Taking a lead role in developing entertainment career opportunities for Native people both in front of and behind the cameras, the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Development (“IAIA”) has partnered with ABC Disney, CBS, FOX and NBC/Universal in establishing the American Indian National Center for Television and Film.
The National Center will be a shared resource for American Indians, Alaska Natives and the entertainment industry. Serving as an open door for those seeking a career in television and film, the center will strive to increase employment opportunities, enhance career development and provide access at all levels in the entertainment industry.
Prospect Studios (also Known as the ABC Television Center-West) in Los Angeles is the home to the National Center. The studio has a long and rich history as a home to the creators of film and television productions dating back to the beginning of the film industry in the early 1900’s. Currently the studio is home to ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and ABC’s longest running program General Hospital.
The National Center’s goal is to respond to the need for Native American producers, directors, actors, writers, editors and others to become actively engaged in the creation of media to more accurately represent contemporary Native American communities. This emerging imperative extends the mission of the Institute of American Indian Arts to empower the arts and cultural expression of Native communities today.
The programs, workshops and other offerings of the National Center will be a natural extension of many of the diversity initiatives already in place at the various networks, guilds and unions . Those initiatives will now be enhanced through the educational outreach to the American Indian industry professionals.
According to Dr. Robert Martin, President of IAIA, the National Center, “will serve as a bridge between Native American talent and opportunities in the entertainment industry. From independent producers to filmmakers, editors, screenwriters and actors, the center will foster professional development and industry networking.”
Jhane Myers (Comanche/Blackfeet Nations) has been named the Executive Director of the American Indian National Center for Television and Film. Her credentials include serving as the publisher and editor-in-chief of Oklahoma Casinos & Entertainment magazine, founding Jhane Myers & Associates, a public relations firm handling tribal and community matters on a local and national levels as well as working as a motion picture publicist. A traditional beadwork artist as well, Ms. Myers recently served as a community cultural consultant representing the Southern Plains in the National Museum of the American Indian’s exhibition “Identity by Design”.
In a joint statement the four network partners said, “We are proud to join together with IAIA on this historic outreach. This is an affirmation of our shared belief in the importance of diversity. The intent of this initiative is to increase the presence of American Indians in all aspects of our industry.”
The Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (IAIA) is a multi-tribal center of higher education dedicated to the preservation, study, creative application and contemporary expression of American Indian and Alaska Native arts and cultures. Located on a modern, 140-acre campus approximately ten miles south of downtown Santa Fe, IAIA serves full-time and part-time students through programs in contemporary and traditional studio arts, creative writing, Indigenous liberal studies, museum studies, and new media arts. Established in 1962, IAIA includes the Center for Arts and Cultural Studies, IAIA Museum, and the Achein Center for Lifelong Education, Research & Cultural Exchange. An accredited tribal college, IAIA awards both four-year Bachelors degrees and two-year Associates degrees. Visit www.iaia.edu or contact the Campus Information Line at 505-424-2300.