>>>> TONIGHT ON RHODE ISLAND PBS WEEKLY, 18 YEARS AGO, A ROCK CONCERT TURNED DEADLY WHEN PYROTECHNICS SET OFF A FIRE THAT KILLED 100 PEOPLE.

>> THE NIGHTCLUB FIRE WAS THE PERFECT STORM.

AT THE 92ND MARK AFTER IT STARTED, ANYONE LEFT INSIDE WAS EITHER DEAD OR DYING.

>> THINGS ARE NOT EASY FOR A BLACK MAN.

THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION WE HAD.

BUT AGAIN, JUXTAPOSED DO NOT FORGET THIS IS YOUR LAND, YOUR PEOPLE ARE STILL HERE.

VERY COMPLEX, DURING THOSE YOUNGER AGES, TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

♪ MICHELLE: GOOD EVENING.

WELCOME TO RHODE ISLAND PBS WEEKLY.

I AM MICHELLE SAN MIGUEL.

PAMELA: I AM PAMELA WATTS.

IT IS KNOWN AS THE DEADLIEST ROCK CONCERT IN U.S. HISTORY AND IT HAPPENED 18 YEARS AGO RIGHT IN RHODE ISLAND.

100 PEOPLE KILLED, HUNDREDS INJURED AND THOUSANDS OF LIVES FOREVER CHANGED BY THE STATION NIGHTCLUB FIRE.

NOW, A BOOK BY NATIVE NEW ENGLAND JOURNALIST SCOTT JAMES CHALLENGES EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.

THE AUTHOR OF TRIAL BY FIRE SPENT YEARS INVESTIGATING HOW FLAMES TURNED THE MUSIC'S UPBEAT TEMPO TO TERROR AND THEN TRAGEDY.

HE SPOKE WITH REPORTER BILL BARTHOLOMEW LAST MONTH, AND SINCE THEN, TRIAL BY FIRE HAS WON THE TOP OR -- THE TOP PRIZE FOR NONFICTION.

THREE PEOPLE WERE CRIMINALLY INDICTED, BUT IT NEVER WENT TO TRIAL, AND THE KEY EVENTS NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY UNTIL NOW.

>> SO MANY THINGS WENT WRONG% SIMULTANEOUSLY.

FRANKLY, IF JUST ONE HAD NOT GONE WRONG, NOBODY WOULD HAVE DIED.

>> JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR SCOTT JAMES HAS SPENT 10 YEARS INVESTIGATING THE STATION NIGHTCLUB FIRE.

HIS NEW BOOK, TRIAL BY FIRE, FOLLOWS WHAT HE SAYS WAS A STRING OF CATASTROPHIC EVENTS THAT ALL BEGAN RATHER INNOCENTLY ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 20, 2003, WHEN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED TO HEAR THE ROCK BAND KNOWN AS GREAT WHITE.

NOT LONG AFTER THE BEGAN -- AFTER THEY BEGAN TO PLAY, THEY LIT UP THE STAGE WITH FIREWORKS.

>> THIS IS A ROCK SHOW, SO WHEN THE FIREWORKS HAPPENED, FOR THE FIRST 30 SECONDS, PEOPLE DIDN'T TRY TO EVACUATE.

>> AS THIS GOVERNMENT LAB RECREATION SHOWS, THE SPARKS QUICKLY IGNITED THE FOAM.

>> AND WITHIN SECONDS, THE BUILDING BECAME AN INFERNO.

AT THE 92ND MARK AFTER THE FIRE STARTED, ANYONE WHO WAS LEFT INSIDE THAT BUILDING WAS EITHER DEAD OR DYING.

>> IN HIS BOOK, JAMES DESCRIBES A SERIES OF FAILURES THAT LED TO THE TRAGEDY.

>> SO YOU HAVE A BAND THAT SETS OFF FIREWORKS INSIDE A CLUB.

THEY ARE 15 FOOT ARCS IN A CLUB WITH A 12 FOOT CEILING.

THE FIREWORKS THEMSELVES WERE ILLEGAL.

