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00:00Look at this gorgeous reservation.
00:07No matter how many times I come home to Rincon,
00:10I am completely blown away by the beauty of this place.
00:15I think everybody says that about their res.
00:30I think everybody says that about their res.
00:48So this is home. I live at Rincon.
01:07We are the band of Luseno Indians.
01:09And right behind me is Rodriguez Mountain.
01:12That mountain is named after my ancestors
01:15who have been here for thousands of years.
01:17This is Indian Country is about natives just like me.
01:20We do all kinds of things in all kinds of spaces.
01:23But today you're going to get to go with me to the res, to the city,
01:27and you're going to see a day in the life of what I do.
01:30So hang on to your hats.
01:35Meet my dad, Henry Rodriguez, an activist
01:39and one of the first to arrive on Alcatraz Island
01:42in the occupation of 1969.
01:45With the wisdom of an elder, he stands as a guiding light
01:49for the next generation to follow.
01:51So, Dad, what was it like being out here as a kid?
01:55Oh, my goodness.
01:56Being out here as a kid was like a paradise to us.
02:00It was what we grew up with.
02:02So, you know, everything in our backyard.
02:04Climbing all over these things, all the trees,
02:07discovering all the stuff from our ancestors.
02:10We passed by these rocks and they bring back special memories.
02:14We've been all over these rocks and, of course,
02:16they've been here thousands of years.
02:18They're the same as our people.
02:19Our people date back over 10,000 years in this area.
02:22These trees also, our oak trees, where the acorns come from,
02:27we would definitely harvest those and use them in one of our staples.
02:31It's a meal we call We Wish.
02:33And it's acorns ground up and made into a pudding type of thing.
02:37You have to require a taste for it.
02:39The reason we called it We Wish?
02:41Yeah, We Wish it tastes better.
02:43But it's good, though.
02:47You know, like I said, we didn't have a lot to survive on at the time,
02:50but we did.
02:51We managed to do and live with what we had.
02:55You know, if you take care of Mother Earth,
02:57she will take care of you.
02:59So it's a good thing.
03:00And we, like I said, this is home.
03:03This will always be home to us.
03:05Now it's time to meet my cousins.
03:08Frank Mazzetti and his family, like mine,
03:11date back before the reservation was established.
03:14His lineage entwines with the Italian immigrants
03:17who brought their winemaking tradition to our land.
03:20And Frank's carrying on that tradition right here on the Rez.
03:25We have seven different varieties of wine out here at the time.
03:28And we started this as a family operation with my brothers
03:31and my sisters and my nephews got involved with it
03:34and nieces and my children are involved in it.
03:36It's taken us a few years, but we have a few more years to go.
03:40This is just incredible.
03:42Like, I know everything is dormant right now.
03:44Yeah, you came at the beginning of the season
03:47when things will start blooming and growing.
03:50Right now you're seeing that we have just pruned on the reservation.
03:55It is difficult to have businesses here
03:59simply because we're not part of the state.
04:01We don't have funding.
04:02We don't have access to the state agricultural issues.
04:07And we fought with the government for many years
04:09with water rights and land rights and sovereignty issues
04:13and we really feel that, you know,
04:16Rincon has really established itself as a forward-moving reservation.
04:20I wasn't able, fortunate enough, to live on the reservation all the time.
04:24I kind of came back and forth.
04:26But you've lived here your whole life.
04:28Oh, my gosh.
04:29We go back when my father and my grandfather
04:32and my grandmother that lived here,
04:34which was the original native here from our side.
04:38She married an Italian.
04:40So people question me constantly.
04:43How do you get an Italian on a reservation?
04:45And how do you become native with an Italian name?
04:48Well, our original name is Collac.
04:51Tell me about the wine.
04:52You see, I've got my glasses ready.
04:53We were ready for the wine, yes.
04:55And the wines that we have are dry wines.
04:58And if you notice the labels,
05:00we wanted to make it into a native design
05:03that they're on the reservation
05:05and grown on the reservation and produced here.
05:07This mountain here is a mountain
05:09that's called Rodriguez Mountain behind the vineyard here.
