Theres diabetes; i know somebody who has diabetes; i know that in some people it can be really dangerous, in other people, they can manage it. So im a little confused. So what is the headline . What do we need to know about diabetes that is central to the issue . Well, the first thing, maria, is that diabetes is a Major Health Care problem around the world. This is not just in this country, it is everywhere. Hinojosa but its not something that you see, right . Isnt that one of the problems . I mean, you can be living with diabetes and be fine. Mmhmm. Actually, it is estimated that perhaps, for type 2 diabetes, which is the most common type of the disease ten times more frequent than type 1 diabetes, for instance people only have the disease for ten or 15 years without knowing that they have the condition until they manifest the first symptoms, which would be perhaps, like, frequent urination, increased thirst, fatigue, tiredness, infections that dont heal or dont get better very quickl
Hinojosa that mean guy. Thats me, mmhmm. Hinojosa and i told you that i was going to do this, because as one journalist to another journalist, its hard to kind of sum up, because you have interviewed every major rock and roll and pop musician and country musician that exists, i would day. Okay. Well, youre overstating it, but ill take it. Hinojosa overstating a little bit. If you had to choose your like, top mostmemorable interviews from this huge history, what would it be . What would it be . You know, maria, i have forgotten them all, actually. Hinojosa laughing every, single one even elton john. Mick . Mick who . Hinojosa laughing well, you know; sum it up. Yeah, its a tough choice, but i would say that quite often, it was the behindthescenes stuff that goes on that builds to a story that makes it memorable for me. For example, one of my favorites is ray charles, because at the time that i suggested the story, he was not really on the charts and getting the kind of acclaim he should
Separate things at the same time . Yeah, i mean, its awkward for me, just because, you know, as a person, i hate to wear that, even though some people identify that. But its good to make work; i mean, thats what it comes down to. Its good to make work, and for me, its just as an artist not as a native person or an american person, but as an artist its important to make things that kind of explore, you know, who we are as americans, who i am as a native american, what tribalism means, and so thats all just, you know, part of it. Hinojosa you, though. The film that everybody has seen Smoke Signals was extraordinary, because it was the first feature film directed by a native american director that made it to national release. Had a huge following; in fact, you said that the film kind of went on and on and on. Yeah. Hinojosa . For a long time. What was the impact of Smoke Signals, now that you stand back and kind of look at it . You know, the funny thing is that myself and Sherman Alexie,
You have done, essentially, is dedicated your life to looking at poor, disadvantaged communities and people and saying, i see amazing potential. Correct. I believe that most people are born into the world as assets, not liabilities. Its all in the way you treat people that drives behavior, so on the basis of the insight which is largely autobiographical i built a center in pittsburgh beginning in the 1960s to work with kids in the streets during the riots and unemployed adults during the early 1970s. And i redefined the strategy to work with Public School kids who are at risk by using the arts as way of redeeming their souls and creating opportunity for life, and recovering unemployed individuals largely on public assistance by putting them in worldclass Technology Facilities that can actually teach them the skill sets that they can use. Hinojosa okay, so, so, so, so. Lets just take it one step at a time. Sure. Hinojosa so one of your fundamental philosophies that you have written abou
22. For 22 years, without motorized vehicles, yeah. Hinojosa and throughout all of that, an essential part is your friend here, the banjo. My friend the banjo. Hinojosa does banjo have a name . Well, its american princess. American princess. Its an old banjo. Its over 100 years old, and was built in philadelphia. Hinojosa so the banjo became a central part of you as a persona in these years where you were walking and you were not talking. Yeah, it did. Hinojosa but lets go back for. And you play it normally. I do, all the time. So you might hear it as were talking. Hinojosa its an extension of. Yeah, it is. Hinojosa but lets talk about how it all started. It started when. It was 1971. 1971, in california. An oil spill happens in january, near the golden gate bridge. I hear about it on the radio. And were living up in point reyes, 40 miles away, north. And we drive in, my girlfriend and i, to see the oil spill. But fortunately we cant see it because of the fog. Thats probably why the ac