THE FOAM ON THE WALLS THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOUNDPROOFING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIREPROOF, BUT INSTEAD, WHAT WAS INSTALLED WAS PACKING FOAM, AND PACKING FOAM IS THE EQUIVALENT OF SOLID GASOLINE, SO WINDOWS FIREWORKS HIT THAT FOAM, IT WENT UP LIKE A TORCH.

>> WEEKS BEFORE THE TRAGEDY, WEST WARWICK'S FIRE INSPECTOR HAD CERTIFIED THE SPACE AS SAFE.

>> WE KNOW THINGS ARE NOT OK.

THE BUILDING WAS A DEATHTRAP.

>> THE CASCADING SAFETY ISSUES KILLED 100 PEOPLE AND INJURED ABOUT 230.

THE VICTIMS FAMILIES WANTED ANSWERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT QUICKLY CAME UP WITH SOME, NAMELY, THE OPERATORS OF THE NIGHTCLUB, JEFFREY AND MICHAEL GREG ARIAN.

>> THE LOCAL POLICE CHIEF THE NIGHT OF THE FIRE SAID HE THOUGHT THE DARIEN BROTHERS WOULD BE INDICTED FOR THE FIRE.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE WEST WARWICK POLICE CHIEF SAYING THIS IS HE HAD NOT DONE ONE MINUTE OF INVESTIGATION.

>> THEY RENTED THE NIGHTCLUB SPACE.

MICHAEL WAS A SUCCESSFUL FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND HIS BROTHER JEFFREY WAS A LOCAL TELEVISION JOURNALIST.

ONCE THEIR NAME WAS OUT, LOCAL MEDIA STARTED TARGETING THEM.

>> THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER AT ONE POINT PUBLISHED THE HOME STREET ADDRESSES OF THE BROTHERS.

>> BUT EARLY IN HIS RESEARCH, SCOTT JAMES FOUND THE CASE AGAINST THEM WAS NOT SO CUT AND DRY.

>> I HEARD ABOUT MOCK TRIALS WHERE PEOPLE TEST OUT THEIR EVIDENCE FROM THE PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE BEFORE IT STARTS AND THEY TEST THE ARGUMENTS TO SEE HOW A JURY WILL REACT, SO, PRIOR TO TH EVENT -- THE EVENT, THERE WERE TRIALS.

>> THEY WERE FOUND NOT GUILTY.

>> I DECIDED, WHAT DID THOSE PEOPLE HERE THAT THE PUBLIC DID NOT, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC SAID IT WAS OPEN AND SHUT.

>> JAMES FOUND A RECEIPT SHOWING THAT THEY HAD ORDERED SOUND FOAM, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE FLAME RESISTANT.

THEY SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA THEY RECEIVED HIGHLY FLAMMABLE PACKING FOAM INSTEAD.

SCOTT: THAT WAS PROBABLY WHAT CONVINCED THE MOCK JURORS TO SAY THIS IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST SAYING THESE GUYS ACTED BADLY.

>> NOR WAS IT SIMPLE REGARDING WHETHER THE BAND, GREAT WHITE, HAD PERMISSION TO SET OFF FIREWORKS.

THE DERDERIANS HAVE NEVER WAVERED IN THEIR CLAIM THAT NO PERMISSION WAS GIVEN.

>> THERE ARE NO DOCUMENTS THAT SHOW THERE WAS PERMISSION GIVEN, NO CONTRACTS THAT SHOW PERMISSION WAS GIVEN BY THE NIGHTCLUB OPERATORS.

THE BAND DID PYROTECHNICS AT ALL SORTS OF CLUBS, AND MANY OF THOSE OWNERS SAID THEY DID NOT GIVE PERMISSION AND THE BAND DID IT ANYWAY.

IN SOME CASES, THEY TOLD THE BAND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIMS?

>> HUNDREDS DIED BUT HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WERE HURT AND SOME BROUGHT TO THE CUSP OF DEATH MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE SUFFERED TERRIBLY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.

IT DID NOT END WHEN THE DEAD WERE BURIED.

