When
Where
Please join us for these WRRC co-sponsored events:
Sunday, October 26
Enjoy the screenings of two films, Q&A with filmmakers, a resource fair, and a subsequent panel discussion with tribal leaders.
The Loft Cinema. 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Admission: $15 per person or $12 for Loft/ASM/tribal community members/UA students.
1:00-3:00 p.m. The Cherokee Word for Water (2013, 92 minutes, directed by Tim Kelly and Charlie Soap). Set in the early 1980s, this feature is set in a small town in rural Oklahoma where many houses lack running water and others are little more than shacks. The movie is told from the perspective of Wilma Mankiller and full-blood Cherokee organizer Charlie Soap who join forces to battle opposition and build a 16-mile waterline system using a community of volunteers. In the process, they inspire the townspeople to trust each other, to trust their way of thinking, and to spark a reawakening of the universal indigenous values of reciprocity and interconnectedness. This project also inspired a self-help movement in Indian Country that continues to this day. The movie is dedicated to Wilma Mankiller's vision, compassion and incredible grace.
3:00-3:30 p.m. Resource Fair. Enjoy learning about community resources dealing with the environment, water, education, and Native culture. On The Loft’s patio.
3:30-5:00 p.m. LaDonna Harris: Indian 101 (2013, 58 minutes, directed by Julianna Brannum). This documentary explores the political life and social activism of Comanche activist LaDonna Harris, focusing on the personal struggles that led her to become a voice for all Native peoples in the U.S. and abroad. Appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to help educate Congress about American Indian tribes and their unique relationships with the federal government, she taught a course which came to be known on Capitol Hill as “Indian 101” for more than 35 years.
Q&A with filmmakers Julianna Brannum (Comanche) and Kristina Kiehl will follow each of their films.
5:00-6:00 p.m. Panel Discussion. Topics include Native leadership, engaging communities, and working inter-governmentally to bring about positive change. Moderated by Arizona legislator Sally Gonzales (Pascua Yaqui), the panel will include activist LaDonna Harris (Comanche), community development organizer Charlie Soap (Cherokee), and tribal leader Jerry Carlyle (vice chair, San Xavier District, Tohono O’odham Nation).