NAPT funds 7 documentaries that explore American Indian perspective
Native American Public Telecommu
nications Inc. (NAPT) recently awarded
more than $460,000 to seven projects by
filmmakers across the nation to produce
documentaries for PBS stations.
“The goal of the open call is to
increase the diversity of voices available
to PBS viewers,” said Shirley K. Sneve
(Rosebud Sioux), NAPT executive direc
tor. “We encourage Native Americans to
take on significant creative leadership
roles, such as director, producer and
editor. We want Native voices to have
creative control - and not just in an advi
sory capacity.”
Funding for the projects comes from
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The seven films explore American
Indian perspectives of history and the
social, economic and political condi
tions that depicted it; the preservation
of today’s environmental resources;
present-day contemporary stories about
the competitive sport of horse racing;
and how one man’s legacy is coming to
light as his lifelong career dedication to
preserve Native languages now helps
others unlock dozens of all-but-forgotten
California Indian languages.
“NAPT is encouraged to see more
independent producers teaming up with
local public TV stations to produce their
films,” said Sneve. “We like to promote
that because it creates partnerships and
often leads to more projects. Then stations
always have go-to Native filmmakers to
work with.”
NAPT invites proposals for projects
intended for public broadcasting that
helps us reach our mission to share Native
stories with the world. Find out more at
www.nativetelecom.org/201 l_napt_pub-
lic_television_program_fund.
The 7 films
Indian Relay
Producers: Charles Dye, Wayne Smith
(Blackfeet/Crow) and KUSM-TV/
Montana PBS
Status: Production
This is an inspiring year-long portrait
of three American Indian horse racing
families, culminating at the 2011 Indian
Relay National Championships in Black
foot, Idaho. Footage from each of the
season’s big relay races is intercut with
stories and views from the long off-season.
Something’s Moving:
Legacies of the American Indian
Boarding Schools
Producers: Randy Vasqez, Jonathon
Skumik and Brian Wescott
(Athabascan/Yup’ik)
Status: Production
Through the perspective of the small
Chitimacha Indian Tribe of Louisiana’s
Atchafalaya Basin - known as “the people
of the many waters” - the film explores
the different ways of knowing and remem
bering American Indian history and offers
alternative accounts.
Chasing Voices: John Peabody
Harrington and the Language
Revitalization Movement
Producer: Daniel Golding (Quechan)
Status: Research and development
Linguist and anthropologist John
Peabody Harrington died in 1961 at
age 77. He was an eccentric, paranoid
and obsessively driven anthropologist
whose life’s work became dedicated
to preserving Native America’s dying
languages. Today, Harrington’s legacy
is now regarded as the “Rosetta Stone”
that unlocks dozens of all-but-forgotten
California Indian languages.
Indians: An Unexpected Story
Without a Tribe
Producers: Roberta Grossman, Brian
Wescott (Athabascan/Yup’ik), Deann
Borshay Liem and Lisa Thomas
Status: Production
Producer: Cynthia Jeannette Gomez
(NM Genizaro)
Status: Research and development
This four-hour series tells the vivid
tale of American Indians in the 20lh
century and beyond. Composed of inter
views, family histories, archival footage
and music, the series provides a greater
appreciation of the histories and achieve
ments of contemporary America Indian
individuals and indigenous communities.
Crying Earth Rise Up
Producers: Suree Towfighnia, Beth
Sternheimer and Debra White Plume
(Oglala Lakota)
Status: Production
This is a documentary about pro
tecting one of the earth’s most precious
elements - water. Through characters
who oppose and support the expansion
of uranium mining over the High Plains/
Ogallala - the largest fresh-water under
ground source in North America - and the
Arikara aquifers in western South Dakota
and Nebraska, audiences learn about the
important and timely issue of preserving
and protecting the land and water before
it becomes too late.