THE NEED WENT ON AND ON AND THESE PEOPLE DID NOT GET THE CHARITABLE SUPPORT THEY WOULD GET POSSIBLY FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

>> UNLIKE THE VICTIMS OF THE 1999 WORCESTER WAREHOUSE FIRE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID NOT GRANT VICTIMS OF THE STATION FIRE RELIEF AID, AND JAMES SAYS THE LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT ACROSS THE BOARD IS BOTH TRAGIC AND PRODUCTIVE OR.

-- AND PREDICTABLE.

>> THESE WERE WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE, ROCK 'N' ROLLERS WITH TATTOOS.

THEY DO NOT FIT THE TRADITIONAL IDEA OF WHO CHARITIES HELP.

IT IS NOT CANCER, ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH.

SUPPORT RAN OUT QUICKLY AND PEOPLE LOST EVERYTHING.

THEY LOST THEIR HOMES.

THEIR CARS WERE BEING REPOSSESSED SO THEY HAD TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES.

>> THE VICTIMS PERFORMED THE STATION FAMILY FUND TO HELP SURVIVORS AND FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO DIED WITH BASIC NECESSITIES , PRINTING GROCERIES.

THEY DO NOT JUST WANT RELIEF.

THEY WANTED JUSTICE.

FOR THAT, THEY TURNED TO ATTORNEY GENERAL PATRICK LYNCH.

>> THE ATTORNEY GENERAL GATHERS THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED AT THE WEST VALLEY INN AND HE ANNOUNCES THE THREE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE PROSECUTED.

>> THE ONLY PEOPLE TO BE CHARGED WERE GREAT WHITE'S MANAGER, DANIEL B KLEE, AND THE CLUB'S OPERATORS, JEFF AND MICHAEL DERDERIAN.

THE FAMILIES WERE SHOCKED.

>> THEY WERE WAITING FOR NAMES AND NO OTHERS COME.

SO THEY ARE ANGRY, LIVID, THEY FEEL BETRAYED THAT NO ONE ELSE WILL BE PROSECUTED.

WHY WASN'T THE PHONE COMPANY HELD CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE?

THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DELIVER THIS FLAME RESISTANT FOAM AND DID NOT.

WHY WASN'T THE FIRE MARSHAL HELD ACCOUNTABLE?

HE DID NOT DO THE TESTING OF THE FOAM TO PROVE IT WAS DANGEROUS.

HE DID NOT DO HIS JOB.

>> THAT DERDERIANS OPERATED THE NIGHTCLUB BUT DID NOT OWN THE BUILDING.

THE OWNER DID NOT GET INDICTED.

JAMES FOUND IT WAS NO ACCIDENT.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS ONLY LOOKING TO INICT THOSE HE COULD CONVICT, SO HE SENT STAFF TO RESEARCH HOW OTHER FIRES OF THIS MAGNITUDE WERE PROSECUTED AROUND THE WORLD.

>> THE PEOPLE WHO TEND TO BE INDICTED AND CONVICTED ARE THE OPERATORS OF THE NIGHTCLUBS.

SO THAT WAS KIND OF A GREAT ROLE IN DETERMINING WHO WOULD THEY GO AFTER AND INDICT.

THEY DETERMINED WHO WAS IT POSSIBLE TO GET AS OPPOSED TO WHO WAS GUILTY AND WHO SHOULD BE PURSUED BASED ON THE EVIDENCE.

IT IS ALMOST LIKE INDICTMENT BY SPREADSHEET.

>> FOR INSTANCE, RHODE ISLAND FIRE SAFETY CODES DID NOT REQUIRE THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING TO INSTALL SPRINKLERS, BUT AS THIS LAB RE-CREATION VIDEO DEMONSTRATES, SPRINKLERS WOULD HAVE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.

>> SPRINKLERS WOULD HAVE SAVED EVERY SINGLE LIFE.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT?

WHY WERE THE CODES SO BADLY OUT OF DATE?

>> THE CRIMINAL CASES NEVER WENT TO TRIAL.

BEAKLEY PLEADED NO CONTEST TO CHARGES OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND SPENT TWO YEARS IN PRISON.

FEARING THE EVIDENCE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO CLEAR THEM, THE DERDERIAN BROTHERS ALSO TOOK A PLEA DEAL.

