Sandra Hale Schulman
ICT
Six Indigenous films have been nominated for regional Emmy awards, the highest recognition for the television industry.
One film, “Guardian of the Land,” which aired on Oregon Public Broadcasting, is nominated for a Northwest Regional Emmy in two categories — the cultural/historical and director categories. The film explores Indigenous views of Bigfoot as a protector of the land.
Five films have been nominated for Pacific Southwest regional Emmys – all of which aired as part of First Nations Experience television, or FNX-TV, which is the only Native American Indigenous-focused broadcast network in the United States.
The Northwest Regional awards will be announced on May 30 at Fremont Studios in Seattle, Washington.The Pacific Southwest awards ceremony will take place June 27 in La Jolla, California, at the Hilton Hotel.
The real winner may be FNX. The films nominated for Pacific Southwest Emmys were all part of FNX’s slate of original programming.
Created as a shared vision between the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the San Bernardino Community College District, FNX originates from the studios of KVCR-PBS in San Bernardino, California. They have been instrumental in placing Indigenous content on TV networks, PBS affiliates, YouTube, online, and on their mobile app.
“Seeing these amazing writers, directors, and storytellers be nominated at the highest level of recognition is amazing, and to be able to stand by their side as a nominee myself for ‘Red on the Runway’ (as a producer) is an absolute honor,” said FNX Station Manager Frank Blanquet in a statement.
The films are are still available for viewing on FNX and YouTube. Here are the nominees:
Northwest Regional award
‘Guardian of the Land‘
This documentary is nominated for a Northwest Regional Emmy in two categories — the cultural/historical category and for Director LaRonn Katchia, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon. The film explores Indigenous views of Bigfoot as a protector of the land.
Pacific Southwest Regional awards
‘Native Hope Champions: Red on the Runway’
Nominated for Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, the film features Native fashion designers Rebekah Jarvey, Chippewa Cree, and Rose McFadden, Diné.
“There was an Indigenous fashion showcase in Milan,” Jarvey told ICT. “I was selected to be a part of it. Then FNX, I worked with them through the Native Youth Foundation, heard about Milan and said they were interested in doing a documentary. They wanted to do it on something meaningful — the MMIW (Missing Murdered Indigenous Women) movement. That’s how it came about.”
Jarvey says they had several planning meetings to film a photo shoot in the Duomo de Milano, then the full indoor fashion runway show, and to capture interviews with the designers Jarvey and McFadden, whose designs were recently worn by Holly Cook Macarro to meet King Charles III.
Jarvey was particularly proud of the photo shoot in the historic plaza, where they dressed up and posed with the flags of their tribes, much to the astonishment of the tourists and the police.
“Since I’ve been going international, I feel proud to represent my tribe and my nation,” Jarvey said. “I’ve been taking my flag overseas. This time we all as a group brought our flags. It was crazy because the police came and they thought we were protesting. It scared them but they let us continue. People were saying they had never seen Native Americans before. We spent about six hours at the Duomo taking photos.”
Jarvey said there was some pushback about being American “because of who our president is now, but when we said we’re Indian, they had a change of heart. They were like, ‘Oh, wow.’ A lot of them wanted to take pictures; they were getting the models autographs and getting their socials. They were happy to meet Native Americans doing contemporary things, not stuck-in-the-past Indians.”
“So it was a success, but the purpose was to highlight the MMW issues,” Jarvey said. “It is important to us, and being in Milan, it’s one of the top five for a fashion designer along with New York, Paris, London, Tokyo. It is glamour, and it is luxury, but we still want to remember our loved ones and what has happened to some of them.”
Jarvey continued, “I was really proud and honored to take that up and to be an advocate in that community for the murdered and missing Indigenous woman.”
‘Navajo Highways‘
Nominated for informational and instructional content and set design, the film tells the journey of young Sadie during her summer vacation on the Navajo Reservation. Sadie, from an urban environment, has a transformative experience when she immerses herself in Navajo culture and language in Mitten Creek.
‘Tiger’
Nominated as a documentary, the award-winning short spotlights Muscogee/Seminole artist Dana Tiger and her family’s resilience through art. The 13-minute film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, explores the revival of the family’s popular 1980s T-shirt business.
‘POW!‘
Nominated for writer Joey Clift, this animated short film tells the story of Jake, a young Native kid at a powwow who scrambles to charge his dying video game console but learns that loving video games and loving your culture are not exclusive.
‘Courage’
Nominated for Director Eric Michael Hernandez, the 2025 Oscar-qualified short film follows a young Native boy in Los Angeles who finds connection to his heritage through the sacred art of Hoop Dance. The film is inspired by Hernandez’s life and features Indigenous actors.
‘Cleaning’s a Cakewalk‘
Nominated for arts and entertainment content, this short film tells the story of a boy who learns the value of hard work and finds his place in his community when he has to clean the Chapter House.