Morningstar Angeline — A hunger for joy

Indigenous and Native American director, actor and musician of “Waveguides” part of a new generation

By Christina Stock

Vision Editor

Last week, the Vision section feature story covered the documentary about Indigenous and Native American musicians, “Waveguides.” It included a short introduction to Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists member Morningstar Angeline, its director. Today’s story covers the artist’s road to becoming a strong voice for her generation. The award-winning actor is best known for her roles in Kevin Costner’s “Yellowstone,” “The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw,” “Drunktown’s Finest” and “The Kid.”

Her credits include working in casting and behind the camera, as well as in electrical departments and as a director, writer and producer. At the time of the interview, Angeline had just been cast in a role for the film, “Frybread Face and Me,” which is in production in New Mexico.

Angeline answered interview questions by email in between work on the set, beginning with her background. She wrote that she grew up in Gallup, where she attended pre-school and elementary school, which included some time at a Catholic school. “In 5th grade my parents divorced and I began going to school in the Los Angeles (California) area, then coming back to Gallup each summer,” she wrote.

Asked if there was anything that she liked or thought was lacking in regards to her education, Angeline wrote that the biggest impact in her life and education was losing her community after moving to California. This took a very large toll on her. Angeline wrote that in Gallup she had been a part of a collective of people who shared the same culture, who looked like her and had a similar background. However, comparing the education she received in New Mexico and California, she thought both could have been improved when it came to Indigenous history of the United States.

“The things that got me through the traveling and moving back and forth were the arts. So if there’s any improvement (in education) I would like to see across the board, it is an investment in the arts, particularly for its use of healing within the youth and adults. It was the way I learned to communicate how I felt and also relate to others that I did not previously relate to,” Angeline said.

Asked what the most annoying perception is that people have voiced in regards to her culture, her home and country, Angeline wrote, “I don’t think I could ever isolate a singular annoying thing people perceive about my home and where I come from. And I don’t think annoyance covers it, because the ways in which we are perceived greatly impacts how we see ourselves in return. It’s degrading. I come from a border town, Gallup, New Mexico, and, like many other border towns, it facilitates a lot of trauma and complex relationships between the Native people who live there and those who are non-Native but occupy that space. There’s a lot of alcoholism and poverty, but there are also many, many other positive things. There’s a beauty that exists within that community just below the surface, and I feel that people who are born and raised there can see it more easily than those who visit the space and project their ideas of what Native peoples should be and want to save the community, when we are fully capable of healing and existing on our own.”

In her biography, Angeline wrote that she found a creative outlet early, on the stage of a theater. Asked what it meant for her to be on stage, she said, “I started theater work in Gallup, and it continued into high school. Learning to own space — especially on stage — took a lot of time. I was a very shy child, extremely independent, and spent a lot of time by myself. Theater was what introduced me to acting but I was not drawn to the eccentric and large nature of theater work. I think I always knew that I wanted to act in front of the camera so that I could focus on the small aspects of character. I was so intimidated by the other theater actors, and always felt small compared to them. In my adulthood, I have found foundations for myself and self-esteem to sustain myself better, and now play on a stage, not as an actor necessarily, but as a music performer. I have found incredible joy in performing my music and that has become a mask for me to wear on stage.”

Angeline said that she related to other artists who were struggling with self-worth, especially in a beloved field, appreciating the artists who are masters of their craft. She hesitated showing her writing to others and didn’t think of herself as a director.

“Then, after several years of working within the industry as an actor, I very quickly learned that waiting for the ‘right time’ would never come, and that I did not need permission from anyone, especially myself, to do something such as directing or writing when I felt the desire to do so in my bones,” Angeline said.

She said that a motivating factor in her attitude change was that she was growing tired of the scripts she was being offered as a Native American woman.

“So many have been traumatic and period pieces,” Angeline said. “I’m hungry for joy; I’m hungry for humanity with Native American characters; I’m so hungry for the representation of the Native American peoples I know.”

