May is Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month (US)
May 27-June 3 is National Reconciliation Week (Australia)  

June is National Indigenous Heritage Month (Canada)
June is National Pride Month (US)
June 5 is World Environment Day. The 2023 theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution”

FESTIVALS and FILMS
Hybrid, In-person, Online

Tribeca Film Festival

Hybrid. Tickets. June 7-18: in-person in New York City. June 19-July 2: online on standard apps like Roku and Apple TV, and on a stand-alone app on IOS and Android.

Feature Films

Hey Viktor! World premiere. Canada. Cody Lightning (Cree). It’s been 25 years since all eyes were on the Cree kid from Edmonton who made it big with a starring role in the indie hit Smoke Signals.  Now grown up, former child actor Cody Lightning is down on his luck.  When his friends stage an intervention, Cody seizes the moment–and camera crew–to take one last shot at producing Smoke Signals 2.  With backing from a psycho investor and in hot pursuit of Adam Beach’s wig to tie the film together, Lightning’s irreverent comedy is as smart as it is raunchy, and marks the arrival of a major comedic voice in Native cinema.  With rich supporting turns from Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, and Simon Baker, Lightning strikes a balance between riffing on the work of a previous generation and the importance of community.–Cedar Sherbert. 

Je’vida World premiere. Finland. Katie Gauriloff (Sámi). In Finnish, Skolt Sámi, with English subtitles. When embittered Sámi elder Je’vida returns to her childhood home to ready it for sale, she is flooded with the memories of a life shaped by deep systemic racism and the unyielding love of her grandfather, leading to a life-changing epiphany. Centered by an unforgettable performance by Agafia Niemenmaa, Je’vida is a lyrical testament to the bonds of ancestry and the resilience of Native peoples–Cedar Sherbert

Panel
In-person Sat, June 10, 12:30 pm EDT. Free with registration.

“Indigenous Storytelling” Panelists in varying areas of media discuss the work it takes and what it means to bring Indigenous stories to audiences. Moderated by Cynthia Benitez, NMAI, with guests Cedar Sherbert (Kumeyaay), Tribeca Festival programmer; Cody Lightning (Cree), writer/director, Hey Viktor!; and Sarah Eagle-Heart (Oglala Lakota), executive producer, Lakota Nation vs.The United States. Co-hosted by the National Museum of the American Indian.

Immersives
In-person. Ticket includes access to all Immersives & Games projects

Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics Stop-motion installation. Canada. Terril Calder (Métis). The challenging journey of a precocious Métis Baby Girl. Using interfering screens in an object reminiscent of a puppet theater, this stop-motion installation unearths hidden Indigenous values while illuminating the bias of our colonial systems.

Human Rights Watch Film Festival
We Are Guardians

Hybrid: June 4-5. Tickets. In-person in New York City. June 5-11. Tickets. Online.

We Are Guardians Feature documentary. Brazil. Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman. In Portuguese, Tupi, English. In the Brazilian state of Maranhāo, forest guardians from Arariboia Indigenous Land, primarily Guajajara people, fend off attacks from illegal loggers, miners, and exporters, this global story shares what happens when Indigenous rights, land stewardship, environmental science, and political corruption converge, leaving the fate of the Amazon and it’s Indigenous communities in the balance. Discussion to follow screening with directors Edivan Guajajara (Guajajara), Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman; Tembé activist Puyr Tembé; Andrea Carvalho, Environment & Human Rights Senior Research Assistant at Human Rights Watch; Angela Martinez, Amazon Defenders Fund Director at Amazon Watch.

NMAI
Native American Veterans Screening: Corridor Four

May 27, 2-4 pm EDT. Free. In-person in Washington, DC

A portrait of 9/11 first responder Isaac Ho‘opi‘i (Native Hawaiian) as he works to put the traumatic experience behind him through the support of his family and love of music. A discussion with Ho‘opi‘i follows the film. The program closes with a performance by his musical group, The Aloha Boys.

Cine las Americas International Film Festival

June 7-11. Tickets. In-person in Austin, Texas

Miwene Feature documentary. Ecuador. Keith Heyward, Jennifer Berglund, Gange Anita Yeti Enomenga (Waorani), Obe Beatriz Nenquimo Nihua (Waorani). In Spanish, Waoterero, English. Steeped in the long oral tradition of Waorani storytelling, Gange Yeti shares her own coming-of-age story as a young Waorani woman living deep within the Amazon rainforest. Following Gange and her community for more than 11 years, the film captures her transition from a quiet teenager into a confident young mother at a critical turning point for her culture and rainforest. As the granddaughter of one of the last Waorani elders who lived in complete isolation before outside contact, Gange is determined to capture her grandmother’s unique experience while she still can — balancing school, motherhood, and tradition along the way.

