Category: Arts & Entertainment

Krishanu Ray, The Seattle Stranger

Perhaps the most fascinating and unsettling thing about hunger in America, the subject of this new documentary from the makers of Food, Inc., is how invisible it has made itself. The social stigma around admitting an inability to provide for your family, about accepting government assistance (if it’s even available), creates a certain silence that muffles the issue. And to an ignorant viewer like myself, the hungry children featured in this film certainly don’t look very hungry. They are well-clothed, live in houses with pets, go to school, and seem like they’re getting by just fine. Some of them are even fat little kids, the kind more likely to be pegged as a bit overfed. But it takes only a bit of digging below the surface for the film to completely realign that perspective.

What the documentary exposes are the systems that perpetuate malnourishment and food insecurity while maintaining the trappings of abundance. The massive grain subsidies (which make nutrient-poor foods so accessible and affordable), the urban and rural “food deserts” that isolate people from fully stocked grocery stores, the limitations of economic safety nets: These are structural reasons why obesity, hunger, and poverty are so intertwined. A Place at the Table is not an incendiary or angry film; it presents a tangible problem that doesn’t lend itself to procrastination and equivocation the way more abstract issues like climate change seem to. Despite emphasizing the forces working to maintain the status quo, the film never makes the issue seem unsolvable or inevitable, as many cause documentaries inadvertently do, and that’s why it may well be an effective call to action.

Showtimes.

Article by Kim Kalliber and Jeannie Brioens, Tulalip News staff; photo by Jeannie Briones

For most musicians, creating music is not only about experimenting with sounds; it involves penning music notes to paper. For flutist Peter Ali, the music simply comes from his heart; his creative energy flows through his flute, bursting forth as light, and sometimes haunting, melodies.

Ali, a descendant of the Berber People and Yaqui Tribe, shared his passion for music with an intimate gathering at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center on February 23^rd. Along with preforming a variety of songs, he spoke about his influences and what drove him to become a flutist.

At the age of 42, while looking for a way to reduce stress in his life, Ali began teaching himself how to play the flute, by experimenting with sound, touch and feel.

“I picked up this instrument thirteen years ago to get through tough times,” explained Ali. Playing music helped him cope with divorce and a wining battle with cancer.

“I play the instrument to share my story,” said Ali.

What’s unique about Ali’s music is that most songs don’t even have a title; they are simply his forms of expression, in scattered notes of radiant beauty.  His melodies are meant to make the audience feel peaceful and relaxed.

“I feel like I’m somewhere else, it comes naturally, without any thought,” said Ali.

Ali finds inspiration in everyday life, “I get my inspiration from people that I speak to. I listen to their life stories and situations.” Spotting a group of eagles in a tree on the way to his performance, explained Ali, is another form of creative inspiration.

Ali also brought with him to the Cultural Center, eleven flutes, that he kept on display for the audience to touch and feel. Ali explained that the design of one particular flute, a raven holding the sun in his mouth, comes from a traditional Native story, “How the Raven Stole the Sun.”

“This is how I share, I am talking to you, but with this instrument.” said Ali about his performance. “The room is full as far as I can, see because my ancestors are here listening”

Music has opened many new doors for Peter, giving him the opportunity to meet some wonderful people. One of his career highlights, and most memorable moment, was when he played in 2008 for the Dali Lama on Children’s Day, during the “Seeds of Compassion” tour.

A fan of other Native American flutists like Carlos Nakai and Kevin Locke, Ali is passionate about helping others learn how to play the flute. He currently hosts artist’s workshops where he teaches his unique way of playing from the heart, rather than from music notes.

For information on Ali’s performance venues, visit  facebook.com/peter.alimusic.farmersinsurance.  To schedule an event or workshop with Ali, please email at peteralimusic@gmail.com.

For more information on the Culture Series and other events at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center, please visit www.hibulbculturalcenter.org.