NATIVE STORIES FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

August 2016

What Was Ours Screens Tonight at Native Cinema Showcase

Georgiana Lee, Vision Maker Media Assistant Director (Navajo), tonight moderates the opening film What Was Ours at the 16th Annual Native Cinema Showcase in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 7 p.m. Presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian and Santa Fe Indian Market (SWAIA), the Native Cinema Showcase runs Aug.16-21.

In What Was Ours, Shoshone and Arapaho tribal members of the Wind River Reservation discover their purpose as they work to bring home objects lost to their communities for more than 100 years. The 75-minute documentary film, funded by Vision Maker Media, will broadcast nationally on the PBS Independent Lens series in January 2017.

Filmmaker Mat Hames and Jordan Dresser (Northern Arapaho/Eastern Shoshone) and Beth Hames will be in attendance. The screening is free and will be at the New Mexico History Museum. NCS Festival Schedule: http://nmai.si.edu/ncs/pdf/NCS-2016-web-final.pdf

Native Americans in Philanthropy Partners with Gen-I

Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) is partnering with the White House on a Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) philanthropic event, Generation Indigenous: Raising Impact with Innovation and Proven Strategies, Aug. 26, at the White House. This event calls upon the philanthropic community to take action to elevate key issues and address the pressing needs of Native youth with culturally comprehensive approaches to ensure all Native youth reach their full potential.
According to Sara Eagle Heart, CEO of NAP, annual grant funding has remained below 0.5 percent, yet Native Americans are 1.7 percent (5.4 million) of the total U.S. population. This event will highlight impact driven solutions and opportunities to partner with philanthropy. Read More

Hubbard Lecture to Feature

Robin Wall Kimmerer Oct. 25

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potawatomi) the author of "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants" will speak at the Hubbard lecture Oct. 25 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her talk, "The Honorable Harvest: Indigenous Knowledge for Biodiversity Conservation," examines traditional indigenous approaches to the environment and the valuable lessons they teach.

Dr. Kimmerer is the SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She is the founding Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. She combines her heritage with her scientific and environmental passions. The lecture will be from 7-8 p.m. at the Center for Great Plains Studies, Great Plains Art Museum and is free and open to the public.

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Grammy Winning Native Singer, Songwriter Needs Transplant

A bacterial infection Joanne Shenandoah contracted last summer has left her in need of a new liver. Her immune system was severely compromised from the deadline bacteria called CDIFF. This illness has taken a great toll on her financial situation. As a result, Joanne's family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for the costs associated with the transplant. Despite her illness, Joanne plans to create a Skype course for those who are interested in learning more about the music profession. An announcement will soon be made on her website, which is currently under construction. www.joanneshenandoah.com. Send emails with specific questions to: info@joanneshenandoah.com.

We're On the Road: Come Find Us

Aug. 16-21: Indian Market, Santa Fe
Sept. 12-14: American Indian Tourism Conference, Tulalip
Oct. 9-12: ATALM Conference, Phoenix

Developing Investment Opportunities Beyond Public Broadcasting

For 40 years, Vision Maker Media has supported the production of high-quality programming for Public Broadcasting. Now we're ready to expand our support by attracting investment in projects like Growing Native, a series that demonstrates the sustainability of Native foods and traditions.

Are you willing to take the next step with us by supporting the Indigenous Media Fund? We're looking for private and public investors to support the fund, which will help expand our partnerships and increase interest in our projects. With your help we can invest in self-produced content such as the Growing Native series and support experimental work such as mobile apps and web-based resources that appeal to younger audiences.

Because of Your Support...

We thank those of you who provided your support during the current fiscal quarter.

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