Native All-Stars Power Wind River
Wind River, featured at Cannes and with an American release date of August 4, is set on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The film stars Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye in the Avengers franchise, Bourne Legacy) and Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch in Avengers and Captain America), and features A-list, all-star Native actors, including Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Julia Jones and Martin Sensmeier. The film has received considerable praise from critics and received an award for direction at Cannes. In it, Renner and Olsen’s characters investigate the murder of a Native woman and interact with Native characters who depict life on a Native reservation with a true, if disturbing, touch. Wind River was written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, known for Hell or High Water (2016), Sicario (2015) and Sons of Anarchy (2008-2010).
Navajo Demi-Gods
Navajo artist Dale Deforest has just released a comic based on the Hero Twins legend after recently signing with the Native Realities publishing company, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The comic, written and illustrated by Deforest, is titled Hero Twins, and features two heros, Ethan Werito and Everell Lopez from the Dine’ Nation. In the story, the twins prove their worthiness to the Dine’ to be selected as saviors of the Spirit World. Using their powers from the elements and a great hatchet forged by Father Sun, they defeat the demons of the world influenced by power and greed.
One Finger, One Thumb, One Take
After losing three fingers of his strumming hand in 2016 in a table-saw accident, Michael Bucher told Indian Country that he is making a “triumphant return” with his latest album, titled this.
Realizing he would not be willing to walk away from his music, the Cherokee musician embraced a relearning process to “play better than he ever had before.” One track featuring his loss is titled “One Finger, One Thumb, One Take,” in which Bucher says demonstrates a prowess never heard before.
The album, this will be released autumn 2017.
Newest Hoops Star
This past June Rito Lopez, Jr., an 11-yearold hoop dancer from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa County Indian Community, appeared on the season finale of Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey to show off his best hoop dance moves.
Rito Lopez, Jr. is a member of the Yellowbird Indian Dancers. “We made him little hoops when he was about 11 months old,” said father Rito Lopez Sr. “He started performing with the family when he was about 3.” The episode is now available on the NBC show’s website.
Lopez, Jr. says of Steve Harvey, “He was really funny. He asked me to teach him to dance, and he didn’t do too good.”