Bones of Crows Narrative feature. Canada. Marie Clements (Métis). In English, Cree. Removed from their family home and forced into Canada’s residential school system, Cree musical prodigy Aline and her siblings are plunged into a struggle for survival. Bones of Crows is Aline’s journey from child to matriarch, a moving multi-generational epic of resilience, survival and the pursuit of justice.

Jackson Wild
2023 World Wildlife Day Showcase
“Indigenous Stories”

Ongoing. Free. Streaming on Eventive. After unlocking, 30 days to finish watching.  This encore screening from Jackson Wild, a program originally curated for World Wildlife Day in March, consists of seven films from diverse regions and peoples: The Ghost Rainforest, Aguilucho: Dance of the Harpy Eagle, The Lost Salmon, Seagrass for Sea Change, Living with Lions,The Letter: A Message for Our Earth, Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital 
Watch Now: “Indigenous Voices”

Catalog of online films.

DCEFF maintains catalog of 300+ films now online that have been programmed in previous festivals, providing access to a wide range of films on Indigenous peoples and sustainable living. It includes a catalog section called “Indigenous Voices.” Some films stream on the DCEFF website. Some are available on third-party platforms such as Hulu that may require a subscription or pay per view.

NATIVE CREATIVITY

Television, Cinema, Theater

NBC Universal has acquired the TV rights for There,There, the 2019 award-winning novel by Tommy Orange(Cheyenne and Arapaho). The agreement included the author’s requirement to have a Native scriptwriter, and writer and director Tazbah Chavez (Bishop Paiute, with Nuumu, Dine, San Carlos Apache heritage) has been selected. Click here to watch Chavez’ short film Your Name Isn’t English.

ABC canceled Alaska Daily after Season 1, 11 episodes. Grace Dove (Secwépemc), who portrayed Alaska Daily’s investigative reporter Roz Friendly stars in Marie Clements’ award-winning feature film Bones of Crows, now on the festival circuit. Trailer here. 

Honor Australia’s National Reconciliation Week by checking out films on this eclectic list, “Ten Indigenous Films and Documentaries to Watch…” The list was created to time with the 2023 observation of Australia Day on Jan 26. Try to see the fascinating new documentary, now on the festival circuit, Ablaze (dir: Alec Morgan, Tiriki Onus), and watch trailer here.  In addition in US on numerous PPV platforms, are the 3 seasons of the detective series Mystery Road, with such great Indigenous Australian directors as Wayne Blair, Rachel Perkins, Dylan River, and Warwick Thornton, (see trailer here) and the original feature film Mystery Road (dir. Ivan Sen) that launched the series. Also streaming on various platforms world-wide including US’ PBS Passport is In My Blood It Runs (dir. Maya Newell) 

Killers of the Flower Moon (dir. Steven Spielberg) premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20. It is scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures in select theaters on October 6, before a wide release in the US on October 20. It is also set for an unspecified streaming release on Apple TV+. Trailer here. 

Autry Museum of Western Art
29th Native Voices Festival of New Plays

June 10-11. Free admission with reservation. Space limited. In-person in Los Angeles

The Native Voices Festival of New Plays is a ten-day residency where playwrights are partnered with an artistic team, a dramaturg, and professional actors to explore their scripts in front of an audience.

Sat June 10, 2:30 pm PDT

Central Standard Time by Maddox Pennington (Cherokee). After moving back to their family hometown in rural Oklahoma, Jay confronts chasms of generational and cultural differences in their hopes of contributing to their Nation and family. Jay’s reconnection is tested by resistance from relatives, scrutiny at work, but most of all by an uncertain and shifting notion of home

Sun, June 11, 2:30 pm PDT

Comanche Girl on the Moon by Dustin Tahmahkera (Comanche). Tired of being bullied at school, Petu discovers her late grandmother’s secret rocket ship on her family’s allotment in Oklahoma. Together with her humorous animal relatives and some eccentric inter-planetary creatures, Petu plans to fly to the moon in search of a new start, but at what cultural cost to herself and her tribal community in Oklahoma?

TALKING ABOUT

Artist and Filmmaker Talks, Youth in Action, On Native Stories

NMAI
“Conversation with Robert Houle”

Thurs, June 8, 11 am-12 pm EDT. Free. In-person in Washington, D.C.

NMAI 
Youth in Action “Wearing Our PRIDE” | Juventud en acción: “Luciendo nuestro ORGULLO”

Thurs, June 1, 1-2 pm. Free. In-person. On-demand afterward. In English with English and Spanish captions

Fashion is often used to confirm identities, challenge social structures, and display. Discover the joy of fashion in our conversation celebrating PRIDE month with Angel Aubichon (Cree, Métis), Alex Manitopyes (Cree, Anishinaabe), Adrian Stevens (Northern Ute, Shoshone-Bannock, San Carlos Apache), and Sean Snyder (Navajo, Southern Ute). Moderated by Vogue editor Christian Allaire (Ojibwe).  