05:12And who's that named after?
05:13I know, I know.
05:14See, we have a lot of talented people here.
05:16Instead of the sunrise, we went with a native basket.
05:19And then we also tied in the leaves of the vineyard
05:22to show that they're wineries.
05:24Where did you get the vines from?
05:26We have to order those because they are grafted
05:28to a rootstock that is specifically designed
05:30for the soil that we have in the area.
05:32Do you have to hire someone to do the tasting?
05:35We have a vintner that makes a mine,
05:37and he has his recipes, and we follow his directions
05:40on how they foment the formulas that they come up with.
05:45And then that lower barn eventually will become
05:47our manufacturing area.
05:50Down below is the cellar and appears hopefully
05:54and eventually going to be a tasting room for the public.
05:57But we're in the early stages right now.
05:59You know, the wine business isn't a very profitable business
06:02at this time, but I'm hoping my family that keeps growing
06:06this vineyard to the point where it does become something
06:09in the future.
06:10Well said.
06:11Well said.
06:13Meet Joyce McNeil-Token.
06:17She shattered the glass ceiling in Hollywood
06:20as one of the first Native women stunt performers.
06:23A true warrior of the silver screen,
06:25cousin Joyce stands as a testament
06:28to the unyielding spirit of our Native people.
06:31I was so impressed when I started reading about you.
06:36I had no idea, like, the impact that you've made
06:39for our people.
06:41And we're family from Rincon.
06:43Tell me, like, how you grew up,
06:45but give me a little bit of your backstory.
06:47My mother and father, first of all,
06:49are both Native.
06:50My dad is from Yurok, Karuk, and Shasta,
06:53up in Northern California.
06:55And then, of course, my mother's from here,
06:57Rincon, Luceno.
06:58We lived in Burbank most of my life,
07:00but my grandmother that I was very close to
07:03lived here on the reservation, Georgia Mazzetti.
07:06And this was all open range here.
07:08They had horses, cattle running loose.
07:10Nobody was here.
07:11That's amazing.
07:12So what was your first gig, I guess, in Hollywood?
07:16Burbank is like the hub, really, for studios, right?
07:19I was asked to be on the Lucy Show.
07:21And it was one of her last productions.
07:23And I got on the Lucy Show doing a little part.
07:26And, of course, that got me into the Screen Actors Guild.
07:29And at that time, the Screen Actors Guild
07:32because I wasn't an actress,
07:34but there was also a Screen Extras Guild.
07:36And that was the harder union to get into.
07:39I got into that, started working extra,
07:42and was on the sets, and I met a stuntman.
07:45And at that time, women were still being doubled by men.
07:49And he needed a girl to double a gal on a show.
07:53So he took me out to a place that they do high falls.
07:58They practiced picture fights.
08:01I got a little falling horse, did car work, learned to do car work.
08:06And it kind of took off from there.
08:08Doing all this, I start to see the Native side.
08:12And I went in for an interview for a Native role.
08:16And at the time, I was very tan.
08:18I always had light eyes, of course.
08:20And the producer looks at me and says,
08:22you're not Indian.
08:24Just like that.
08:25I mean, it's like, what?
08:26I mean, because you have light eyes.
08:28And I thought, okay, I walked out.
08:30But I got a group of guys, some Native people.
08:33I got Asians.
08:35And not all of them wanted to say anything
08:37because they were afraid they'd get blackballed.
08:39But we started a group, an alliance for stunt people.
08:42And we took it to all the producers, all the big, big production companies.
08:47And they met with us.
08:48And I still have letters of them saying,
08:50we would like you to use, if it is a black, use a black Native.
08:55And it started, it started.
08:57And I thought for sure I was going to get blackballed, right?
08:59So you were really an activist.
09:01Yeah.
09:02Because this was before the whole woke movement.
09:04Yes, yeah.
09:05I guess.
09:06I didn't want to push.
09:07I had to get myself established.
09:10So people, because I started working a lot.
09:12I started really working on Native parts and finding Native people.
09:17But I started getting known as the Native girl.
09:21So stunt coordinators would call me and say,
09:23who do we have for stunt people?
