During this interview I sat with Matthew Saraficio who is a recent graduate from Arizona State University earning a Bachlor’s degree in Acting. He talked about his role and experience during the production of “Shooting Columbus.” The performance was presented by Borderlands Theater and created by the group Fifth World Collective. The group consisted of indigenous and non-indigenous actors who portrayed dramatic representations of a truthful reality of past and present issues within Indian country. Some of those issues include historical trauma that so many native people endured during the boarding school era on into today’s pressing issues like the proposed border wall. The existing concerns are native language loss, degradation to the environment for natural resources, and lack of consultation with native tribes. The stunning visual effects and the artistic presence of dance movement and metaphorical performance was executed very well. The preshow began with a walk through, through various rooms within the La Pilita Museum that included images, video projections, and acting scenes. Each visual and acting performance characterized a deeper understanding of what America’s first people have been through since the first European contact. The question posed throughout this performance challenged the audience by asking: If settlers never arrived on this land, how would your life be different?
During this podcast episode you will hear a short audio clip from the Arizona Public Media video shoot production of “Shooting Columbus.”
