National Museum of the American Indian

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Día de los Muertos celebration (Day of the Dead)

One-Time Events In recorded presentations by two renowned Mexican families, the museum showcases two traditions central to Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos): the art of making figures from sugar and papier-mâché. These two presentations will take place in Spanish. Closed captioning in Spanish and English will be available.  “The Sweet Story of Alfeñique” follows matriarch Margarita Mondragón as she creates skulls and animals, artworks made of sugar (alfeñique). The Mondragon family is from Toluca, the heart of sugar-making activities in Mexico, and her family has been making hand-decorated sugar skulls for more than 150 years.  “The Story of Cartonería Tradicional” (The Story of Papier-mâché) follows artisans Ana Miriam Castañeda Montes de Oca and Martín Ramírez as they make compelling figures known as calaveras (laughing skeletons), figures that humorously and poetically continue with their work in the afterlife. The art form dates to at least to the 17th century and were used to adorn religious spaces and represen… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://americanindian.si.edu/calendar. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Thursday, October 28, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase

One-Time Events The National Museum of the American Indian's Native Cinema Showcase is an annual celebration of the best in Native film. This year focuses on Native people boldly asserting themselves through language, healing, building community, and a continued relationship with the land. Activism lies at the heart of all these stories. The showcase provides a unique forum for engagement with Native filmmakers from Indigenous communities throughout the Western Hemisphere and Arctic. Showcase Schedule All films and filmmaker panels are available on demand; please check individual listings for dates and times of availability. Short-format films are grouped into programs. Closed captioning is available for some films; please check individual listings for availability. Features All films are available on demand; please check individual listings for geo-blocking restrictions. Special support for Native Cinema Showcase provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Additional funding provided by the New York… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Future Focused Shorts Program

One-Time Events Family-friendly short films that are fun for kids of all ages. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Sister Wolves (USA, 2020, 4 min.) Director: Ben-Alex Dupris (Colville) An exploration of the paradoxical relationship between wolves, deer, and Indigenous people as it was passed down since time immemorial. Pua Ka Uahi (USA, 2020, 7 min.) Director: Kalilinoe Detwiler (Native Hawaiian) ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i with English subtitles Pua ka uahi is a wonder-filled animation that follows Pele, a hot-tempered volcano goddess, and Kamapuaʻa, a shapeshifting trickster, as they race from Puna to Hilo. Naja (Little Sister) (Greenland, 2020, 5 min.) Director: Marc Fussing Rosbach (Inuk) An animated fantasy in which a young girl must escape a traumatic event. Heli, set ŧte sќál Ƚte (Bringing Our Language Back to Life) (Canada, 2020, 5 min.) Director: Renee Simpson (Wsanec) SENĆOŦEN with English subtitles Bringing our Language Back to… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Home Shorts Program

One-Time Events This shorts program investigates the meaning of home and how it can be found in many places. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Border Nation (USA, 2020, 19 min.) Director: Jason Jaacks Ofelia Rivas (Tohono O’odham) was born and raised just north of the US-Mexico border, the traditional territory of the Tohono O’odham. Today, tribal members live on both sides. From threats of new border infrastructure to stricter entry laws, can Ofelia and her people’s traditional way of life survive? Snake's Mouth (Boca de Culebra) (Mexico, 2020, 16 min.) Director: Adriana Otero Mayan and MSL with English subtitles Chicán (chi'kaan), a Mayan word for boca de culebra (snake's mouth), is a small Mayan community in southern Yucatán. Generations of the community’s inhabitants have been born with a particular characteristic and share the same surnames. This intimate portrait portrays the life of one family and their resilience in a village where the familial… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective

One-Time Events (USA, 2020, 76 min.) Directors: Costa Boutsikaris and Anna Palmer Producer: Ben-Alex Dupris (Colville) For millennia Native American communities have successfully stewarded and shaped their landscapes, but centuries of colonization have disrupted their ability to maintain their traditional land management practices. Inhabitants follows five tribal nations across the United States who are adapting to today’s climate crisis as they restore these practices and their relationships with the land. As the climate crisis escalates, these time-tested practices of North America's Native peoples are becoming increasingly essential in a rapidly changing world. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Image courtesy of Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective. Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Our Stories Shorts Program