09:25And as it is now, at least it was,
09:28I'm probably one of maybe three stunt women in the Screen Actors Guild.
09:33That is Native.
09:34Yeah, that is Native.
09:35That is Native, as far as I know.
09:37What was the scariest thing that you ever encountered as a stunt woman?
09:41I was doubling a girl that I, it was a TV series called Cover Up.
09:45What I had to do is, I was probably at 90 feet on a, I come out of the fire escape,
09:52go up to the top and run along the side.
09:55Oh my God.
09:56And all of a sudden a helicopter shows up above me and I've got men down below me shooting.
10:00It's a scene where they're shooting at her and la la la and they drop a ladder.
10:04And I go to grab it and we're going to take off and it wasn't attached to the helicopter.
10:08Oh my gosh.
10:10But again, that's why we do rehearsals.
10:13So this is a lot of training to be able to be a stunt person.
10:18Yes.
10:19You know, and a very serious career.
10:21Yes.
10:22Tell me a little bit about what you do here now.
10:24You've got your ranch and you have your horses.
10:26I do.
10:27Yes.
10:28Yes.
10:29We, um, and now I, uh, have horses that I sort in team pen.
10:31It's a sport that you chase cattle.
10:33So I'm competing still.
10:34And I just got myself a new little horse.
10:37And every day I'm always busy.
10:39Clean those stalls, clean those, ride those horses.
10:42Twice a day.
10:43So you're a true Indian girl.
10:45You never stop moving.
10:46I'm a true Indian girl.
10:47And being home, oh my gosh, it's so wonderful.
10:49I mean, look at this.
10:50I mean, and you know, as things progress, it is progress.
10:53It's really helped.
10:54Because in turn, hopefully we are and can and do help other reservations and other people.
11:05Next stop is with my cousin Rick, the chairman of our economic development corporation, Redco.
11:11Rick is driven by a deep passion to give back to our tribe, to create a better future for our people.
11:18And he does it through the ambitious business endeavor like Rincon Reservation Road Brewery.
11:24So ultimately in 2016 is about when the time they thought that maybe we'd want to do a brewery and to create a revenue stream for our tribe.
11:33You know, something that we can give back.
11:35Several other things came from that.
11:37I mean, we also pushed against the stereotypical Indians and alcohol.
11:42So for us, it meant a lot of things to us and for us.
11:46You know, we've even stretched it further to where we're using the youth to come in and learn how to brew.
11:52We've got a couple of kids in fermentation school and these things that are just trying to get people to come back and and really live our vision.
11:59So and things are working well.
12:01Well, I noticed that you're also utilizing the language, you know, the different brews, I guess, are named after our language that we had.
12:11And so I think that's really great because it also shares our culture with people.
12:16Our people embrace that.
12:18It's become a prideful thing is, you know, that's our beer.
12:21So I know about Rattlesnake Mountain is here on the rest.
12:45But what's the story of our logo here that you guys made?
12:49We have this in a basket.
12:51What it what it is for our people is continual because in a circle, there's no end.
12:58And ultimately for us, that's how we want to, you know, keep our people.
13:02It signifies strength, unity.
13:05And it's just something that, you know, for our people, it stands out.
13:09It's a little badass.
13:11Well, I didn't want to say that.
13:14So tell me about the beers.
13:16So this is what we've accomplished in our time since around 2018.
13:21We've changed some of the logos.
13:23Actually, we've developed probably to this date about 17 different beers.
13:27Now, these are our core beers, which sell on the open market right now.
13:32And as I was saying before, the res dog.
13:35So we pay homage back to our tribe and our people by the names that we have.
13:39The Oasis, which is a blonde ale.
13:41And that's a place here on the reservation.
13:43Red Rattler, chief IPA.
13:45And this is our Mexican lager.
13:47It's a mula hay.
13:48And then our liseno.
13:49That's the name of our people.
13:51We are liseno.
13:52Can you believe, like, how far we've come with the casino, now the brewery?
13:58And you grew up here.
13:59You know, to speak to that, I mean, this reservation has defined me.
14:04You know, I always say I don't go outside the cattle guards.
