SO7 Episode 03: Julie Cajune & Jennifer Finley – “Bad Indians”

“What I want all of my work to do is expand the definition of who Indians think they can be and how they think they can be in the world and their space for all of that -- all of the things that we can dream of.” Activists Jennifer Finley and Julie Cajune, members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribe in Montana, are willing to risk being called Bad Indians for the sake of this liberating vision. In fact, the two longtime friends and creative collaborators named their latest play, a series of conversations between two older women –not unlike them– Bad Indians, playfully preempting any backlash to the characters’ stories of tragedy, injustice, humor, “failed romances, violent harassment and the criticism of others” in their community. Their earlier collaborations include Heart of the Bitterroot, a collection of Salish and Pend d’Oreille women’s stories available on CD and the one-woman show, Belief that Julie performed in New York two years ago. Julie is also a celebrated educator who was pivotal in introducing indigenous history and stories to Montana schools’ curriculum. (See Season 5 Episode 5 for more about Julie.) Jennifer is a gifted poet (“My Hands Have Vertigo”) and just completed a novel, “He Was Beautiful.” Not only did we have a chance to talk with Julie and Jennifer, but they graced us with a performance of an excerpt of Bad Indians. Tune in, sit back and enjoy the show.  Music for this episode is from Scottish flautist Gary Stroutsos “Night Chants”. Gary also performed the music for Julie’s 2019 production of “Belief.” We also offer a short clip from the Women Warriors Song, a protest song created and performed by Salish women in memory of the thousands of missing and murdered indigenous women in the U.S. Northwest and Canada.