY THE NEED, THE DESIRE, AND THE LOVE TO MAKE A MARK IS FOREVER.

I THINK AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, HOW CAN YOU NOT BE SATISFIED WITH THE ACTIVITY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS, AND SHARE, AND LEARN, AND GIVE AND TAKE, AND COMMUNICATE FROM COAST TO COAST?

LANDSCAPES INFUSED WITH CONCIOUSNESS.

>>FRANLKING SIRMANS: A LANDSCAPE THAT MIGHT HAVE ONE AND ANOTHER MEANING FOR YOU.

IT OPENS UP POSSIBILITIES FOR INTERPRETATION THAT TAKE US TO OTHER PLACES BASED UPON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

MY NAME IS FRANKLIN SIRMANS.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE PÉREZ ART MUSEUM MIAMI AND I'M ALSO A CO- CURATOR OF TERESITA FERNÁNDEZ: ELEMENTAL.

THINKING ABOUT LANDSCAPE FOR INSTANCE IN TERMS OF BEING A GENRE...

SPECIFICALLY A SORT OF TRADITIONAL ART-MAKING SHE EXPLODES THAT TRADITIONAL IDEA COMPLETELY ON ITS HEAD.

ONE WAY THAT SHE DESCRIBES HER RELATIONSHIP TO CREATING LANDSCAPES IS SHE CALLS THEM STACKED LANDSCAPES TO SUGGEST THIS IDEA THAT THERE IS ALMOST LIKE SEDIMENTARY LAYERS WHICH RELATES TO GEOLOGY IN THE SAME WAY BUT MORE METAPHORICALLY AND THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT LAYERS OF TIME THAT ARE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE OF ANY LANDSCAPE.

SO THERE IS A DIRECT REFERENCE TO A COLONIAL LANDSCAPE.

>>TERESITA FERNÁNDEZ: I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WHAT THE LANDSCAPE ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE BEFORE COLONIZATION.

THE LANDSCAPE AND THE LAND AND THE AMERICAS WAS MANIPULATED IN VERY SOPHISTICATED WAYS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS BEFORE EUROPEANS EVER ARRIVED.

>>SIRMANS: I LIKE TO THINK OF LIKE ITALO CALVINO THIS IDEA OF INVISIBLE CITIES IN A WAY RIGHT THERE.

THEY MAY HAVE A REFERENCE POINT, IN THE MIND OF THE ARTISTS OR WHEN SHE'S CREATING THEM, BUT THEY ALLOW FOR US TO SEE THINGS IN A WAY THAT IS MUCH BROADER.

THIS IS NOCTURNAL HORIZON LINE... WORK THAT'S BEEN CREATED BY GRAPHITE, ALL OF IT.

A PAINTING OR SHALL YOU SAY SCULPTURE.

IT HAS ELEMENTS OF BOTH AND AT THE TOP OF THAT SURFACE YOU SEE THIS KIND OF THIS SHEEN, THIS KIND OF GLARE THAT ALMOST MAKES IT HAVE QUALITIES OF RECIPROCITY OF BEING ALMOST LIKE A MIRROR.

AND THEN YOU GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND THE GRAPHITE IS KIND OF A LITTLE BIT THICKER.

CREATING THIS HORIZON LINE AND CREATING THIS KIND OF TEXTURE THAT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE WATER, PERHAPS IT COULD BE A SEASCAPE AND THEN YOU GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AND IT GETS THICKER AND IT FEELS LIKE THE EARTH.

SO MAYBE WE'VE GONE FROM THE SKY DOWN BELOW TO THROUGH THE OCEAN AND INTO THE GROUND BELOW.

MAYBE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY.

THIS IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PAINTING.

IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES IN THE EXHIBITION AND I'M GLAD WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT.

OUR EXHIBITION ENDS WITH A SERIES OF WORKS THAT ARE AROUND THE, THE THEMATIC OF LANDSCAPE AND FIRE...

THE ENTIRE EXHIBITION BEING CALLED ELEMENTAL.

WE SEE THE HAND IN THAT AND YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE LITTLE TINY PIECES OF MOSAIC THAT MAKE UP THIS WHOLE, AND SO MUCH OF HER WORK IS ABOUT LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT MAKE UP A WHOLE.

IN THE CASE OF GOING DIRECTLY ON THE WALL, I THINK THERE'S CLEARLY AN IMMEDIACY TO THAT GESTURE THAT IS PART OF THE MOMENT AND CANNOT BE DIVORCED FROM THE MOMENT.

>>FERNÁNDEZ: THEY CAME AT A MOMENT WHERE IT JUST SEEMS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE TO BE SUBTLE.

YOU KNOW, THOSE PIECES WERE ABOUT AMERICAN VIOLENCE AND THEY WERE ABOUT THE LAND AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LAND IN MANY WAYS.

RIGHT.

AND SO JUST THE CLIMATE SEEMED LIKE IT WASN'T APPROPRIATE TO JUST MAKE IT ABOUT SOMETHING ABSTRACT.

