...a word from Ticci Man creator zelan bonn

This project was inspired by the millions of Native Americans and Native people and their children around the world who have grown up all these decades without a major Indian hero on television or in film---someone of their own they can look up to and admire---someone we can all admire. 

I had Superman reruns. He was my hero growing up. I am euro-white so I naturally identified with him---he came from my culture and looked like my people. Who did you identify with and have as heroes growing up? Now imagine having nobody---Hollywood having abandoned you all your life! Welcome to Native America...

This hero aspect may seem trivial to some people but libraries are full of books that have been written on hero culture and how it works to mold and transform society. Our heroes, or lack thereof, tell a lot about us and what we value and don't.

Society devalues native people and society's output is discrimination for which Native people must pay, in this case, for generations. Equality does not exist for these groups and nowhere is it more apparent than in Hollywood. I know, I work here and I've experienced it firsthand.

Now imagine an industry that has, on routine for a 100 years, devalued your heroes and portrayed your people in the light of the enemy, in the light of racism, as savage and unsophisticated. 

It's hard for most of us who have never experienced such a thing to imagine the degradation from being bombarded with negativism from society that finds ever increasing ways to discriminate against us unless we've endured it ourselves---most Americans have not---Native Americans have, and do, to this very day.

Is Hollywood a demon, no, it's a machine, and like all machines, "garbage in and garbage out". We must change what we put into the machine if we want it to provide equality for all. That's a good part of what this project is all about.

How A Fictional Hero Came To Real Life

The Ticci Man Project came from the seeds of an entertainment product that met with fires of racism and discrimination in Hollywood. The entertainment goal was simple---create a cool Indian hero that everyone would love and put him on screen around the world. Let the masses enjoy, learn, and embrace Indians as heroes too... or that was the idea anyway... 

Normally, the job of getting such a fantastic and unique hero to the big screen would be easy enough---if the hero were White. 

When a stream of film executives demanded that the project's Indian characters be portrayed by Whites and Hispanics in order to secure funding, it became clear that the unspoken obstacle was clearly racism and discrimination against Native Americans. You see, the fresh story was there, the unique characters and world, even a low budget price for a studio major, but the excuse came down to talent---who would star---that person could not be an "unknown talent; because such things were unrealistic---especially for Indians---not even if a great director were to be installed could such things be done, they said... and said... and said! For the ancient rationales of discrimination have no bounds... let's never mind the fact there are scores of films with Asian or White. or other heroes but not yet one with an Indian hero in modern day... that Hollywood owes these people a great debt and could have made a gesture toward it.

For we knew "unknown talent" had been used successfully in thousands of major films, including the blockbuster Titanic---a true testament to James Cameron's insights as a director who understands how to find and develop star talent. Today, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are household names, transformed by the shear fires of Cameron's brilliance as a director and those who financed the project---a Hollywood gift that is often given to many rising talents but not to Native American talent---that is, well, I think despicable and unthinkable...  

In other words, even if I were to bring in a director like Ron Howard or James Cameron, according to such logic, the film would still fail---or so says the dark suited executive---the same one that goes blank when confronted by the fact that a one-of-a-kind cute monster, E.T. The Extraterrestrial, or a blue (Indian tribe) Na'vi woman, generated by a computer, can star in a major film, yet never a Native American, wow... thank goodness I have no intelligence and will easily swallow their tripe... 

The mega-giant success film Avatar, also by Cameron, is now the top grossing film in world history and it also features a once little known talent Sam Worthington in the lead role. (Worthington also came out big in the Cameron film Terminator: Salvation, in a rare double blockbuster exposure of a relatively little known talent prior these two major film débuts in 2009). This proves that great, yet unknown, talent is bankable and can come from anywhere if there is the will to seek it out and the directing talent to bring it out. 

Yet we do not seek out or develop our Native American talent--why? Could not the lead character in Avatar just as easily been a fresh but little known Native American talent and would not the film have been assured success under the direction of Cameron? Would the film not have enjoyed an even better stamp of approval from nonWhites who trash the film on issues of race even now while simultaneously applauding its artwork and craft?

... so, over time, through the trials of fire in Hollywood, a humble Indian hero inside a slain film project, a unique heartfelt character who had been victimized by racism and discrimination, magically leaped off the script and blossomed into a real life hero---a nonprofit humanitarian seeking to build greater issue awareness, respect, and equality for Native Americans in Hollywood and around the world---his name is the Ticci Man and this his project, named in his honor---a modern day Indian version of Rosa Parks who is equally tired of being shoved aside by racism and discrimination! 

The way I saw it and still see it, is if the Ticci Man could not be a hero on the big screen around the world, then let him at least try to be one in real life and do somebody some good---or embarrass the hell out of those who are doing so much bad.

Civil Rights Progress

When my personal favorite hero, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fought for Civil Rights, he did not intend it, but he left the Native American far behind. We had focused the fight on Black equality and eventually won much of it, but we forgot about our smallest minority---America's first people. It's time we correct that oversight using whatever tools we might. The Ticci Man Project is not the full solution, but it's not a bad addition toward building on that noble goal for the Native American is a part of who we are as a nation and people and they, too, should have equal access and opportunity.

This project has many layers toward benefiting Native America and native people of the globe and I hope you will take the time to learn more. 

Let us make progress for the Native American so that people like me who come in the future will not suffer racism and discrimination issues for their projects... so that we can include the great Native American cultures in our collective arts and wonders and see their beauty and approaches just as we see ours and those of others. Let thousands of great Native American heroes come forward and shine for us all!

Let the Native Americans have their heroes in the big studio pictures and mainstream network series. And by creating such heroes, let the world forever change the way it views the Native American. Let them see these people, for once, and in saturation, in good light and let's balance the pendulum toward parody. 

Let the children of the globe see that our world-society values heroes of all types, races, and ethnicities---and someday, let them in turn rise to become our real-life heroes too, in a world that qualifies them as "equal". 

Yes, I see that day in my vision because such things are, inevitably, simple to conceive, yet difficult to achieve.

I have planted merely seeds in hope they may someday sprout--- knowing that a great forest can only rise by the grace of nurturing community waters and Heaven's eye that is willing to forsake the casting of fiery stones for the shining of a warm heart's ray by life anew.

May The Great Spirit Bless One And All---And Create For Us All, A True Indian Hero,

Zelan Bonn

Founder of the Ticci Man Project

© 2003-2009 Ticci Man Project™. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer: Persons or entities mentioned on this Website, unless specifically "quoted," have not, by implied or express consent, endorsed TMP and/or its principles or employees. TMP is an antonymous nonprofit organization and is not associated with either World Celebrity Festival™, Imajilan Television™, Imajilan Pictures™, or their affiliates. Updated 5-1-2010

Feedback     *    general [at] ticciman.com      *    Last modified: May 28, 2010