Pure Native

by Vickie Ramirez

Brewster’s back after almost a decade and things have changed. He's recovered from his addictions and has become very successful working for a large Corporate Food Company in their bottled water division. Brews is proud of his success and wants to share it with the people of his Rez. Afterall, it's been a bad year. Several jobs have disappeared from the area and there has been a rash of teen suicides. Brews...

Brewster’s back after almost a decade and things have changed. He's recovered from his addictions and has become very successful working for a large Corporate Food Company in their bottled water division. Brews is proud of his success and wants to share it with the people of his Rez. Afterall, it's been a bad year. Several jobs have disappeared from the area and there has been a rash of teen suicides. Brews believes a bottled water factory will solve these problems. If the Council allows his Company to build on tribal land and market "Pure Native, waters from the heart of NDN Country", they will offer infrastructure support, small business loans, scholarships and profit-sharing. To Brews this is a great opportunity for the Rez to create their own industry and sustain itself. To his old love Connie, it's a betrayal of everything the Haudenosaunee stand for. Connie believes Brewster is self-colonizing, and that the bottled water factory will destroy the culture, the environment and betray the Seventh Generation. As Brewster works hard to win over the Council and the rest of the Tribal Members, Connie fights to protect tradition and culture. Who will win?

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

Pure Native

Recommended by

  • Tom Erb: Pure Native by Vickie Ramirez
    “

    I was do impressed with this playwrights work I had to read another one. "Pure Native" Is a compelling narrative set on a Haudenosaunee Reservation. The characters, from Brewster White's business ventures to Connie Smoke's legal challenges, are richly developed, reflecting the complexities of indigenous identities and modern dilemmas. The setting is vivid, with scenes along a river bank and in cozy homes that anchor the story's emotional depth. The plot navigates through personal and communal conflicts, highlighting the delicate balance between progress and preservation. Nice Job.

    I was do impressed with this playwrights work I had to read another one. "Pure Native" Is a compelling narrative set on a Haudenosaunee Reservation. The characters, from Brewster White's business ventures to Connie Smoke's legal challenges, are richly developed, reflecting the complexities of indigenous identities and modern dilemmas. The setting is vivid, with scenes along a river bank and in cozy homes that anchor the story's emotional depth. The plot navigates through personal and communal conflicts, highlighting the delicate balance between progress and preservation. Nice Job.

    ”
  • Tammy Ryan: Pure Native by Vickie Ramirez
    “

    There are wonderful roles in this skillfully crafted story about the conflict between traditional ways of life and being ready and willing to adapt to the change that is coming from the encroaching world outside. The plot kept me guessing until the very end about what the outcome would be, but the characters are so specifically and lovingly drawn that I was rooting for all of them. I especially love the metaphor that frames the play about how to make corn soup -- balance is what is needed both in soup and in life.

    There are wonderful roles in this skillfully crafted story about the conflict between traditional ways of life and being ready and willing to adapt to the change that is coming from the encroaching world outside. The plot kept me guessing until the very end about what the outcome would be, but the characters are so specifically and lovingly drawn that I was rooting for all of them. I especially love the metaphor that frames the play about how to make corn soup -- balance is what is needed both in soup and in life.

    ”

Development History

  • Reading, Black Swan at Oregon Shakespeare , 2018
  • Reading, Native Voices at the Autry, 2018
  • Reading, Native Voices at the Autry, 2017
  • Reading, The Eagle Project, 2016

Production History

  • Professional, Native Voices at the Autry, 2019