Native Nations, Native Voices: The Movie

[Anonby]

Hi!

John help me "publish" my thesis.  When I was in Flagstaff, I tried to phone
him, but couldn't get a hold of him.  Would you happen to have some contact
info for him?

Thanks,

Stan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gordon Bronitsky" <g.bronitsky at att.net>
To: <lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2004 12:34 AM
Subject: Native Nations, Native Voices: The Movie


>
> I wanted to share with you the good news that we are going to create a
> documentary film about Native Nations, Native Voices!  This is a
> project I have wanted to do since I began thinking about honoring
> contemporary Native language writers.  Below is the e-mail I just
> received from Rebecca Jo Dakota, who will be the Director of
> Photography for the documentary.  We have already asked a Navajo
> filmmaker here in Albuquerque to serve as Associate Producer and of
> course, we’re hoping she says yes—I’ll let you know.
> I must confess that searching for funds for film projects is a new
> experience for me, so I would certainly welcome any suggestions you
> might have, either for filming the actual Native Nations, Native Voices
> festival or the segments in the writers’ home communities.
> In other news, Jonathan Reyhnman at Northern Arizona University in
> Flagstaff has produced several very successful conferences over the
> years on the theme of Stabilizing Indigenous Languages.  It is one of
> the few annual conferences I know dealing with Native languages so I
> asked him recently about attendance.  He told me that about 400-500
> people attend the conference each year so that gives some idea of what
> might be possible for the festival.  I’ll keep you posted.
>
> Gordon Bronitsky
>
> PS:  I will be in Mongolia September 2-13, as I’m touring the Fernando
> Cellicion Traditional Zuni Dancers from New Mexico and Compagnie Solim,
> a dance group from Togo (West Africa) to a festival there, so I will
> probably only have sporadic access to e-mail at best while I’m there,
> should anyone want to contact me (hopefully with funding suggestions).
>
>
> VISIONS
>   Videography and Consulting
>   Rebecca Jo Dakota
>   rebdakota at aol.com
>   505.858.1868
>
>
>
>   August 25, 2004
>
>   Gordon Bronitsky, PhD
>   Bronitsky and Associates
>   3715 La Hacienda Dr NE
>   Albuquerque, NM 87110
>
>   Dear Gordon,
>
>   It was great to meet with you and discuss the Native Nations, Native
> Voices festival to honor contemporary Native language writers. I agree
> that a documentary film will be essential and I'm delighted to be on
> board as the Director of Photography. This festival of Native language
> writers is crucial, timely, huge. Every language carries its own
> truths, insights and values - its own culture. When languages are not
> used, they are lost, and that culture goes, too. We are on the cusp of
> losing many Indigenous languages.
>
>   I can see a documentary film, yes, and also shorts for cultural
> workers to use in sustaining indigenous languages and artists, plus
> educational pieces for museums such as the National Museum of the
> American Indian.
>
>   It is essential that we involve Indigenous people in this creative
> process, from concept to production and beyond. To that end, I
> recommend that we immediately engage professionals to join us as
>   Associate Producer, Director and/or Scriptwriter (and I'll begin
> looking for people who would be interested in working with us). If we
> can find funding, I want to film segments in the writers' home
> communities and create an internship in each of the writer's home
> communities, as well, as we create the documentary. This can provide
> Indigenous young people in these communities with hands-on experience
> and skills in digital filmmaking. I have considerable experience
> working with Native American and other minority youth which I will
> bring to bear on this project. And of course we'll want indigenous
> music for the film soundtrack.
>
>   Thank you for this unique opportunity.
>
>   Sincerely,
>
> Rebecca
>
>   Rebecca Jo Dakota
>
>
> "A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of
> a poet." Orson Welles
>