The Yavapai-Apache Nation (YAN) will host the University of Nevada, Reno’s Reynolds School of Journalism’s “Elevating Native American Voices in Journalism and Media” workshop at the Tunlii Community Center from Monday, June 2, through June 8. The free workshop will allow 20 participants to learn about the history of American Indians in journalism and about the school’s programs. Participants will hear from alumni of the program and create, film and produce their own stories using professional equipment.
YAN tribal member and UNR media production professor Alejandra Rubio, who will be leading the event, said in a statement that from an early age, she recognized the power of storytelling as a way to pass down knowledge and affirm cultural identity. Rubio spent parts of her childhood living on and off the reservation, running barefoot between her cousins’ homes, gathering for community feasts and participating in cultural classes, according to a press release.
As a teenager, she began working for the Nation alongside her grandmother, Elizabeth Smith-Rocha, and great-aunt, Rebecca Smith-Pavatea. These women had already shaped much of her cultural foundation, according to a press release. During those formative summers, Rubio learned beadwork and how to sew Apache camp dresses and deepened her understanding of her language and traditions. These experiences instilled in her a strong sense of identity, resilience and pride in her heritage.
In 2007, she moved to Carson City, Nevada, to study photography, eventually earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in fine arts, as well as a master’s degree in journalism, according to a press release. Rubio said a key goal of the workshop is to recruit American Indian students to the Reynolds School and support them. “We need a seat at the table,” she said, “to tell our stories on our terms.” To register, contact April Salas at (928) 567-1073.The event is open to high school and college-age American Indian youths and community members.
