Documentary films about Indigenous people & decolonization

Makepeace Productions – for 25 years Anne Makepeace has been producing award-winning documentary films that tell stories of struggle, resilience & transformation https://www.makepeaceproductions.com/

  • We Still Live Here: Âs Nutayuneân  tells the story of cultural revival and language recovery of the Wampanoag people (60 mins)
  • Coming to Light  tells the complicated story of Edward Curtis’ mission in 1900 to photograph Indigenous life before it disappeared. Filmed on reservations where Indigenous people discuss their ancestors who appeared in Curtis’ photographs.
  • Tribal Justice  Two Native judges draw on traditional justice concepts to reduce incarceration, increase safety in their communities and foster hope for their youth – addressing the root causes of crime & providing models of restorative justice that are working.

Upstander Project – challenging indifference to injustice & raising awareness of the need for upstanders, especially among teachers and their students via original documentaries, learning resources, and educator workshops https://upstanderproject.org/

  • Dawnland  on the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation program between the State of Maine and Indigenous Peoples of Maine. The 400 Years Project has acquired rights to show this extraordinary Emmy-winning film through September 2021. It focuses on the foster care program of the Maine.(55 mins)
    Note: you can arrange a showing of this film for a group in W. Mass thru Sept 2021 by contacting Jeff Gold at anjeff@caremail.every1.net
  • First Light  a shorter film from Upstander Project on the same subject (14 mins)
  • Dear Georgina another film from Upstander focusing on a Passamaquoddy elder, who was taken from her home and placed in the foster system at two years old (15 mins)

Gather: The Fight to Recover Our Native Foodways. This moving, hopeful documentary traces work being done to build Indigenous food sovereignty – growing Bison on Lakota lands in SD, fishing for salmon in N. California, and foraging & growing foods on Apache lands in NM.  trailer

Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock This 90 min. film can be streamed free (a donation is requested) on the film website. The website also includes a downloadable Activist Guide http://www.awakethefilm.org/

38plus2 Productions https://www.38plus2productions.com/

The Canary Effect is a 2006 documentary film by Robin Davey & Yellow Thunder Woman. Looks at the horrific abuses inflicted on Indigenous peoples of North America including genocidal policies of the US government & the continuing impact on Native peoples today. (streams for free on Documentarytube.com and also on YouTube)