>> THE PUBLIC WANTED BLOOD.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE SYSTEM TO CONVICT THESE PEOPLE, AND THE DERDERIANS FELT IT.

THEY DID NOT FEEL THEY WOULD GET A FAIR SHAKE.

>> SO THE BROTHERS LAWYER STRUCK A DEAL CALLED BUY ONE, SET ONE FREE.

>> THE DEAL WAS ONE OF THE BROTHERS WOULD HAVE TO SERVE PRISON TIME AND ONE WOULD NOT, BUT HERE'S THE TWIST.

THEY ARE TOLD THEY HAVE TO DECIDE AMONG THEMSELVES WHICH WOULD BE THE ONE TO GO.

>> TOGETHER, THEY DECIDED THE OLDER BROTHER, MICHAEL, WOULD SERVE THE TIME.

HE SPENT NEARLY THREE YEARS HERE AT THIS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY BEFORE BEING RELEASED IN 2009.

WHAT ARE THE DERDERIANS UP TO TODAY?

>> JEFFREY IS NO LONGER A REPORTER.

MICHAEL IS BACK IN FINANCIAL SERVICES.

THEY DIDN'T LEAVE.

THEY STAYED IN RHODE ISLAND.

THEY ARE NOT LOOKING FOR SYMPATHY.

THEY ARE NOT LOOKING FOR EXONERATION.

WHAT THEY WANTED WAS TO PUT ALL THE FACTS OUT THERE SO PEOPLE COULD CONSIDER THEM.

THEY STILL FEEL TREMENDOUS GUILT.

THEY THINK ABOUT THIS EVERY DAY.

THEY DO THE WHAT IFS EVERY DAY.

THEY SAY WHAT IF WE NEVER BOUGHT THAT CLUB?

WHAT IF WE NEVER BOOKED THAT BAND?

WHAT IF?

>> WHAT IS THE LEGACY OF THE STATION FIRE?

>> THE LEGACY SHOULD BE THAT WE HAVE LEARNED A LESSON AND IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

MY CONCERN IS THAT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

THE FACT IS THAT THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A FAILED SYSTEM.

IT IS NOT ABOUT JUST A FEW PEOPLE DOING THE WRONG THING OR MAYBE NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING.

IT IS REALLY ABOUT A SYSTEM THAT WE THINK IS THERE TO PROTECT US AND IS NOT.

>> OUR THANKS TO BILL BARTHOLOMEW FOR THAT REPORT.

IN THE WAKE OF THE FIRE, RHODE ISLAND OVERHAULED ITS FIRE CODES.

THE NEW POLICIES REQUIRE LARGE PUBLIC PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT TO HAVE SPRINKLERS AND ELIMINATED THE GRANDFATHER CLAUSE THAT EXEMPTED OLD BUILDINGS FROM HAVING TO FOLLOW NEW STANDARDS.

STILL, DISASTERS STRIKINGLY SIMILAR TO THE STATION FIRE HAVE CONTINUED TO TAKE PLACE AROUND THE GLOBE.

IN 2013, FIREWORKS IGNITED FOAM IN A BRAZIL NIGHTCLUB, KILLING MORE THAN 230 PEOPLE, AND IN 2016, A FIRE AT THE GHOST SHIP ARTISTS COLLECTIVE IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA KILLED 36 PEOPLE.

VAST AND WET -- BACK IN WEST WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND OR CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THE TRAGEDY.

IN 2017 A MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO DIED OPENED ON THE SAME LAND THAT USED TO HOUSE THE NIGHTCLUB.

>> NEXT, NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY IN THE OCEAN STATE.

BEFORE ENGLISH SETTLERS BEGAN ARRIVING IN THE 16 20'S, NATIVE AMERICANS HAD LIVED IN THE NARRAGANSETT BAY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT, PRIOR TO 1610, SOME 144,000 NATIVES LIVED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.

IT IS BELIEVED THE NATIVE PEOPLE GENERALLY WELCOMED THE SETTLERS, BUT THE DISEASES THEY BROUGHT, SUCH AS SMALLPOX, WOULD ULTIMATELY KILL HUGE PORTIONS OF THE NATIVE POPULATIONS.