One-Time Events This program reflects the best of Native storytelling as told through history, language, and tradition.' Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Between Two Lines (Australia, 2019, 15 min.) Director: Jack Steele (Wiradjuri) Producer: Mitchell Stanley (Wiradjuri) Divided by war, two men find themselves stranded in opposing trenches in no man’s land during WWI. Unable to kill each other and unable to make it to safety, they are forced to communicate, resulting in an unlikely bond. Purea (New Zealand, 2020, 6 min.) Director: Kath Akuhata-Brown (Māori) Māori with English subtitles A Māori elder must bear the burden of carrying the spirits of her ancestors to their sacred mountain. Kapaemahu (USA, 2020, 8 min.) Directors: Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (Kanaka), Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson Ōlelo Ni‘ihau Hawaiian with English subtitles Four spiritual beings of dual masculine and feminine energy traveled from Tahiti to Waikiki many years ago,… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Rez Metal

One-Time Events (USA/Denmark, 2021, 76 min.) Director: Ashkan Soltani Stone Assistant Director: Veronica Quam (Zuni) Associate Producer: Pamela J. Peters (Navajo) FOR MATURE AUDIENCES: Contains suicide references. I Don’t Konform, a heavy metal band from the Navajo Nation of Arizona, performs regularly in their community and in local clubs. After the band catches the ear of acclaimed Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen, they find themselves a few months later rehearsing with him in their hometown and then recording their debut album in Denmark. Rez Metal is a remarkable journey of one band and of the vibrant heavy metal scene in Navajo Nation, where music is a universal call for inspiring hope and unity. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Image courtesy of Rez Metal. Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Rise Above Shorts Program

One-Time Events These shorts focus on the realities of rising above adversity, loving oneself, and learning life’s lessons. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Joe Buffalo (Canada, 2020, 16 min.) Director: Amar Chebib Writers: Joe Buffalo (Samson Cree) and Amar Chebib Producer: Hayley Morin (Enoch Cree) Joe Buffalo, a Cree skateboard legend and Indian Residential School survivor, must face his inner demons to realize his dream of turning pro. Pitoc E Icinakosian (Canada, 2020, 6 min.) Directors: Jos-Onimskiw Ottawa-Dubé (Atikamekw) and Gerry Ottawa (Atikamekw) French with English subtitles Gerry and Jos reveal that there is more to being different than bullying, discrimination, and harassment. Becoming Nakuset (Canada, 2020, 13 min.) Director: Victoria Anderson-Gardner (Ojibwe) An intimate documentary about Nakuset, a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, who was adopted by an affluent Jewish family in Montreal. Hop Along Hang On (Canada, 2020, 4… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Waikiki

One-Time Events Viewing of this film is restricted to the United States. (USA, 2020, 77 min.) Director: Christopher Kahunahana (Kanaka Maoli) English and ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i with English subtitles FOR MATURE AUDIENCES: Contains domestic violence. Escaping her abusive ex-boyfriend, Kea (Danielle Zalopany), a part-time Hawaiian teacher, hula dancer, and bar hostess, temporarily lives out of her van to piece her life back together. One night after a violent beating, she speeds off into the night only to slam into a mysterious homeless man, Wo (Peter Shinkoda), crossing the street. Unwilling to leave him to die, she takes him into her van and her life. Waikiki, Hawai‘i’s first Native-written and directed feature, is a visceral allegory for the contemporary issues that plague Hawai‘i’s people today: mental illness, abuse, and the loss of Hawaiian identity. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 12, 2021 Photo credit: Waikiki the film. Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/feature-films. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Friday, November 12, 2021.

