Angela Hicks' captivating production, "First Nations' Last Battle," transforms the floor stage of Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center into an enchanting canvas.
At the onset of the performance, Hicks makes her entrance through billowy, white curtains amidst an ethereal mist. However, she does not appear in human form. Instead, she takes on the guise of an alligator, an animal that embodies her spirit.
With her fluid and graceful movements, she glides and contorts across the floor, embodying the very essence of a reptile.
Her mesmerizing dance mimics the precise motions of an alligator stealthily navigating a river, its eyes fixated on its unsuspecting prey.
“I wanted to incorporate a little bit of puppetry style to the beginning of this piece to set the tone of what the audience should be expecting, that this is a performance piece that's going to be immersing everybody involved.”
With her fluid and graceful movements, she glides and contorts across the floor, embodying the very essence of a reptile. Her mesmerizing dance mimics the precise motions of an alligator stealthily navigating a river, its eyes fixated on its unsuspecting prey.
“As a performance artist, I would like the audience to take away a reflection of their own self identity, as well as taking a look at the journey I've gone through with discovering my identity as an indigenous individual.”
“First Nations' Last Battle” is more than a performance. It’s a 15-minute multimedia spectacle, complete with mesmerizing belly and sword dancing, an accompanying film and audio piece, ending in an epic and unexpected Sci-Fi-fueled battle between the indigenous heroine and a space-invading alien robot.
Angela's props take center stage, becoming a bridge between the past and the present.
"I am fusing the old world and modern technology with my props. I brought in this really cool Tesla coil technology, where I have a prop that emits like a laser beam type of technology.
This powerful, visual narrative weaves together tradition and technology, inviting the audience to embark on a profound exploration of unknown aspects of Hicks’ ancestral roots.
"These indigenous tribes have a lot of different elements to them that make them what they are," said Hicks. "It's not just the preconceived ideas that unfortunately have been watered down or misinterpreted for generations."
Hicks’ journey began eight years ago with a quest to trace her indigenous ancestry.
She discovered that her mother’s roots can be traced back to a tribe characterized by their highly mobile family units of hunters and gathers.
!["Through my journey that I took in order to put on this performance, [it] involved a lot of intricate parts," said Angela Hicks about her performance piece "First Nations' Last Battle. "I even went to alligator trainers to talk to them about the alligators and their demeanors and how you handle them and how they behave. I included that animal as my spirit animal, because I have dreams about the alligators. They're around me often … quite close actually, sometimes."](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/af545bb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4000x5000+0+0/resize/840x1050!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2e%2Feb%2F43f56dea481389b96dafed2a4b5d%2Fdcmarshimg-2229.JPG)
“If you research or look into my family line, the Coahuiltecan Tribes, they are known to have assimilated quickly or unfortunately passed on from the diseases that were spread to them.”
In the 1500s, colonizing Spaniards bestowed the name "Coahuiltecans" upon diverse ethnic groups, tribes, and nations indigenous to South Texas and Northeast Mexico.
This label serves as a collective term encompassing various distinct entities rather than accurately reflecting a single, cohesive group.
Through the exploration of her indigenous heritage, Hicks said she is able to feel a newfound sense of self.
“Through databases, they allow you to research birth certificates, marriage documents. That was really helpful in order to see what they experienced, and for me to have a firm belief of, this is who I am. And this is where I came from.”
Angela's mother, Donaji Hicks, came to Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers to see "First Nations' Last Battle" performed by her daughter for the very first time.
"The performance was incredible," said Donaji. "I was I was deeply moved. I was near tears! It meant a lot to me. It really did. It was fantastic. I'm very proud of my daughter for producing something so fantastic."
Hicks' says her mission with the performance piece is to enlighten and empower underrepresented indigenous cultures, promoting appreciation and understanding.
“To be able to express my craft and share my culture and to teach somebody something new or to open their minds to a new perspective of what is indigenous culture, and who are indigenous peoples, makes me feel proud," said Hicks.
"I hope my ancestors are proud.”
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Spotlight on the Arts for WGCU is funded in part by Naomi Bloom, Jay & Toshiko Tompkins, and Julie & Phil Wade.