Urbanizing the American Indian
Producer: Rocky Mountain PBS
Status: Research and development
Explore the history of the 1952
Bureau of Indian Affairs Termination and
Relocation Act as well as the modern-
day consequences for today’s American
Indians, specifically those relocated to
Denver, Colo. Powerful stories of identity,
self-determination and healing are shared
by American Indian scholars and multi-
generational families.
This documentary film unlocks the
clandestine social, economic and political
conditions of the late 1600s when Native
youth and women were stolen from home
lands and imprisoned, then ransomed into
domestic servitude, hard labor and military
training only to be labeled with lowest
class identity as Genizaro Indians. Today’s
Genizaro descendants continue to struggle
to maintain their communal homelands and
recognize this Genizaro heritage.
Native American Public Telecom
munications, Inc. (NAPT), a nonprofit
that receives major funding from the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting,
shares Native stories with the world by
supporting the creation, promotion and
distribution of Native media.
Founded in 1977, through various
media - public television, public radio and
the Internet - NAPT brings awareness of
Indian and Alaska Native issues.
NAPT operates AIROS Audio, offer
ing 24/7 downloadable podcasts with
Native filmmakers, musicians and Tribal
leaders. VisionMaker is the premier
source for quality American Indian edu
cational and home videos.
All aspects of NAPT programs
encourage the involvement of young
people to learn more about careers in the
media - to be the next generation of story
tellers. NAPT is located at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln.
NAPT offers student employment,
internships and fellowships. Reaching
the general public and the global market
is the ultimate goal for the dissemination
of Native-produced media.
Games of the North comes to PBS
Native American Public Telecommu
nications, Inc. (NAPT) proudly announces
the release of a new documentary that
examines four modem Inuit athletes’ ties
to the Arctic Winter Games - an event
that draws hundreds of athletes from the
northern territories of the Arctic Circle.
Held biennially for a week in March,
participants compete in strengths of
endurance, agility, mind, body and spirit
in front of large crowds composed of fam
ily, friends, supporters and media.
Produced by Starseed Media, Inc. in
association with the Alaska Native Heri
tage Center and presented by NAPT and
KCTS Television/Seattle, Games of the
North: Playing for Survival is a personal
journey for many athletes past and pres
ent. The Arctic Winter Games connect
athletes living in very distinct worlds and
each character featured in the film reveals
a unique relationship to the games.
“When a friend first showed me the
Native Games, I was blown away by
the level of athleticism and the gruel
ing strength of these athletes. I became
immediately drawn in as both an athlete
and filmmaker,” said Jonathon Stanton,
Games of the North producer.
18
•
Siletz News
•
Following four competitive Inuit
athletes as they trek across Alaska to
live, compete, hunt, train and pursue their
goals is where you’ll revel in the complex
interconnectedness of Inuit culture. The
very core of their village life is centered
on the idea of community and the values
that must be honored to sustain it.
“The relevance of the games to
today’s northern territories - such as
Alaska, Quebec and Greenland just to
name a few - is so crucial to the survival
of the culture. The harsh and unforgiving
Arctic is not child’s play. It takes knowl
edge from the past and one’s personal
strength to endure what Mother Nature
gives you,” said Steven Wounded Deer
Alvarez (Mescalero Apache/Yaqui/Upper
Tanana Athabascan), the film’s executive
producer who also is a director at the
Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Games of the North is a follow-up to
the documentary film To Play the Games,
which documents the unique lives of
Alaska Native athletes as they prepare to
compete in a single sporting event.
To inquire about station carriage
in your area, please visit www.pbs.org/
stationfinder.
April 2011
Imprints Print Shop is proud
to announce the recent upgrade
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Imprints Print Shop
Manager: Tammy Viles
1520 NE Highway 101
Lincoln City, OR 97367
Office: 541-996-5550
Fax: 541-996-5551
E-mail: imprintslc@charter.net
www.imprintsprintshop.com
It's fast, convenient and affordable, and there's no better way to
promote. Pay us a visit or check us out online. Tribal members receive
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Calling all Tribal artists! Imprints is looking for original Tribal |
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