Native American Public Telecommunications funded four proposals for Research and Development. Visit the Production Pipeline section at www.nativetelecom.org for updates on these projects.
Journey
Home will examine the impact of off-reservation boarding schools on Native
Americans through three centuries. It will connect the Merriam Report and
other historical events, major treaties and federal laws to struggles over
land and education. Students’ letters will reveal to the world, in previously
unheard voices, the effects on Native Americans. Produced and directed by
Cynthia L. Pardy (Mohegan/Pequot) and WHRO of Norfolk, VA.
Swept Under the Rug looks at Navajo textiles. Highly valued the world over, Navajo rugs are respected as collectable, aesthetic masterpieces. Separated from the women who made them, however, they lose their cultural significance and socioeconomic histories. This program forefronts the weavers’ voices and retraces their complex relationship with global markets, revealing a hidden story of Navajo weaving. Produced by Leighton Peterson and directed by Bennie Klain (Navajo).
For
the Rights of All: The Elizabeth Peratrovich Story tells the life story
of this Tlingit woman, who in 1941 takes on a powerful establishment and wins.
Told through an innovative blend of drama, interviews, and location footage,
the film explores wartime extremes, Jim Crow cruelty, and the remarkable people
who fought to end discrimination in Alaska. Produced by Jeff Silverman. Executive
Producer Byron Mallott (Tlingit) with Diane Benson (Tlingit) as writer, and
Jonathan Rutzke (Inupiaq) as Director of Photography. Reign of Terror is a
project in development that looks at historical events in Oklahoma. In 1924
an explosion rips through an Osage family’s home in Oklahoma, killing
three people. The FBI is asked to investigate and the crimes that are uncovered
rock the Osage nation. A respected banker and wealthy rancher, William Hale,
is arrested. The ensuring trial tells the story of greed and murder stemming
from new wealth derived from oil. Reign of Terror is produced by Dan Bigbee
(Comanche) and Lily Shangreaux (Lakota) of Big Productions.
California’s
Lost Tribes: The New Gold Rush
Executive Producer: Paul Espinoza/Lyn Goldfarb
Producer: Jed Riffe/Emiko Omori
California’s Lost Tribes: The New Gold Rush offers an in-depth
look at Native American gaming. From a landless, powerless group of diverse,
squabbling tribal nations, California’s Indians have evolved into a
political and economic juggernaut. Turning to gambling in the 1980s for economic
viability, the tribes of California grew to become the single largest lobbying
bloc in the state, investing millions of dollars in Las Vegas-style casinos.
This program is one episode of the four-part series Beyond the Dream exploring
the history and impact of the State of California.
Mauna
Kea: Temple Under Siege
Producer: Puhipau/Joan Lander
Although the mountain volcano Mauna Kea last erupted around 4000 years ago,
it is still hot today, the center of a burning controversy over whether its
summit should be used for NASA observatories or preserved as a cultural landscape
sacred to the Hawaiian people. From the deserts of Arizona to the tropical
paradise of Hawaii, Native Americans are in a battle for their land and the
view of the night sky. Winner of the Grand Festival Award at the Berkeley
Video & Film Festival 2004, and Honorable Mention at the EarthVision International
Environmental Video Festival, Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege promises to be
a compelling examination of the constant struggles over indigenous land.