Asked how she heard about the project “Waveguides” and what attracted her to the documentary, Angeline said, “Erica Tremblay, who was the previous director, reached out to me. Erica and I went through the Sundance Indigenous Lab together and formed a strong bond and appreciation for one another throughout that process. It was through her that the ‘Waveguides’ team became aware of my work, and from there we engaged in conversations about how I would like to take the project forward.

“As a queer indigenous woman who is also a music performer, it seemed like an incredibly perfect fit. I had also been starving for a documentary that could focus more on the amazing work and joy that is within women identifying Indigenous spaces and communities. To me it is a beautiful opportunity to showcase the women not only as they are but how they would like to be seen. I am also a huge fan and appreciator of all of the musicians who we are focusing on.”

Angeline wrote that she has known some of the artists personally, while others she is getting to know through the process of filming. “Truthfully,” Angeline wrote, “The list of why I want to be involved could go on and on. It’s a project that breeds inspiration and fulfillment, and it’s an absolute privilege to be the director.”

About her approach to the documentary, Angelina wrote that, in her experience, the more one tries to control every aspect, the less control one ultimately has. “It’s the type of filmmaking that takes on its own identity,” she wrote. “That doesn’t mean we sit back and do nothing, but I think it means guiding (the) story and listening more.

“My largest focus, as we begin filming in the very preliminary stages, is to gain the trust of the subjects and to listen to what they think is missing from the representations so far. As I stated before, joy is extremely important to me. When I am around women identifying (as) Indigenous people, the joy that reverberates as we talk to one another is something I think is worth taking a deeper look into. So often Indigenous people are put in a position to educate other people on their life experience — that is a weight I do not wish to put on the subjects for this film. I think there is something profoundly simple about letting these women share their happiness. The rest will come out as it needs to, without us trying to excavate or exploit their trauma and experiences,” Angeline said.

In 2018, the report “Reclaiming Native Truth: A Project to Dispel America’s Myths and Misconceptions” by the First Nations Development Institute and Echo Hawk Consulting found that Native Americans are largely invisible in society and in the media. The report concluded that Non-Native media control news about Native Americans, and narratives about Native Americans focus on deficits, not strengths. The report polled more than 13,000 Americans and utilized about 30 focus groups across 11 states and online. Interviews with various community leaders also were conducted.

Today, only one TV channel focuses on Native Americans, the First Nation channel, which covers subjects of interest and entertainment. It was created by PBS and is carried by 20 PBS affiliated stations in 25 states.

Asked about her opinion on being represented in the media, having more TV channels or if she thinks that the relatively new streaming channels online are good choices, Angeline said, “I think the foundation for a more exclusive showcase of Native content, such as a channel or streaming service, is currently being laid out and has been by filmmakers and others who work within the field for years. I think that’s a wonderful idea and will have lots of benefits, but I also see that seeing Native people within non-Native spaces has a different kind of impact. Within the Native cinema circles many of us wish to be seen as filmmakers, actors, directors, producers, etc. — without always being labeled a Native filmmaker or Native actor or Native producer. There’s a great power in embodying and bringing our cultures into our projects, but there’s also something great about embodying characters or telling stories that are not hinged on Native culture. It’s not one or the other. These things can co-exist.

“I wish to see more native and indigenous peoples working within film on every level, be it talent or crew,” Angeline said. “I think, if that were to continue to happen and grow within the industry, then, naturally, people will realize how diverse and eclectic Indigenous peoples are. I am far from the only mixed Indigenous person who is trying to make their way through this industry. Many of us not only walk into worlds, but walk in several, and that makes our stories that much richer and also relatable.

“It’s a very exciting time right now, but it hasn’t always been that way,” Angeline said.

Asked what her future plans are, Angeline said, “My future projects are a bit under wraps, but many exciting things are in store — and one of the most exciting is ‘Waveguides.’”

For more information, visit morningstarangeline.com. Angeline’s music videos and songs are available under the name NUH UH at most online streaming sites.