Native Nations, Native Voices: The Movie

[Anonby]

Thanks.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gordon Bronitsky 
  To: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu 
  Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2004 10:26 AM
  Subject: Re: Native Nations, Native Voices: The Movie


  Small world! Sure--try jon.reyhner at nau.edu.

  Gordon
  On Aug 26, 2004, at 6:20 AM, Anonby wrote:


    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



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