Filmmaker Panel: A Different Lens

One-Time Events As part of Native Cinema Showcase, a series of panels with Native filmmakers and writers about all aspects of Indigenous storytelling from their own experiences. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Women and two-spirited peoples have always occupied a special role in Indigenous societies, celebrated for their ability to see the world differently. Hear from today’s prominent filmmakers about how they are utilizing a different lens to tell Indigenous stories. Tracey Deer (Mohawk) Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer led the acclaimed dramedy Mohawk Girls to five award-winning seasons as its co-creator, director, and co-showrunner. She received four consecutive Canadian Screen Award nominations for Best Direction in a Comedy Series for Mohawk Girls, and she has been honored at TIFF with the Birks Diamond Tribute Award. She’s currently working on Inner City Girl, a feature about Aboriginal gang life, with Original Pictures. Tracey’s work has been honored with… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

Filmmaker Panel: Home: New Beginnings

One-Time Events As part of Native Cinema Showcase, a series of panels with Native filmmakers and writers about all aspects of Indigenous storytelling from their own experiences. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 The concept of home is constantly evolving for Indigenous peoples. Influenced by imposed borders, both visible and invisible, the connections to home continue to change with time and place. Spanish with English closed captioning. Ayelén Lonconao Vargas (Mapuche) Ayelén studied Film and Television at the University of Chile. She was born in the city of Valparaíso, and later moved with her family to the Mapuche community Kechukawin lof, in Aylla Rewe Budi (Puerto Saavedra) in the Araucanía region. There she was involved in various cultural Mapuche Lafkenche activities, as well as local artistic, theatrical and musical experiences, including the band Newen Mapu. Her works are the result of collective creation, and have been presented at the local, regional… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

Filmmaker Panel: Mapping the Landscape of Native Shorts Filmmaking

One-Time Events As part of Native Cinema Showcase, a series of panels with Native filmmakers and writers about all aspects of Indigenous storytelling from their own experiences. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Focusing on short films, this panel will look at the advantages and limitations of short films and how they can be utilized for Indigenous filmmakers to further their careers. Ben-Alex Dupris (Colville/Mnicoujou) Dupris is Mnicoujou Lakota, and an enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State. Dupris creates work that pushes the boundaries of Indigeneity beyond traditional pastoralism, and into the grey areas of 21st Century America. His directorial debut film Sweetheart Dancers won the Grand Jury Award for best short film at OUTFEST L.A. 2019 and he directed Bunky Echo-Hawk: The Resistance, for American Masters PBS. His first short animation, Sister Wolves, recently won Achievement in Animation at L.A. SkinsFest 2020. He is… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

Filmmaker Panel: The Land Speaks

One-Time Events As part of Native Cinema Showcase, a series of panels with Native filmmakers and writers about all aspects of Indigenous storytelling from their own experiences. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 12 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 The Land Speaks Native filmmaking has exposed the harsh history of colonial expansion and its dangerous environmental and cultural effects on Indigenous lands and resources. The panel will look at how Indigenous filmmakers are using film to tackle these crises and how it is used to protect and preserve these threatened lands and sacred sites. Ciara Lacy (Kanaka Maoli) Lacy is a Kanaka Maoli filmmaker, whose interest lies in crafting films that use strong characters and investigative journalism to challenge the creative and political status quo. Her work has shown at festivals around the world including Sundance and Berlinale as well as on Netflix, PBS, ABC, Al Jazeera, and the Criterion Collection. She was the inaugural Sundance Institute Merata Mita… Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Friday, November 12, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Beans

One-Time Events Viewing of this film is restricted to the United States. (Canada, 2020, 92 min.) Director: Tracey Deer (Mohawk) FOR MATURE AUDIENCES: Contains scenes of racialized threats and violence, strong language, and sexual references. Inspired by her own childhood, writer-director Tracey Deer’s debut feature tells the story of a young Mohawk girl named Tekahentahkhwa, nicknamed Beans (Kiawentiio), in Kanehsatà:ke, amidst the 1990 Oka Crisis. Beans is just beginning to navigate the treacherous waters of adolescence when the tensions in the community around her erupt into a wider crisis in the summer of 1990. Direct and uncompromising in its portrayal of the hatred and racism sparked by the 78-day standoff between Mohawk protestors and Canadian government forces, Beans illustrates the power of resilience against injustice. Available on demand from 1:01 a.m. ET, November 13, to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 14, 2021 Photo by Sebastien Raymond. Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Saturday, November 13, 2021 – Sunday, November 14, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: What Happened to the Bees? (¿Qué les pasó a las abejas?)

