Last night I attended this event at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Here is the description from the museum website:
“The Virginia Museum of History & Culture presents a screening of the award-winning film Reel Injun (2009, 88 minutes) by Cree-Canadian filmmaker Neil Diamond. Reel Injun is an entertaining and provocative look at a century-worth of Hollywood depictions of Native Americans and the misconceptions and stereotypes that a century of filmmaking has fostered.
The screening will be preceded by a discussion among representatives of several Virginia Indian tribes, including Chief Lynette Allston (Nottoway Indian Tribe), Chief Anne Richardson (Rappahannock Tribe), First Assistant Chief Wayne Adkins (Chickahominy Tribe), and Dr. Ashley Atkins-Spivey (Director at Pamunkey Indian Tribal Resource Center). The panel will explore how, as groups and individuals, Virginia Indians have been able to maintain their identity into the 21st century—despite numerous efforts to eradicate it—and the successes and challenges encountered by each generation of Virginia Indians to continue their cultural heritage.
This program is presented in conjunction with the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival.“
BTW, this is the largest film festival devoted to Indigenous People on the East Coast. Films will be showing for 4 days at the Byrd Theater in Carytown.
I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to get new perspectives on subjects and situations through these community programs. It is easy to become complacent, and these speakers challenge your preconceptions.