DISEASE, WAR, SLAVERY AND RELOCATION WOULD CONTINUE FOR TWO CENTURIES, PUSHING THE NATIVE PEOPLE OUT WHILE MORE AND MORE SETTLERS MOVED ONTO THEIR LAND.

BY 1832, THE RHODE ISLAND CENSUS REPORTED ONLY 80 NATIVE AMERICANS LIVING IN THE STATE.

SINCE THEN, THE NATIVE POPULATION HAS GROWN, BUT AS WE FOUND WHEN WE FIRST REPORTED THIS STORY IN MARCH, THEY CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.

TONIGHT, WE HEAR FROM TWO NATIVE AMERICAN RHODE ISLANDERS AS THEY DESCRIBE THE PREJUDICE THEY FACED GROWING UP AND THEIR CONTINUING STRUGGLE TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY WHILE RETAINING THEIR INDIGENOUS HERITAGE.

♪ >> MY NAME IS DEBORAH MOOREHEAD.

IN MY WAMPANOAG LANGUAGE, IT IS ANOTHER NAME.

AND I WOULD SAY, IN MY LANGUAGE, LOW, MY NAME IS DEBORAH, TALKING WATER.

HOW ARE YOU?

WE GREW UP IN THE AREA CALLED LINKIN PARK.

-- LINCOLN PARK.

THERE WAS MAYBE ONE OTHER FAMILY OF COLOR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE GREW UP MOSTLY WITH NON-NATIVE PEOPLE.

MOST OF MY NEIGHBORS WERE WONDERFUL, THE GREATEST PEOPLE YOU WOULD EVER MEET.

WHAT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T -- THERE WAS NOT ANYBODY THAT LOOKED LIKE ME, SO I HAD A HARD TIME RELATING.

>> RAYMOND WATSON, PRINCIPAL CHIEF OF THE NARRAGANSETT TRIBE.

MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO RAISED ME, ALWAYS SOUGHT OUT EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCES WHERE THERE WAS A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE.

THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT IS IN PROVIDENCE GENERALLY LESS YOU GO INTO ONE OF THE VERY EXPENSIVE SORT OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

EVEN IN DAYCARE, I WENT TO MOUNT HOPE, ONLY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY.

THERE WERE KIDS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.

MY GRANDMOTHER, A CHRISTIAN WOMAN, THEN PUT ME IN A LUTHERAN SCHOOL, A SMALL LUTHERAN SCHOOL, BUT ONCE AGAIN, SUCH A DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS.

WE HAD LAOTIANS, GUATEMALANS, INDIANS FROM DIFFERENT TRIBES.

I THINK THERE WAS A HAITIAN YOUNG LADY.

THROUGH SORT OF MY EDUCATION, MY GRANDMOTHER MADE CERTAIN I WAS IN SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THERE WOULD BE A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE.

>> IN FOURTH GRADE, MY TEACHER, HE WAS HISPANIC.

HE ASKED THAT SHE WENT AROUND THE ROOM AND ASKED EVERYONE TO TELL THEIR ETHNICITY -- HE ASKED EVERYONE TO TELL THEIR ETHNICITY.

I JUST SAID BLACK BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS CALLING ME BLACK ALL THE TIME AND TELLING ME THE N-WORD.

SO MR. BLANCO SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

I SAID, I KNOW I AM INDIAN BUT PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE ME.

HE SAID I KNOW YOU ARE AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT YOU.

HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO ACTUALLY VALIDATED WHO I WAS.

>> I LEARNED FROM A VERY EARLY STAGE THAT THERE WERE LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE AROUND AND THAT NOT EVERYONE WAS LIKE ME AND THAT THAT WASN'T A BAD THING, SO THAT COLORED, IN TERMS OF HOW I INTENDED TO ENGAGE AS I GREW UP.

WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG, BECAUSE IF RHODE ISLAND GOT STARTED BY TAKING LAND FROM MY PEOPLE, WELL, WHY SHOULD I BE PROUD OF BEING A RHODE ISLANDER?

AND YET WHEN I GO TO SCHOOL, EVERYTHING GREAT ABOUT RHODE ISLAND, SO YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY IN THIS SPACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO EVEN DEAL WITH SOCIETY AROUND YOU, AND, AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, BEING INTRODUCED TO THAT SORT OF CONFLICT.