Seneca Art & Cultural Center
“WAMPUM/OTGOÅ” Artist Talks

In-person in Victor, NY. 

Sat, June 10. Katsitsionni Fox (Mohawk, Bear Clan) The exhibition features historical objects alongside the work of five contemporary Haudenosaunee artists, who are each presenting a talk in this monthly series.

International Indigenous Co-Production Forum at Cannes

On May 18 during the Cannes festival, Canada’s ISO/Indigenous Screen Office, sponsored by Ontario Creates, hosted panel sessions, round tables and evaluated case studies in 2 successful Indigenous co-productions, Night Raiders and Twice Colonized. ISO worked in collaboration with New Zealand Film Commission, Screen Australia, Sámi Film Institute, Sundance Institute, who supported delegates to attend the event. There were 21 producer/filmmaker delegates in total from Canada, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Greenland, Norway and Sweden.

Panel discussions included:

“Co-Production Case Studies with International Producers” with Emile Peronard (Greenland/Denmark) Chelsea Winstanley (NZ) and Kerry Warkia (NZ), moderated by Kerry Swanson, Indigenous Screen Office, CEO,

“Decision-Maker Panel” with funders from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Sápmi, moderated by Erin Creasey, Ontario Creates.

“Roundtable” hosts included representatives from the Government of Canada, Eurimages, New Dawn Fund, TIFF, Berlinale Talents, and Sundance Institute.

Producer/Filmmaker participants

  • Australia: Pauline Clague, Dylan River, Mitch Stanley
  • Canada: Sonya Ballantyne, Paula Devonshire, Tyler Hagan, Nyla Innuksuk, Gail Maurice, Caroline Monnet, Darlene Naponse, Loretta Sarah Todd 
  • Greenland: Marc Fussing Rosbach, Emile Hertling Péronard, Pipaluk Kreutzmann Jørgensen
  • Aotearoa/New Zealand: Tui Ruwhiu, Maria Tanner, Kerry Warkia, Karin Williams, Chelsea Winstanley
  • Norway: Linn Henriksen
  • Sweden: Oskar Östergren 

EXHIBITIONS

National Museum of the American Indian
“Robert Houle: Red Is Beautiful”

May 25, 2023–June 2, 2024. Free. In-person in Washington, DC

For Robert Houle (Saulteaux Anishinaabe, Sandy Bay First Nation) color is powerful, expressive, and lies at the foundation of his artistic practice. Throughout his career, his work has embodied and expressed what he most values: the creative moment, the earth, and the sacred. June 1 an artists conversation with Robert Houle will be in-person at the museum.

National Museum of the American Indian
“Shelley Niro: 500 Year Itch”

May 27, 2023–January 1, 2024. Free. In-person in New York City

The show celebrates more than a half century of Shelley Niro’s (Mohawk) paintings, photographs, mixed-media works, and films. Accessible, humorous, and peppered with references to popular culture, Niro’s art delves into the timeless cultural knowledge and generational histories of her Six Nations Kanyen’kehá:ka community to provide purpose and healing. In a program organized for this event, Niro will premiere her newest film, Café Daughter, on June 17 at the museum.

NYC’s Public Art Fund 
“Nicholas Galanin: In every language there is Land | En cada lengua hay una Tierra”

May 16-Nov 12. Outdoors in Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City

Nicholas Galanin (Sitka) created this work with the same steel tubing used to construct the U.S.-Mexico border wall, also echoing its 30-foot height. The metal was cut and reassembled to spell out LAND in a format reminiscent of Robert Indiana’s 1966 sculpture, LOVE. The anti-climbing plate seen atop the border wall appears here on the upper letters, and the text repeats in four layers to create a dynamic, open structure. As our point of view changes, the text shifts between legibility and abstraction. The title, In every language there is Land | En cada lengua hay una Tierra, combines English and Spanish, two languages imposed in North America since colonization. Explore this online with Bloomberg Connects app. 

Asheville Art Museum
“Luzene Hill: Revelate”

Through June 26. Tickets. In-person in Asheville, NC

Luzene Hill (Eastern Band of Cherokee) advocates for Indigenous sovereignty—linguistically, culturally, and individually. Revelate builds upon Hill’s investigation of pre-contact cultures. This has led Hill to incorporate the idea of Olin in Aztec cosmology in her work… Olin emphasizes that we are in constant state of motion and discovery. Adopted as an educational framework, particularly in social justice and ethnic studies, Olin guides individuals through a process of reflection, action, reconciliation, and transformation. The digital exhibition booklet with essays is available  here. 

