Native American Studies

Films

Backbone of the World Set amid the majestic splendor of the northern Rockies, this innovative and inspiring documentary interweaves two compelling parallel stories: film director George Burdeau's journey home to live and work on the Blackfeet Reservation, and his tribe's determined struggle to protect its sacred lands and forge a new identity.

Bear's Hiding Place: Ishi's Last Refuge This documentary journey into the past follows a contemporary archaeological expedition to find and confirm the location of Wowunupo'mu Tetna, or Bear's Hiding Place, the last refuge of the Yahi and of Ishi before his dramatic appearance in 1911.

Boomtown This fascinating and thought-provoking documentary chronicles the many challenges faced by Suquamish families in the fireworks business and explores the complex and often thorny issues of tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness in Indian Country.

California and the American Dream This incisive, thought-provoking four-part series explores the dynamics of culture, community, and identity in California, one of the most diverse places in the world. Each film provides a trenchant and highly discussible case study of divergent California social trends that are keenly evident all across America.

California's "Lost" Tribes This remarkable documentary explores the conflicts over Indian gaming and places them in the context of both California and Native American history. The film examines the historical underpinnings of tribal sovereignty and the evolution of tribal gaming rights over the last 30 years.

Circle of Stories: Native American Stories from the Four Directions This unique and engaging documentary explores the extraordinary diversity and profound contemporary relevance of Native American storytelling. A feast for the eyes, ears, and mind, the film presents nine varied stories from the four directions and seasons.

Contrary Warriors This widely acclaimed documentary chronicles the Crow Indians' century-long battle for survival. In spite of every effort by the U.S. government to assimilate the people and acquire their tribal land, the Crows have persisted -- their language, family, and culture intact.

Discovering Dominga This unforgettably dramatic and powerful documentary relates the extraordinary story of a young Iowa housewife who discovers she is a survivor of one of the most horrific massacres in Guatemalan history, committed in 1982 against Maya Indian villagers. The film follows her remarkable journey of transformation and discovery as she returns to Guatemala in search of her heritage and ultimately joins efforts to bring the perpetrators of the massacre to justice.

The Five Suns: A Sacred History of Mexico This much-honored animated film employs authentic pre-Columbian Aztec iconography to depict the most important creation myths and sacred stories of the Aztecs and other Nahuatl-speaking peoples of ancient central Mexico.

Homeland Shot over the course of several years, this rich and engaging documentary weaves together the stories of four Lakota Indian families from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

In Beauty I Walk: The Navajo Way to Harmony Set amid the stunning environs of Arizona's rugged Canyon de Chelly, this fascinating documentary explores traditional Navajo Indian spiritual practices and thought.

Ishi, the Last Yahi This widely acclaimed film recounts one of the most extraordinary and important stories in American history and explains its contemporary relevance with power and eloquence.

The People Today: Closing the Circle Filmed on the Couer d'Alene and Flathead reservations in Idaho and Montana, this unusual documentary explores the impact of Christian missionaries on the Native peoples of the northwestern Plateau and examines the ongoing tensions and dialogue between Christianity and traditional religious practices.

The Peyote Road: Ancient Religion in Contemporary Crisis This widely acclaimed, landmark documentary was instrumental in the campaign to have Congress overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's 1990 "Smith" decision, which denied the protection of the First Amendment to the traditional sacramental use of peyote by Indian people.

Pomo Basketweavers: A Tribute to Three Elders This remarkable documentary provides an in-depth introduction to the history, culture, and basketweaving traditions of the Pomo Indian women of northern California.

Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya This much-honored animated film employs authentic imagery from ancient Maya ceramics to create a riveting depiction of the Popol Vuh, the Maya creation myth and the foundation of most Native American religious, philosophical, and ethical beliefs.

Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya (Spanish Version) This much-honored animated film employs authentic imagery from ancient Maya ceramics to create a riveting depiction of the Popol Vuh, the Maya creation myth and the foundation of most Native American religious, philosophical, and ethical beliefs. This is the Spanish-language version.

The Red Road to Sobriety The contemporary Native American Sobriety Movement is flourishing throughout the Indian communities of North America. This vital social movement combines ancient spiritual traditions with modern medical approaches to substance abuse recovery.

The Red Road to Sobriety Video Talking Circle The contemporary Native American Sobriety Movement is flourishing throughout the Indian communities of North America. This vital social movement combines ancient spiritual traditions with modern medical approaches to substance abuse recovery. One of these traditions is the "talking circle."

The Return of Navajo Boy (With 2008 Epilogue) Set in the stunning landscape of Utah's Monument Valley, this unforgettable, universally acclaimed documentary chronicles the extraordinary saga of how a rediscovered 1950s silent film reel leads to the return of a long-lost brother to his Navajo family.

Roots of Beauty This richly detailed documentary illustrates the complex processes utilized by Pomo Indian weavers of northern California to cultivate, manage, harvest, and prepare the indigenous plant materials used in their world-famous baskets.

Science or Sacrilege: Native Americans, Archaeology and the Law This provocative, in-depth documentary examines the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), its underlying moral and political issues, its practical consequences, and the prospects for science in the post-NAGPRA world.

The Seasons of the Salish Shot on location in Idaho and Montana, this lyrical documentary follows the traditional annual round of the Native peoples of the Northern Rockies and Inland Plateau.

A Seat at the Table: Struggling for American Indian Religious Freedom Professor Huston Smith is widely regarded as the most eloquent and accessible contemporary authority on the history of religions. In this thought-provoking documentary he is featured in dialogues with eight American Indian leaders.

Voices of the Sierra Tarahumara This powerful and eye-opening documentary examines the plight of the indigenous Tarahumara people of northern Mexico, who are oppressed by criminal drug lords and and trapped in a web of rampant deforestation, crippling drug wars, and governmental corruption.

Who Owns the Past? This outstanding documentary relates the powerful history of the American Indian struggle for control of their ancestral remains.

Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations In December 1990, 300 Lakota Sioux horseback riders rode 250 miles, in two weeks, through bitter, below-zero winter weather, to commemorate the lives lost at the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890.

Woven Ways Filmed amid the dramatic landscapes of the Navajo reservation lands in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, this multifaceted documentary incisively explores the profound relationships between the Navajo people, their land, and their livestock, and examines how environmental issues now threaten the Navajo's health, culture, and well-being.

Your Humble Serpent: The Wisdom of Reuben Snake Reuben Snake was a unique and compelling American Indian leader, visionary, and activist. Filled with rich and revealing examples of his storytelling prowess, this inspiring biographical portrait explores his life and philosophy and examines his provocative views on ecology, sacredness, intuitive thinking, and "the rebrowning of America."