>> WELL, IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE SOCIETY KEPT TRYING TO PUT THIS MESSAGE THAT, IF YOU ARE -- YOU WERE NOT OF A CERTAIN LOOK, STYLE, STATUS, THAN YOU WERE LESS THAN, SO I HAD THE SELF-ESTEEM THAT IT WAS, LIKE, WELL, I DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHITE SKIN, BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYES, A MERCEDES IN MY YARD, A BIG CAR, ALL THOSE STATUS SYMBOLS THAT SAID YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SELF-ESTEEM.

I DIDN'T FEEL MY VALUE WAS REALLY HIGH THAN.

AND IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN MY LIFE BECAUSE THAT WAS THE NIGHT -- BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN I NEEDED TO THINK THAT MY VALUE WAS VERY HIGH.

SO I MADE IT THROUGH, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT.

>> ESPECIALLY GROWING UP HERE IN MOUNT HOPE, BECAUSE IF ANYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE NARRAGANSETT INDIAN TRIBE, THE RESERVATION AND THE FEDERALLY-RECOGNIZED COMMUNITY IS ALL THE WAY AT THE OTHER END OF THE STATE, SO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND INTO HIGH SCHOOL, YEAH, I KNOW I AM AN INDIAN, BUT I AM A BLACK MAN, AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN, AND I AM HERE IN THE CITY.

I'M GOING TO BE AN NBA PLAYER.

WE WILL GO TO A POWWOW ONCE A YEAR.

IF MY GRANDMOTHER BRINGS ME DOWN, THAT'S COOL.

WE WILL EAT SOME JOHNNY CAKES OR SOME CHOWDER, BUT I'M HERE IN THE CITIES SO I NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT I AM DOING HERE AND WHERE I AM TRYING TO GO.

AND MY GRANDMOTHER, FOCUSED ON RAISING AN "BLACK" MAN IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT, SHE WAS AFRAID OF THE POTENTIAL FOR THINGS TO BE HARMFUL IN SOCIETY, SO HER SORT OF ADVICE TO ME AND GROOMING FOR ME GROWING UP WAS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW I FIT INTO THIS STRUCTURE THAT'S AROUND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE NOT EASY FOR A BLACK MAN.

THAT WAS KIND OF THE CONVERSATION WE WOULD HAVE, BUT ONCE AGAIN, JUXTAPOSED TO DON'T FORGET YOU ARE IN -- YOU ARE A NARRAGANSETT INDIAN AND THIS IS YOUR LAND.

VERY COMPLEX, DURING THOSE YOUNGER AGES, TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

>> THE FIRST TIME I SAW HER RACISM WAS MY FIRST WALK TO SCHOOL.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A MONDAY OR A TUESDAY.

I WAS LEAVING MY HOUSE AND WALKING TO SCHOOL WITH MY SISTER AND MY FRIEND'S BROTHER CAME BY AND HE WAS WALKING TO SCHOOL AND HE JUST PICKED UP A STICK AND STARTED HITTING ME AND CALLING ME N#*#*#*.

I TOOK TWO HITS AND I JUST GOT ANGRY AND TURNED AROUND AND HIT HIM BACK.

THAT WAS THE END OF HIM HITTING ME.

HE NEVER HIT ME AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS SOMEBODY THAT FOUGHT BACK.

HOW DARE I HAVE COLOR IN MY SKIN?

IT JUST SEEMED SO SILLY TO ME NOW.

THE PEOPLE THAT DID THAT, THEY MUST FEEL SO AWFUL THEY DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> I HAD JUST TURNED 12.

I HAD JUST TURNED 12.

AND I FINALLY FELT LIKE I WAS ALMOST A TEENAGER, YOU KNOW?

SO, NANA, CAN WE GO TO THE MALL?

SOME OF MY FRIENDS WENT TO HANG OUT AT THE MALL.

THIS WAS BEFORE PROVIDENCE PLACE WAS THERE.

WE ARE GOING TO GO HANG OUT BECAUSE I AM ALMOST A TEENAGER.