Heard Museum 
“He‘e Nalu | The Art and Legacy of Hawaiian Surfing”

Through July 16. Tickets. In-person in Phoenix

He‘e Nalu: The Art and Legacy of Hawaiian Surfing explores the Indigenous origins of surfing through the presentation and interpretation of historic material made by notable cultural practitioners as well as new contemporary artwork and site-specific installations created by leading Indigenous Hawaiian artists. The stories and histories of surfing will be shared through a Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) perspective through the process of mo`olelo, the method of storytelling “how it came to be.” The exhibition is organized by guest curator Carolyn Kuali`i (Kānaka Maoli) and Heard Museum Assistant Curator Velma Kee Craig (Diné), with artwork by Kānaka Maoli artists Solomon Enos, Lehuauakea, Daniel Ikaika Ito, Pōhaku Kaho`ohanohano, Christopher Kahunahana, Stephen Hokulani Kupihea, Duke Aipa, Clifford Kapono, Ha`a Keaulana, Ian Kuali`i, Nicole Naone, Rick San Nicolas, Tom Pōhaku Stone, and Cory Kamehanaokalā Taum, and skateboard artwork by Rowan Harrison (Diné/Pueblo), James Johnson (Tlingit), Di’Orr Greenwood (Diné), Daryl Tom (Diné), Albert Sloan, Jr. (Diné), Missy Mahan (Tohono O’odham), and Kandis Quam (Zuni Pueblo/ Diné).

AWARDS and HONORS

Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec

In recognition of her work in visual arts and cinema, Caroline Monnet has been named a member of the Order of arts and letters of Québec.

American Academy of Arts and Letters

Among the 10 Indigenous honorees inducted into the American Academy this spring are these major creatives in film and in museum exhibition and leadership

  • Maria Campbell (Métis) – an international honorary member who is a writer, broadcaster, filmmaker and advocate, and coordinator of Indigenous knowledge and wellness at First Nations University of Canada in Saskatchewan (international honorary member)
  • Cynthia Chavez Lamar (San Felipe Pueblo) – director, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Indian
  • Patricia Marroquin Norby (Purépecha) – the first Indigenous curator of Native American art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Wes Studi (Cherokee Nation) actor, who became the first Native actor to win an Oscar, and the 2019 recipient of the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Award for lifetime achievement in 2019

2023 Knight Arts + Technology Fellowship

This initiative of the Knight Foundation supports artists working with innovative approaches to technology and new media. Administered by United States Artists, the fellowship awards five artists annually with unrestricted grants of $50,000 each, including this year Marlena Myles (Spirit Lake Dakota). “Through site-specific augmented and virtual reality, animation, and other digital media, her work brings modernity to Indigenous history, language, and oral tradition.”

Co-Creation Studio at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab 
and ISO/Indigenous Screen Office 
Indigenous Knowledge and Immersive Technologies Lab

In April a delegation of Indigenous artists and advisors gathered at MIT to incubate their own immersive media projects and meet with Indigenous leaders from MIT and across the territory. The selected participants funded by Canada’s ISO were Ryan Atimoyoo (Cree), Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory (Inuk), Anne Riley (Slavey Dene/German) and Dr T’uy’t’tatanat Cease Wyss (Skwxwu7mesh/Sto:lo, Hawaiian, Swiss). Two US-based delegates, supported by the Co-Creation Studio with funding from NEA, Nia Tero, and Perspective Fund, are Tiare Ribeaux (Kānaka Maoli) and Chloe Alexandra Thompson (Cree). The facilitators included Co-Creation Studio Artistic Director Katerina Cizek and Lead Artist Amelia Winger-Bearskin. Go here for biographies of these participants and descriptions of their creative projects. 

National Screen Institute
CBC New Indigenous Voices

Canada’s NSI has announced the 2023 cohort who will participate in a full-time, 14-week program for Indigenous creators to learn the essential elements of working in the film, TV and digital media industries. The 10 participants are immersed in hands-on training, collaborative group work and mentorship to build their skills in the industry and take their careers to the next level.

  • Lisa Abel (M’Chigeeng First Nation / Ontario)
  • Asha Bear (Tobique First Nation / New Brunswick)
  • Lucas Boudreau (St. Laurent / Manitoba)
  • Sage Boulanger-McLeod (Berens River First Nation / Manitoba)
  • Renée Courchene (Sagkeeng First Nation / Manitoba)
  • Apollo Dawson (Dzawada’enuxw First Nation / British Columbia)
  • Jacob Dorie (Black River First Nation / Manitoba)
  • Alysha Johnny-Hawkins (Tahltan First Nation / British Columbia)
  • John Luke (Kivalliq Region / Manitoba)
  • Linsey Murdock (Fisher River Cree Nation / Manitoba)