It's unfair to criticize the Duluth Festival Opera when race can't be a factor in 'hiring' performers.  

Christa Lawler's reporting shows the DFO seemed to do lots of things right from the very beginning.  One (and so far only one) person disagreed, spawning one big story and a flurry of counter-opinions.  I noticed the DNT didn't allow comments on the article

Pocahontas is a State grant-funded performance.  Physical attributes are an important part of casting but I wonder if govt. grants require some sort of EEO.

This isn't exactly on the blackface level.

Actors act, they pretend to be someone different than who they are. Don't bring YOUR bullshit racism into this, please.

The fact that the critic interviewed in the report in the DNT disclosed that she'd worked on a grant proposal for this project -- but she didn't think, she said, trying to rationalize why she did that -- they would get funding totally undermined her credibility with me and makes me think there's something else going on with her going public.

And Robert Powless, whom I've met many times, has a lot of credibility with me. If he's OK with it, I'm OK with it.

I like and respect Dr. Powless, but he doesn't have a lot of sway with the local Native American community, I gather. Probably because he's (if I remember correctly) an Oneida and not from around here. I've heard from a number of people in the past that his being used to "speak for" or be a representative of the Native community irks many. That's not necessarily his fault--he's called upon by the newspaper and white organizations around here all the time in that way. And of course, as a professor, he is an obvious authority. All I'm saying is that the disconnect between his opinion and the people involved in the protest is not unexpected or unusual.

Sounds like a case of sour grapes on the part of the person who worked on the grant because she didn't think the thing would be funded. What a bizzare attitude.

A few comments.

First, Lyz Jaakola is the woman who was quoted in the DNT.  Umm, is there a reason people aren't using her name?  Secondly, Lyz is my cousin (disclosure, rare for anonymous bloggers, I know).  She is definitely Native American, not Asian, and that probably doesn't matter but, why question a person's race?  Thirdly, Lyz studied opera very seriously, in Italy if I recall correctly.  She is an amazing singer and she actually leads a group of local Native American Ojibwe singers AND she is an instructor at FDL College AND she is deeply embedded in the community and respected by many people.  She is not raising her voice all by herself. It seems very odd to me that it was impossible to find talented, trained or trainable Native American people for the principal roles.  

The romantacization (if that's a word) of Pocahontas in American culture is, in my opinion, another example of European Americans (the victors) whitewashing history.  Pocahontas is a lightning rod figure in Native American history for that very reason.  I remember a lot of anger in 1995 or so when the Disney story came out and it painted a technicolor, commercialized veneer on what is in reality a much more nuanced and ultimately tragic story (which is what Disney has done with nearly all of its stories, by the way.).  So to have a non-native person in that role and in the roles of her family members could easily be interpreted as a continuation of that pattern. 

I don't know anything more about this production so I can't comment on whether it is true to the Pocahontas story or just another re-hash of the technicolor legend.   

I'm glad this controversy has surfaced, I hope that this will be another opportunity for growth and change, and not just a chance to point a finger back at a critic with a valid observation.  And for pete's sake, please validate who she is if not also what she's said by using her name in your comments, people. It's Lyz.

Wildgoose: 
Thank you for your comments. Your comments have been the only ones I've heard so far that seemed to give a good explanation of why this opera might generate such controversy in the Native American community. I think it would have helped to have you at the performance tonight to see the opera and judge for yourself if it was the Disney version or not ... and then have you join in the discussion that followed the performance.  

I don't doubt that your cousin is a talented person with credibility. She, like all of us, is a person deserving to be heard. Her standing and support in the Native American community is not questioned, nor her talents and credibility. Tonight's discussion by the Native Americans who were performers in tonight's production (and others - both in the audience and on stage) brought out the pulls on all sides felt by a community. BTW, I use my full name here and not a moniker, fully disclosing who I am. But you and others do use anonymity.  I assume your cousin might not like her name used unless she writes in here herself. I was only trying to be respectful of her. 

I like your thought that we use the unveiling of this controversy to learn from each other. Fingers have been pointed in all directions and taking sides does not help. Let's move from blame to one of respect and learning. I have learned from your comments and hope we all open our minds and hearts to learn and grow.

Wildgoose:  Guess I didn't realize that the monikers are so easily connected to names, having lived on the other side of the moon here. Very sweet comment by you and I thank you. Of course with all the snarky stuff here on PDD, my comments must make eyes roll and suggest an old person ... and I am! BTW ... my daughter would have been thrilled to know in her insecure life as a teenager that someone had a crush on her back then.

RE: this thread ... not trying to be holier than thou here ... just a hope that we all at least try to understand each other a bit where it counts. But then that's what happens when you reach a certain age. You're either hopeful or jaded ... or, in my case, it's both depending upon the day. Good comments by all here on this thread.