OK, YOU CAN GO.

I TOUCHED BASE WITH ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS, A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM HERE AS WELL, AND HE REMEMBERED VIVIDLY US BEING AT THE MALL AND GETTING APPROACHED BY SECURITY, AND TELLING US THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST HANGING AROUND AND WEREN'T BUYING ANYTHING SO WE HAD TO LEAVE, BUT HERE I AM WITH MY CD IN MY HAND FROM THE CD STORE.

I AM LOOKING AROUND AND, LIKE, PROBABLY SOME OF THE VERY FEW BROWN FACES THAT ARE THERE, AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS ASKED, WELL, HOW COME THE REST OF THE KIDS WE ARE SEEING THEM HANGING OUT.

NO REAL ANSWER.

WE ARE JUST ESCORTED TO THE DOOR.

I CALLED MY GRANDMOTHER.

NANA, THEY JUST KICKED US OUT OF THE MALL.

THEY SAID WE WEREN'T -- AND SHE GETS UPSET, BUT I'M NOT REALLY PROCESSING WHY SHE GETS UPSET.

I FIND OUT YEARS LATER SHE MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, LIKE, WHY IS MY GRANDSON BEING TREATED THAT WAY?

NO RETURNED PHONE CALLS OR ANYTHING.

AS I GOT OLDER, I UNDERSTOOD, OK. >> WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT AWAY WHO I AM?

WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT IT AWAY?

I THINK THAT COLONIAL TECHNIQUES WERE SET UP FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO MAKE NATIVE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD JUST BECOME ASSIMILATED SO THAT THERE'S NO WAY THAT THEY CAN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE BEEN DONE WRONG, THAT THE TREATIES HAVE NEVER BEEN ADDRESSED, THEY'VE NEVER HONORED OUR TREATIES.

THEY HAVE TAKEN ALL OF OUR LAND.

THEY HAVE MURDERED OUR ANCESTORS.

ALL OF THAT, DISRESPECTED US.

SO IF THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS THAT WERE MADE FROM THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH COLONIZATION TECHNIQUES SET IT UP SO THAT IT IS SO MUCH EASIER AND COMFORTABLE TO SAY, OK, I WON'T BE WHO I AM.

I WILL BE PART OF THE MELTING POT.

I AM AMERICAN SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO I AM.

AND, GROWING UP IN WARWICK, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE THAT.

THEY WERE LIKE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE.

BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE, YOU HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED LESS THAN BECAUSE YOU HAVE COLOR.

>> IT IS AN EVERYDAY STRUGGLE.

DIFFERENT PEOPLE DEAL WITH IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

ONE OF THE WAYS YOU SEE PEOPLE COPING WITH IT, AND THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM IN THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY, IS SELF-MEDICATING, BECAUSE YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT HERE AND YOU CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS IT, SO THERE'S A LOT OF THAT BUT YOU ALSO SEE THE OTHER SIDE, PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY EMBRACING THEIR CULTURE AND WANT TO GET AWAY FROM THIS THING BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT IS NOT REAL.

I KNOW THIS ISN'T REAL.

I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PEOPLE.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.

I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE STILL DOING SO I AM GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT, AND AS MUCH AS I HAVE TO, AND -- THAT, INASMIUCH IS I HAVE TO, AND AS MUCH AS I DON'T HAVE TO, I WON'T.

MY GRANDFATHER SAID THE INDIAN OF TODAY IS A MODERN MAN WHO DOES NOT FORGET HIS FOREFATHERS.

>> I WOULD TELL AN INDIAN GIRL WHO IS A TEENAGER TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE -- YOU HAVE YOUR OWN VOICE AND TO USE YOUR OWN VOICE TO WRITE YOUR OWN STORY.

DON'T LET ANYBODY WRITE IT FOR YOU.

♪ >> OUR THANKS TO DEBORAH MOOREHEAD AND RAYMOND TWO HAWKS WATSON FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES WITH US.

I AM PALMORE WATTS.

>> I AM MICHELLE SAN MIGUEL.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WE WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK WITH ANOTHER EDITION OF RHODE ISLAND PBS WEEKLY.

♪