14:06I don't get off the res very much.
14:08But when you cross those cattle guards and know that you're home, there's no better feeling.
14:13And what do you think about taking space?
14:16Like, I don't know how many native-owned breweries there are.
14:20We were the first.
14:21We were the first that was 100% Indian-owned and operated on a reservation.
14:25We were it.
14:26It's been all family.
14:27It's a family-owned and operated business.
14:30Truly.
14:31Really.
14:32And we are a family here at Rincon.
14:35When I was a kid, this was all orange groves.
14:38This was my great-grandfather's land.
14:40And now I live here.
14:42And you were just able to meet my cousins.
14:44They're so talented and so diverse.
14:47But now we're going to leave the res, and we're going to go into the city of San Diego,
14:51and you're going to see what I do for a living.
14:54Our first stop today, a photo shoot for Native Beauty, my luxury skin care line.
15:01Featuring two stunning Native models and an indigenous photographer,
15:05this is the first time a Native Beauty product has been introduced to luxury spas and department stores.
15:11I've seen in a matter of 30 years how much the industry has changed.
15:18When I was on the other side, I would go to the job, and there would be all these beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls.
15:23And I was the only one, dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin.
15:27I was the token brown girl.
15:29And, you know, fast forward to today where I'm shooting these beautiful models like these girls that are just stunning,
15:37and they're indigenous, and we're celebrating their beauty.
15:40And I think society has caught up to what we define as beauty.
15:45Besides being an art dealer, I am the founder of Native Beauty.
15:50And today we have two amazing Native models and indigenous photographer.
15:55We're doing a total rebranding.
15:57We've got these gorgeous new bottles that we've brought in.
16:00So today is the day.
16:02So let's check it out.
16:04It's gorgeous.
16:05You know, what I'm really trying to capture with Native Beauty is that essence that we have as indigenous sisters,
16:11and our connection to our Mother Earth, and the plant medicine that we have in Native Beauty.
16:16So I almost feel like it needs to almost have a feeling of appreciation and gratitude.
16:25A little closer to her face?
16:26Yeah, I think so.
16:27I think that'd be perfect.
16:28Got it.
16:34Gorgeous.
16:36I would say it's very empowering.
16:38I think growing up, I never felt beautiful.
16:41I used to get tattoos to just kind of hide my self-image.
16:45And so being a curvy indigenous model has made me feel very empowered, strong, and beautiful.
16:52What I really appreciate about Native Beauty is that we're all being celebrated as indigenous women,
16:58and we don't have a look.
17:01We're not stereotyped.
17:03We're not going through our history books, and, you know, people just see this certain image of us.
17:09We all look different now, and it's an amazing movement, and it's been long overdue.
17:15Exclusive Collections, my art gallery.
17:24It's located in downtown San Diego's historic gas lamp.
17:28My career as an art gallerist has spanned over two decades, and it's my passion.
17:33But preparing for tonight's show is anything but glamorous.
17:36The curation of an art exhibit involves hanging art, ensuring everything has arrived on time, and so much more.
17:44But ultimately, it's a labor of love.
17:47So when did these come in?
17:49This morning.
17:50Are you serious?
17:51Yeah, I'm afraid so.
17:52The show's tonight.
17:54How many are there?
17:55Four.
17:56And they still have to be framed?
17:58Oh, my gosh.
17:59Okay, so do you think there'll be time to do a liner?
18:03No, it's going to be framed straight, too.
18:05Maybe if we either go modern white or modern black, what do you think?
18:09Yeah, I don't think we have enough white molding to be consistent, so...
18:12We ordered this for other pieces in the gallery, but...
18:15There you go.
18:16That's safe.
18:17Okay, do you think you can get them done by tonight?
18:19Yeah, yeah.
18:20We'll go with it.
18:21Uh-huh.
18:22Yep, let's do it.
18:23Okay, let's do it.
18:25The next stop on our journey brings us to Gloria Lee, my mother and the inspiration behind my creative endeavors.
18:33A true Renaissance woman, she's been a devoted artist for over 50 years, showing her incredible artwork, not only in my gallery, but in numerous others.
