New film “Bounty” shifts documentary filmmaking by centering Indigenous voices
A review and interview with Adam Mazo, Dawn Neptune Adams, Maulian Dana and Carmella Bear.
“Documentary filmmakers at the Upstander Project have become deeply committed to a different way of filmmaking, according to the Boston-based nonprofit’s co-founder and director Adam Mazo. Central to that mission is overcoming indifference to social injustice by creating compelling documentary films that center the voices of those most impacted to reach the heart of social issues. The accompanying learning resources distributed alongside the film are part of a broad impact strategy that contextualizes the films for educators and general audiences while pointing them toward action-oriented campaigns for social change.”
Continue reading at The Scope Boston.
Maulian Dana interviewed on Downton with Rich Kimball
Listen to filmmaker Maulian Dana talk with Rich Kimball about Bounty and other Upstander Project films.
“Maulian Dana joined us on today’s show to discuss the new documentary, BOUNTY.”
Listen at WZON.
November is Native American Heritage Month
For Native American Heritage Month, NEPM offers a diverse collection of programs on TV, radio and online, including Dawnland.
“November is Native American Heritage Month — a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to honor the important contributions of Native people. It’s also a time to acknowledge the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. NEPM is committed to inclusion and representation in media. For Native American Heritage Month, we offer a diverse collection of programs on TV, radio and online. Enjoy!”
Continue reading at NEPM.
Dawnland LIVE Q&A Event
Maine-Wabanaki REACH and Upstander Project present the Emmy Award winning film DAWNLAND + live Q&A
“Maine-Wabanaki REACH and Upstander Project present the Emmy Award winning film DAWNLAND + live Q&A
Watch the film on Thursday, November 12 at 9:00 pm on Maine Public Television and then join an online discussion HERE.
About this Event:
Presented by Maine-Wabanaki REACH and Upstander Project
For decades, child welfare authorities have been removing Native American children from their homes to save them from being Indian. In Maine, the first official "truth and reconciliation commission" in the United States begins a historic investigation.
DAWNLAND goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations.”
Continue reading at Maine Public.
DAWNLAND
Dawnland airs on Maine Public TV with live Q&A.
“Follow the first government-sanctioned truth and reconciliation commission in the United States as contemporary Wabanaki communities in Maine witness intimate, sacred moments of truth-telling and healing. With exclusive access to this groundbreaking process and never-before-seen footage, the film reveals the untold narrative of Indigenous child removal in the United States.
Participate in a live Q & A with the DAWNLAND producers on Thursday Nov. 12 immediately following the broadcast. Details HERE.
For most of the 20th century, government agents systematically forced Native American children from their homes and placed them with white families.”
Continue reading at Maine Public.
Matt Dunlap: Maine's Secretary of State Discusses Elections, Referendum, Census, Real ID and More
Hear Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap talk about his experience with the filming of Dawnland.
“Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap joins us to discuss the March primary election, upcoming ballot referendum, ranked choice and other voting issues, what people need to know about the upcoming census, Real ID and more.
Guest:
Matt Dunlap is Maine's 49th secretary of state, now serving his fourth consecutive and seventh overall term in office. He previously served three terms as Maine's 47th secretary of state and is the first person to serve nonconsecutive terms as secretary of state since 1880”
Listen at Maine Public.
The Indian Child Welfare Act Turns 41
There are also two recent films related to ICWA that are making their way across the country: “Dawnland” and “Blood Memory.”
“The Indian Child Welfare Act, a federal law outlining adoption and foster care regulations for American Indian/Alaska Native children in the United States, turns 41 on Nov. 8, 2019.
ICWA, as the law is commonly known, has faced dozens of legal challenges over its lifetime and finds supporters and opponents both within and outside Native communities. Like all Indian law, ICWA is complicated; according to its authors, this is largely due to the complex political relationship between the United States government and sovereign tribes. ICWA also reflects the complexity often found in family dynamics and the twisting narratives that accompany any report of child abuse or neglect.”
Continue reading at The Imprint.
'Dawnland' Tells Of The Taking Of Native American Children In Maine
Listen to an interview between Adam Mazo, Dawn Neptune Adams, and Anthony Brooks from WBUR.
“The documentary "Dawnland" tells the story of the state of Maine's effort to come to terms with a shockingly shameful part of its history, when state welfare workers removed Indian children from their families and placed them in foster care.
The film follows the work of the state's Truth And Reconciliation Commission, set up in 2012, which gathered stories from the state's indigenous people.”
Listen at WBUR.