>>SIRMANS: AND A PART, A BIG PART OF WHO SHE IS AN ACTIVIST IN ADDITION TO BEING AN ARTIST.

AND I THINK THOSE THINGS CAN BE ONE IN THE SAME AND IN HER BODY AND PRACTICE, IT REALLY IS.

SO THEY'RE COMING TO THE FOREFRONT IN A MUCH BIGGER WAY, I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE.

STORIES YOU CANNOT HEAR.

[MUSIC] >>MEGAN MCGEE: THE GREAT THING ABOUT STORIES IS THAT THEY REFLECT THE REAL COMPLEXITY OF OUR LIVES.

WHEN SOMEONE IS TELLING A STORY AND SOMEONE ELSE IS LISTENING, THE BRAINWAVES OF THE, THE SPEAKER AND THE LISTENER ACTUALLY SYNC UP.

IT'S ACTUALLY THE WAY IN WHICH WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECT TO EACH OTHER.

>>MCGEE: EX FABULA IS A MILWAUKEE NON-PROFIT AND OUR MISSION IS TO CONNECT MILWAUKEE THROUGH REAL STORIES.

WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2009, AND WE PUT ON STORY SLAMS AND WORKSHOPS WHERE PEOPLE SHARE THEIR TRUE PERSONAL STORIES, AND IN THE PROCESS, BUILD COMMUNITY, CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER, AND EVEN HEAL.

WE STARTED OUT WITH THESE STORY SLAMS, WHICH ARE EVENTS WHERE ANYONE CAN PUT THEIR NAME IN A HAT FOR THE CHANCE TO GET UP ON STAGE AND SHARE A TRUE STORY, AND ALL THE STORIES ARE ON A THEME.

SO THAT HOPEFULLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT, WE REALLY JUST EXPLORE ALL THE DIFFERENT HUMAN EXPERIENCES THAT ARE OUT THERE.

>>MCGEE: STORYTELLING CAN LOOK DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHICH GROUP IS INVOLVED.

WE ACTUALLY DISCOVERED THAT THE DEAF COMMUNITY DOESN'T CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE NECESSARILY A DISABILITY COMMUNITY.

THAT IT'S REALLY MORE OF A LANGUAGE AND CULTURE.

>>MAYRA CASTREJON-HERNANDEZ (INTERPRETED BY SADI): WE HAVE WE HAVE SIGN LANGUAGE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS OURSELVES AND NOT ONLY IN THE SIGNS THAT WE'RE USING OFF OUR HANDS BUT OUR FULL BODY.

IT'S EVERYTHING: IT'S OUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS TO SHOW OUR MOOD, OUR TEMPERAMENT, AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE INTONATION IN ENGLISH: HOW YOU SPEAK AND HOW YOU SAY CERTAIN THINGS AND YOU EMPHASIZE CERTAIN WORDS.

WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL.

>>MCGEE: MAYRA AND JOSE ARE TWO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN SHAPING THIS PARTICULAR COLLABORATION.

WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE PROJECT, WE KNEW IT'D BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE PEOPLE FROM THE DEAF COMMUNITY HELPING DESIGN THE PROJECT.

>>JOSE BARRAZA (INTERPRETED BY SARA): EX FABULA HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT FOR THE HEARING COMMUNITY AS WELL TO HEAR OUR STORIES, PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE.

>>CASTREJON-HERNANDEZ (INTERPRETED BY SADI): THIS CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC OF DIVERSITY.

>>BARRAZA (INTERPRETED BY SARA): I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WILL LOOK AT THAT AS A LABEL.

AND JUST, I WANT THEM TO KEEP IN MIND WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THAT LEAVES IF YOU'RE MAKING AN ASSUMPTION.

>> MCGEE: HELLO EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO OUR VERY FIRST DEAF STORYSLAM.

[APPLAUSE] >>MCGEE: THE STORYTELLERS ARE GOING TO BE "LABELS".

AT THE STORY SLAM, WE WILL HAVE AROUND 6 PEOPLE GET UP ON STAGE AND SHARE A TRUE PERSONAL STORY.

NOW THESE STORIES WILL BE SIGNED, SO WE'LL HAVE INTERPRETERS WHO ARE INTERPRETING FROM ASL INTO SPOKEN ENGLISH SO THAT BOTH THE DEAF COMMUNITY AND THE HEARING COMMUNITY CAN APPRECIATE THE STORIES.

>>CASTREJON-HERNANDEZ (INTERPRETED BY SADI): IN THE '80S AND '90S, IT WAS SEEN UPON THAT DEAF PEOPLE WERE ALMOST KIND OF IT WAS SHAMEFUL BECAUSE WE WOULD TRY TO LEARN HOW TO TALK BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT OUR VOICE WAS NOT AS ELOQUENT OR AS BEAUTIFUL AS A PERSON WHO CAN HEAR.

WE WERE MONSTERS.