One-Time Events (Mexico, 2019, 67 min.) Directors: Adriana Otero and Robin Canul (Mayan) Spanish and Mayan with English subtitles The film exposes the deadly effects of regularly used agrochemicals, currently legal in countries like Mexico and the United States, on millions of bees. The planting of monocultures threatens the health and environment of Mayan beekeeping communities in southeastern Mexico. Their fight to protect their land from massive deforestation, groundwater table pollution, and climate change demonstrates the socio-environmental conflicts taking place in Indigenous Mexican territories today. Available on demand from 12:01 a.m. ET, November 13 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 14, 2021. Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Saturday, November 13, 2021 – Sunday, November 14, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: The Song of the Butterflies (El Canto de las Mariposas)

One-Time Events Viewing of this film is restricted to the United States. (Peru/Colombia, 2020, 65 min.) Director: Núria Frigola Torrent Spanish and Munuka with English subtitles Rember Yahuarcani, an Amazonian artist from the Uitoto nation in Peru, left his community to pursue a successful career in Lima. Rember’s artwork is inspired by the myths and stories his late grandmother Martha used to tell him. These stories include the genocide of the Uitoto people during the rubber boom period. To find new artistic inspiration and understanding of his grandmother’s stories, he travels to La Chorrera, in Colombia, the original land of the Uitoto people. There he confronts the painful past of his people and understands why the stories of his ancestors cannot be forgotten. Available on demand from 1:01 a.m. ET, November 15 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 16, 2021. Image courtesy of The Song of the Butterflies. Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Monday, November 15, 2021 – Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

2021 Native Cinema Showcase: Run Woman Run

One-Time Events Viewing of this film is restricted to the United States. (Canada, 2021, 100 min.) Director: Zoe Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk) FOR MATURE AUDIENCES: Contains suicide references. Beck (Dakota Ray Hebert), a bereaved single mom, loses her path with the suicide of her mother. Feeding her grief with junk food and alienating everyone around her, she finally hits rock bottom when her young daughter leaves her and her father kicks her out. She inadvertently summons the ghost of her ancestor, Onondaga marathon runner Tom Longboat (Asivak Koostachin). Spurred and guided by her ancestor, she begins training for a marathon. Through running she learns how to reclaim her dreams and her family and to honor her life and those that she loves. Available on demand from 1:01 a.m. ET, November 17 to 11:59 p.m. ET, November 18, 2021 Courtesy of Running Home Productions. Location Icon: Online. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase. Cost: Free. Accessibility: Captioning. Wednesday, November 17, 2021 – Thursday, November 18, 2021.

In Dialogue: Smithsonian Objects and Social Justice

One-Time Events Heighten your civic awareness through conversations about art, history and material culture. Each month, educators from the National Portrait Gallery will partner with colleagues from across the Smithsonian to discuss how historical objects from their respective collections speak to today’s social justice issues. Why does accurate representation matter? Together with the National Museum of the American Indian, we will explore this key question in relationship to a1885 collotype of Sitting Bull and a1890 photograph of Princess Maria Ludwiga Theresia of Bavaria photographing Wild West performers. The Zoom link will be emailed to registered participants via Eventbrite 12-24 hours in advance of the program. Each participant must register separately. We will only allow participants into the meeting if their names (and email addresses) are on the registration list. The Portrait Gallery strives to provide programs that are accessible to all visitors. This program will provide auto-captions. For questions,… Venue: Portrait Gallery. Event Location: Online via Zoom. Cost: Free-- registration required. Get Tickets or Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-dialogue-smithsonian-objects-and-social-justice-tickets-170144192861?aff=ebdsoporgprofile. Thursday, December 9, 2021, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.