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Estrella Acosta
A year-long labor of love by Nevada City resident Estrella Acosta — a two-part radio documentary on the local Tsi-Akim Maidu tribe — debuts at 6:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on KVMR-FM (89.5).
“I just got sucked into the story,” Acosta said.
“Blood, Gold and Medicine: Healing Maidu Country” tells the story of the Maidu and their recovery from near-annihilation during the gold-mining era. Acosta compiled the documentary over the past year, working in close conjunction with the tribe, after receiving a KVMR National Radio Production grant.
Originally, Acosta planned to produce a special on legacy mining and its effect on the environment and peoples of the Sierra Nevada.
But as she began her research, she was led to tribal chairman Don Ryberg, and her course was set.
“He was so compelling,” Acosta said. “I realized I wanted to tell the story of the effect of the Gold Rush specifically on the Maidu. Quite frankly, every single person I interviewed was so nice and had such big hearts; I was drawn in.”
Like many Nevada County residents, Acosta was not that familiar with the history of the native people in this area.
“Now, it seems embarrassing,” she said.
During her research, Acosta discovered that there were an estimated 10,000 Maidu living in Northern California at one time. By 1930, the census counted 93 Tsi-Akim Maidu left in Nevada County.
“They pretty much got annihilated,” she said.
Diseases introduced by the settlers killed many Maidu, Acosta explained.
“And there was a government-paid bounty for Indian scalps,” she said. “They were nearly wiped out.”
There are few Maidu left in Northern California, but in recent years they have been reaching out to the community, Acosta said.
“I really tried to focus on the fact that it's a very hopeful story,” she explained, “They are working hard to revive their culture, hosting language classes and reviving their ceremonies.”
Acosta, a KVMR news volunteer, was assisted by independent radio producer/trainer Claire Schoen of Berkeley and former KVMR news director Brian Bahouth of Reno.
“The project was such a collaboration,” she said. “I got so much help, there's about 25 people who should be in the credits.”
After its KVMR debut, the documentary will be made available to other public and community radio stations across the country via the Public Radio Exchange and the Pacifica Radio Network.
Outside of the BBC, Democracy Now! and its Pacifica Radio Network affiliation, KVMR buys little syndicated programming, making KVMR “an incredibly unique radio station and resource” for its investment in local independent producers, series and specials, according to Catherine Stifter, a longtime public radio producer and editor based in Nevada County and one of the members of the station's National Radio Production Grant review panel.
Among other projects that have received KVMR national production funding over the years include Utah Phillips' “Loafer's Glory” national storytelling and folk music series, Elisa Parker's current “See Jane Do” series, Michael Franti's New Folsom Prison concert national broadcast, and the Women's Collective “Herstory” Women's History Month stories.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
“I just got sucked into the story,” Acosta said.
“Blood, Gold and Medicine: Healing Maidu Country” tells the story of the Maidu and their recovery from near-annihilation during the gold-mining era. Acosta compiled the documentary over the past year, working in close conjunction with the tribe, after receiving a KVMR National Radio Production grant.
Originally, Acosta planned to produce a special on legacy mining and its effect on the environment and peoples of the Sierra Nevada.
But as she began her research, she was led to tribal chairman Don Ryberg, and her course was set.
“He was so compelling,” Acosta said. “I realized I wanted to tell the story of the effect of the Gold Rush specifically on the Maidu. Quite frankly, every single person I interviewed was so nice and had such big hearts; I was drawn in.”
Like many Nevada County residents, Acosta was not that familiar with the history of the native people in this area.
“Now, it seems embarrassing,” she said.
During her research, Acosta discovered that there were an estimated 10,000 Maidu living in Northern California at one time. By 1930, the census counted 93 Tsi-Akim Maidu left in Nevada County.
“They pretty much got annihilated,” she said.
Diseases introduced by the settlers killed many Maidu, Acosta explained.
“And there was a government-paid bounty for Indian scalps,” she said. “They were nearly wiped out.”
There are few Maidu left in Northern California, but in recent years they have been reaching out to the community, Acosta said.
“I really tried to focus on the fact that it's a very hopeful story,” she explained, “They are working hard to revive their culture, hosting language classes and reviving their ceremonies.”
Acosta, a KVMR news volunteer, was assisted by independent radio producer/trainer Claire Schoen of Berkeley and former KVMR news director Brian Bahouth of Reno.
“The project was such a collaboration,” she said. “I got so much help, there's about 25 people who should be in the credits.”
After its KVMR debut, the documentary will be made available to other public and community radio stations across the country via the Public Radio Exchange and the Pacifica Radio Network.
Outside of the BBC, Democracy Now! and its Pacifica Radio Network affiliation, KVMR buys little syndicated programming, making KVMR “an incredibly unique radio station and resource” for its investment in local independent producers, series and specials, according to Catherine Stifter, a longtime public radio producer and editor based in Nevada County and one of the members of the station's National Radio Production Grant review panel.
Among other projects that have received KVMR national production funding over the years include Utah Phillips' “Loafer's Glory” national storytelling and folk music series, Elisa Parker's current “See Jane Do” series, Michael Franti's New Folsom Prison concert national broadcast, and the Women's Collective “Herstory” Women's History Month stories.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