>>GARY SCHLEICHER (INTERPRETED BY SARA): I WASN'T I WANT TO WORK.

I HAVE SKILLS.

I AM CAPABLE.

I WANT TO WORK, BUT NO ONE WAS WILLING TO GIVE ME A CHANCE.

>>EDGAR VIZCARRA (INTERPRETED BY SADI): I LET THEM KNOW THAT I IN THIS JOB AND I WANTED TO KNOW THEY WERE INTERESTED TOO.

AND THEY SAID, "YES, WE'RE VERY INTERESTED.

YOU HAVE ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS WE ARE LOOKING FOR.

BUT WE DO HAVE ONE CONCERN: YOU CAN'T HEAR AND WITH BEING NOT HEARING, WE HAVE SAFETY ISSUES."

SO, HEARING THAT, AS YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW, WAS A HUGE FRUSTRATION.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT WAS HOLDING ME BACK FROM THIS JOB THAT I WANTED ALL MY CAREER.

>>MATOYA HARPER (INTERPRETED BY SARA): I SHOULD MENTION MY SON'S SCHOOL WOULD SOMETIMES CALL ME.

I WOULD STEP IN THE HALL, TAKE THE CALL, 5 MINUTES, AND THEN GO BACK TO DOING MEAL PREP FOR LUNCH.

THEN I GOT A WARNING FROM THIS BOSS SAYING THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE RULES BECAUSE I WAS USING MY PHONE.

AND I'M LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE ON YOUR PHONE ALL THE TIME.

YOU JUST HAVE IT UP BY YOUR EAR WHILE YOU'RE COOKING AND YOU'RE TALKING AND YOU'RE COOKING AT THE SAME TIME.

I CAN'T DO THAT 'CAUSE I'M DEAF.

I GOTTA STEP INTO THE HALL AND DO MY BUSINESS AND COME BACK.

>>HARPER (INTERPRETED BY SARA): WELL I TALKED TODAY ABOUT BEING AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN.

YOU KNOW, JUST ALL THE HARDSHIPS THAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I NEEDED TO DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS I AM TODAY.

YOU KNOW THOSE BARRIERS ARE IMPORTANT.

THEY MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE.

THEY DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER BUT YOU KNOW, I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE WHERE I AM NOW.

>>JONATHAN PETERMON (INTERPRETED BY SADI): BUT MY UNIQUENESS TRYING TO FIND IDENTITY.

I WAS A BLACK DEAF MAN TRYING TO FIND MY WAY IN THE WORLD.

>>PETERMON (INTERPRETED BY SADI): MY TOPIC, AND HOW TO OVERCOME THROUGH ADAPTATION.

I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THIS IDEA THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO WORRY ABOUT BARRIERS AND HOW TO HAVE OTHER PEOPLE TAKE CONTROL OF MY STORY.

WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE, I WANTED TO TAKE AUTHORITY AND FIND THAT WAY THAT I NEEDED TO BY MYSELF IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

>>PETERMON (INTERPRETED BY SADI): WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I HONESTLY DIDN'T THINK THAT A SUPPORT SYSTEM WAS NEEDED.

I THOUGHT INDEPENDENCE MEANT ME AND MYSELF ONLY.

I THOUGHT THAT I COULD MAKE IT BY MYSELF MEANT THAT I WAS SUCCESSFUL.

BUT WE HAD TO THINK ABOUT MAKING SURE YOU HAD SUPPORT, IF IT WAS TEACHERS OR EMERGENCY CONTACTS OR JUST SOMEONE WHO COULD ASK YOU IF YOU WERE ALRIGHT.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD THAT TRANSPARENCY WITH INDIVIDUALS IN MY COMMUNITY AS WELL AS I HAD WITH MY FAMILY.

>>GENARO TORRES (INTERPRETED BY SADI): I DECIDED MAKE SURE THAT I HAD A COMPANY THAT SUPPORTED ME IN THE COMMUNICATION REALM AND THE EXPERTISE THAT I BROUGHT, BECAUSE I AM QUALIFIED TO LEARNING HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE HEARING WORLD.

>>CASTREJON-HERNANDEZ (INTERPRETED BY YES, I AM PROUD TO BE DEAF.

I'M PROUD TO BE MEXICAN, AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE ME, PFF.

>>HARPER (INTERPRETED BY SARA): I WANT PEOPLE TO BE MORE AWARE.

DEAF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT.

I WANT YOU TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU MEET US OUT IN THE WORKFORCE OR IN OTHER DAILY SITUATIONS.

BE OUR ALLY, COME ALONGSIDE US.

[MUSIC] TO VIEW THIS AND OTHER COLORES PROGRAMS GO TO: NEW MEXICO PBS DOT ORG AND LOOK FOR COLORES UNDER WHAT WE DO AND LOCAL PRODUCTIONS.

ALSO, LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

"UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING."

FUNDING FOR COLORES WAS PROVIDED IN PART BY: FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU