Odyssey Storytelling Presents: Cultivation: A Celebration of Culture
Curated by Ana Montañez
Produced by Ana Montañez and Miles Schneiderman
Thursday, March 11, 2021
And on the Odyssey Storytelling Podcast
It’s Odyssey’s birthday again! Let’s celebrate with stories of all the beautiful cultures represented in our Odyssey family. We all come from very different backgrounds, races, ethnicities and experiences. These show up in our foods, our languages, the way we speak, what we wear and most of all how we treat each other. That’s the beauty of diversity! In the spirit of Odyssey’s mission to create community one story at a time – come listen, learn and appreciate difference.
We’re incredibly excited to share that we have officially launched our Patreon site. As you know we have not charged for shows the entire pandemic, and as I’m sure you can imagine, that has taken it’s toll. As a nonprofit we rely on proceeds from the shows to stay financially sustainable. If you love Odyssey as much as I know you do, please purchase a membership to our shows and help Odyssey reach it’s goal of financial stability.
Simply go to https://www.patreon.com/odysseystorytelling
Odyssey Storytelling Presents: Cultivation: A Celebration of Culture
Curated by Ana Montañez
Produced by Ana Montañez and Miles Schneiderman
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Show at 7PM Available on YouTube
And on the Odyssey Storytelling Podcast
It’s Odyssey’s birthday again! Let’s celebrate with stories of all the beautiful cultures represented in our Odyssey family. We all come from very different backgrounds, races, ethnicities and experiences. These show up in our foods, our languages, the way we speak, what we wear and most of all how we treat each other. That’s the beauty of diversity! In the spirit of Odyssey’s mission to create community one story at a time – come listen, learn and appreciate difference.
We’re incredibly excited to share that we have officially launched our Patreon site. As you know we have not charged for shows the entire pandemic, and as I’m sure you can imagine, that has taken it’s toll. As a nonprofit we rely on proceeds from the shows to stay financially sustainable. If you love Odyssey as much as I know you do, please purchase a membership to our shows and help Odyssey reach it’s goal of financial stability.
Simply go to https://www.patreon.com/odysseystorytelling
Storytellers include:
Blake Gentry (Cherokee) is an international policy expert in indigenous community health, development, indigenous languages in trans-migration, and climate change adaption. He served as adjunct/associate faculty with the Univ. of Arizona: MEZ Public Health College, Dept. of Geography and Development, and is currently a Designated Campus Colleague with the Department of Mexican American Studies. He is a policy advisor to Traditional O’odham Leaders in Mexico, the Indigenous Communities Coordinator for the Higher Ground Foundation, and Associate with Adaptation Ledger. Blake researches, writes, and advocates for policy change in legal immigration standards, immigrant rights, and indigenous language rights. He directs the Indigenous Languages Office at the Alitas Shelter under Ama Consultants LLC (www.amaconsultants.org) in Tucson, and the Guatemalan Acupuncture and Medical Aid Project. Blake’s work is mentioned in the New York Times, Huffington Post, Guardian, Indian Country Today, Cultural Survivor Quarterly, Journal of Latin American Geography, and the UCLA Chicanx Latinx Law Review.
Liz Rabago is the founder of LR Bilingual services, a business dedicated to helping immigrants take the next step towards economic self-sufficiency. Liz immigrated from Mexico in 1999 and over the years, she has held various positions in Administration, Program Management and Development, in both non-profit and corporate sectors. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Laura Penny Community Impact Award, along with honorable mentions such as Hispanic Heritage and Latina Leader. Liz continues to devote herself to helping people realize that within them, lie the tools to accomplish their American Dream.
Rhonda Wren is a native of St. Louis, MO, whom, for the last 4 years, has made Tucson her home. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri (which makes her a loyal Missouri Tigers fan), and she has a Masters Degree in Nonprofit Management, from Fontbonne University. Rhonda is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., where she currently holds the position of Sargent of Arms and Community Service Committee Chair for the Tucson graduate chapter.
Born in the Arizona-Sonora desert, Susana Perez-Abreu has been no stranger to the uniqueness both worlds. As a self identified badass chingona, Susana has taken her passion for culture and education and used it a a tool for self awareness, in herself and others. Susana is passionate about helping others while also sharing her culture with the world. In her spare time she enjoys creating and playing with her two children, and spending time with her husband.
In his earlier years, Bryan Castle moved around the United States & overseas. But living in the the southwest in the early 2000’s provided him with a new experience altogether. Bryan has been a resident of Arizona for over 25 years living in various parts of the areas from border towns like Nogales & Patagonia to more urban areas like Tucson. During his time in Arizona , he has seen and experienced many different aspects of being black in Southwest. Bryan has worked tirelessly in sharing the art of capoeira and visual cultural traditions from Brazil and the African Diaspora. He now owns Movement Culture, a space for the community to dance,play, drum, learn, and bond. It provides a level of culture beyond the bars and business, that provides Tucsonans a chance to connect to roots, and heritage. He has discovered that by embracing his commitment to the philosophies of Capoeira and the beauty of Afro-Brazilian culture he has achieved a deeper sense of community, a richer understanding of self, and a greater understanding of the importance of family and relationships.
Steven Braun’s career as a Public Safety 911 Telecommunications Shift Supervisor began 10 years ago, before which he was an award-winning professional chef. He has also worked as a retail store stock clerk/cashier, front desk night auditor for a local resort, and Alpine ski instructor…okay, that last part isn’t true. In fact, he hasn’t skied in over 40 years. But he is a storyteller. Other hobbies include photography, writing, SCUBA divng, and marble sculpture…nope…just the first three, but glass blowing is high on the list of things he will attempt before shedding this mortal coil. Besides being a regular on the Odyssey stage, he also maintains Odyssey’s website and was recently chosen to be a board member. He considers himself to be the hardest working lazy person he has ever encountered, prefering to lay on a couch watching old Star Wars movies. Most importantly, Steven has been married to Phyllis for almost 35 years and they have a child, Jax, who lives and works in Seattle, where they visit as often as global pandemics allow.