18:43My mom always has her hands in several different projects, including her latest, making homemade kombucha.
18:50And it'll ferment a lot more if you let it sit out.
19:01This is amazing.
19:02Is this the one for Naomi?
19:03No.
19:04Actually, it's this one.
19:05You can take it with you today.
19:06Okay.
19:07Thank goodness, because she's been so patient.
19:09So I wanted to tell you what's been going on.
19:12We sold three paintings at the gallery.
19:15We've got Vegas coming up, so I'm going to need like eight paintings for that.
19:20And then Mazer is completely sold out of paintings.
19:24Oh, great.
19:25Okay, so what's your idea?
19:27I know we really need poppies, but what other works do you want to do?
19:31I actually want to do a body of work that's black and white.
19:35Okay.
19:36So daisies.
19:37Okay.
19:38And irises, and maybe white poppies.
19:43Well, you're hot right now.
19:44Thanks.
19:45So you've got to get busy.
19:47That show's coming right around the corner.
19:49I know.
19:50What do you think of the commission?
19:52I love it, and I think she's going to love it, too.
19:55And I'm going to take that next.
19:57All right.
19:58Perfect.
19:59Fantastic.
20:00Listen to the rain.
20:08Rain or shine, we still work.
20:13As we step back into the gas lamp, we are met with the excitement for tonight's art opening.
20:19This is the moment where art, culture, and community meet in a celebration of the arts.
20:25Tonight is a gathering of patrons, artists, and my dedicated staff.
20:30I love being an art gallerist because I can create a space for artists to preserve our culture for future generations.
20:38This gallery is one of the first Native-owned galleries since the 1800s in the historic gas lamp of downtown.
20:44So it's kind of a pleasure and an honor that Ruthann celebrates and honors Native American artists.
20:49I'm super excited for tonight for Jeremy Salazar's show, our Native American from Navajo, New Mexico.
20:57Has been painting only for six years, but I mean, he's just incredible with the inspiration.
21:02It's going to be amazing, exciting.
21:04He's going to be painting live, so I hope to see everyone here.
21:07Jeremy, it's such a pleasure to have you back here, and we've had so many amazing responses to your work since we've been carrying you for the last few years.
21:18So I wanted to just ask you, since we're going to have our, you know, our regular meeting, what are the most important things that we can tell people about your artwork?
21:27I think first and foremost that as an artist, I come from the reservation.
21:33I'm born and raised there, middle of nowhere, and everything that I've learned was just self-taught.
21:40I never went to art school, and so having that as my foundation, that's given me the confidence to really go out and show my work on a broader scale, such as showing in the gallery like this.
21:54That's amazing, and then, you know, one of the big questions people are always asking me is, are these real people?
22:01Most of the images here are based from real people that I know, so friends that I've made throughout my travels throughout the United States,
22:09people that I've come across on the reservations, and so each and every person has a story here.
22:15It's so important that I'm here in the historic gas lamp as a gallery owner because way back in the day when the gas lamp was established,
22:24which was in the mid-1850s, natives were not allowed here.
22:28As a matter of fact, there was signages that said Indians wanted dead or alive, and I've come to find out I am the very first gallery owner,
22:37business owner in the gas lamp since its inception, so it's kind of a big deal.
22:50I'm really excited. Ruthann has created such a wonderful space for us folks who come from indigenous and native descent.
23:00I love it. I love it. It's so beautiful. I love it, too. Let's go.
23:09Oh, my God. Wow.
23:19It's been an incredible journey having you guys travel with me from my reservation, meeting the cousins, my mom, my dad,
23:28going into the city and seeing my art gallery and the beauty world.
23:33But I'm just one Native American, and there's so many of us out there.
23:37We're resilient people, and we have incredible stories to tell.
23:41I am Ruthann Thorne, and this is Indian Country.
23:46We have審thern, and we have some music.
23:52It'sòndop.
23:54I have visual stories, where the pictures will look like you and children,
23:58and生日 Y��.
24:01Let's talk about this video.
24:04I've developed this situation.
24:10And what do you guys know in this video?
24:11I mean, we have a romantic mindset.
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