2020Red Soul Power
Story by Mani Draper | Photography and visual art by Douglas Miles Sr.
Honor my ancestors. It’s the summer of 2020 and the year so far has been one where the mantra, Honor my ancestors has been on loop. Not the annoying programming of syndicated radio type of loop, but the J. Dilla or Q-Tip style of loop. 3 bars of some obscure world music and a sprinkled double-kick pattern to keep your ears engaged like never before. In a year that has seen a virus shutdown the entire world as we know it and confined people to their homes, only to be left with wifi and timelines. The combination of social injustice, restlessness and people simply just being fed up, birthed many peaceful protests. 100-plus cities worldwide would march and demand justice and reform across the board. Unfortunately this would be only a fraction of the fight. In a country built on “gangsterism” and soulless politics, the history of bloodshed is not one the 4 “(god)father’s” pun intended will be able to escape. While plights have this odd way of dividing the ones who are being oppressed, this time feels different. From the stolen Africans that landed on the eastern seaboard, to the Original people that already occupied what we now know as America. An essential element for our collective healing is remembering to always honor our ancestors. Meet a father and son who have done that through art, expression and a commitment to their people.
Doug Miles, raised in Phoenix, Arizona, currently lives on the San Carlos Apache Nation Reservation. Known on the art scene as a painter with an ability to specifically share the Apache experience, Doug is also a writer, actor and director. In my initial discussion with Doug, I got the feeling he was proudest of starting Apache Skateboards. What began as simply wanting to make art for his son grew into a movement. Doug Miles Jr and his crew of friends would go on to become a force in skate culture. Taking this from passion DIY necessity project, to Apache Skateboards, they not only design skateboards, but sponsor teams, produce film projects, music projects and host community events.
In the 2019 short film “Mystery of Now” both Doug and Doug Jr. share their individual mindsets of representing the Apache people. In the power of the past segment, film director Audrey Buchanan sits down with Aunty Linda, an artist on the reservation. Aunty Linda speaks of carrying on the traditions of creating cradleboards. The cradleboard is an original creation made specifically for transporting babies and their protection. It’s a pivotal point in the film that is speaking to the value and correlation of survival and creativity. Something that goes lifetimes beyond notoriety in pop culture and creating solely with the intent to monetize. What’s prevalent not just in the film but also in Apache Skateboards is Doug Sr’s emphasis on passing “the fight” down. Like the most treasured family heirloom Doug’s art across the board serves as the ultimate shrine to his people first and foremost and as voices for people that have been oppressed. “They’ve been shooting at us since they got here, I know what it feels like. What scared them then, is what scares them now.” With the captivation of an epic rant but the focus and dialect on the most thoughtful public speaker, Doug Sr offers a window into his process by way of his passion for the people.
His admiration for his son Doug Jr is that of a peer nodding in respect for the other’s commitment to their craft. “We were representing our people city to city and didn’t know that we were.” Doug Jr speaks not only for his love of skating but his comfort in the street, being outside. After Covid-19 the world will never be the same, but for Doug and his crew, the empty streets serve their limitless imaginations. Doug Jr cannot help but deflect the admiration right back to his Pops. It was during college in a sociology course where it finally occurred to Doug Jr the type of work his father had been doing.
His love for skating began as innocent as his quest for serving his community did. Between a group of friends already on the skate scene and the pop culture phenomenon that was Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Doug Jr would become a lifer. As friends came and went, Doug was committed to taking his gift as far as he could. “The way my father did,” he says. He watched his father shift the entire scene and prop up Apache history through Art. The control and speed Doug skates with can probably be attributed to his early days of just cruising. His smooth laid-back style on flatland translates to benches, rails and ramps where he just makes it look easy. Each move an extension of another and all seem to be decided in mid-motion as opposed to being predetermined. Doug Sr recalls his son making the connection to Jazz musicians and their ability to freestyle. We’re talking world class musicians exploring scale to places the human ear did not even know were possible. All the while sustaining an appeal and welcoming aesthetic. The novice is immediately aware they’re witnessing something special, the very first time they hear a Booker Little horn solo.
As a skater, Doug saw recognition early, but didn’t equate that with “making it.” In an industry that has a high turnover rate, the skateboard scene like the music industry and others creates a false value in youth: Children and teenagers who are much more susceptible to being taken advantage of. Doug Jr achieved his acclaim at 26 after grinding and releasing countless videos produced internally. Where he also had time to learn not only about himself, but his culture. “I got in and saw everything they were doing wrong and that my friends who are talented would not get a fair shot.” So Doug formed his own team. His talk of ownership and access is impressive, simply because it’s rooted in representation in a capacity his people have never had.
Doug and Doug were not at all shy about their future plans. Talks of feature films both behind and in front of the camera, are just the start. Doug Sr’s religion may very well be 70s Soul/R&B music, so it comes as no surprise they’re also supporting musicians. They are the evolution of artists with emphasis in ownership and resources in the purest of forms. From early tour days where they crashed on floors, in cars and oftentimes would make appearances just for gas money, they have shifted significantly. A true grassroots story. In the Bay we call it “Out Da Trunk”. Personal transactions with everyday people who see the process through to heights few even knew were possible. No shortcuts and not void of pain, setbacks, doubt and hate. None of this has stopped their mission. The current pulse of the nation feels unfamiliar and scary for some, but both the Dougs have found solitude and inspiration. For Doug Jr it’s time with his family of his own and skating the empty city. Doug Sr is cranking out balanced commentary on social media. His dry humor and “militant” art style makes him one of the best follows there is.
“The violence of America has been whitewashed.” Doug Sr is not for letting the American Gangsters off easy. Reminding them every step of the way of their racism. He also isn’t ashamed of admitting outwardly what limited representation has done to even his affinity for derogatory depictions of Natives in mainstream media. From sports teams to the Westerns that built Hollywood, imagine only having the heroes “they” gave you. The Miles men may be on a mission to honor their ancestors and liberate their people, but their influence is naturally reaching beyond the reservation.
The Red Soul of this nation will never die. “Determination and dedication will win all the time.” - James Brown U
Learn more about Apache Skateboards | Follow them on Instagram | Find their fashion line and decks at Zumies nationwide.
Armani Jackson aka Mani Draper is cut from the same cloth that made Richmond, Calif. home to some of the most influential hip-hop artists of our time. It’s Mani’s writing that sets him apart and his producing for others that elevates him. Dedicated to his journalistic dreams, Draper is carving out a new style of writing in the literary world. Follow Mani on Instagram.