Kanopy Picks for National Indigenous History Month

June is National Indigenous History Month. Check out one of these FREE-to-stream videos on the topic of Indigenous History.

These videos are available through TBPL’s new video streaming service Kanopy, available on your smart TV, Roku, tablet, and more. Each month, you can view four different films from this service. Visit our webpage for more info and how to get started.

Song of the Basques : Their origins are unknown, their language one of the world’s most ancient. They established one of the first democracies and led Europe’s Age of Exploration, fueled the industrial revolution and then established Spain’s first labor unions. Today they are the farmers preserving heirloom seeds, the engineers developing sustainable energies and the activists demanding social change.

The Garifuna Journey : Celebrating the Resiliency of the Indigenous People of Belize. A celebratory documentary, with engaging scenes of fishing, cooking, dancing, cassava preparation, thatching a temple, spiritual ritual, music and dance all demonstrating the Garifuna link to the Carib-African past.

Sacred Stick : Sacred Stick examines the historical, cultural, and spiritual aspects of lacrosse. From the ancient Maya to the world famous Iroquois Nationals team, this program explores a uniquely Indigenous sport that, like Native peoples themselves, adapted and endured within the dominant culture. As lacrosse surges in popularity, it has now become the fastest growing sport in North America. But for Native peoples, it has always been and continues to be much more than a game.

More Than a Word : An exploration of Native American-based mascots, especially the Washington R_dskins, and their impact on real-life attitudes, issues, and policies. Through interviews with scholars, tribal leaders, lawyers, policy experts, activists, and Washington R_dskins fans, the film explores the history of the slanderous term “redskin,” and delves into cultural stereotypes of Native Americans and their relationship to history. Ultimately, the film argues for representations that honor and celebrate the humanity of Indigenous people.

INAATE/SE/ The Seven Fires Prophecy : A re-imagination of an ancient Ojibway story — the Seven Fires Prophecy — which both predates and predicts first contact with Europeans, INAATE/SE/ is a kaleidoscopic experience blending documentary, narrative, and experimental forms. INAATE/SE/ transcends linear colonized history to explore how the prophecy resonates through the generations in their indigenous community within Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

500 Years : This new documentary tells the epic story that led Guatemala to a tipping point in their history from the genocide trial of former dictator General Rios Montt to the popular movement that toppled sitting President Otto Perez Molina. Focusing on universal themes of justice, racism, power and corruption, 500 YEARS tells the story from the perspective of the majority indigenous Mayan population, and their struggles in their country’s growing fight against impunity.

The Apology : The apology to the Stolen Generations by the Australian Parliament on 13 February 2008 was a powerful and memorable moment in the nation’s history, for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike. Saying sorry cleared the air, inspiring Australians to believe we really can build the kind of respectful relationships needed for positive, long term outcomes.

Beyond Recognition : After decades struggling to protect her ancestors’ burial places, now engulfed by San Francisco’s sprawl, a Native woman from a federally unrecognized tribe and her allies occupy a development site to prevent desecration of sacred ground. When this fails to stop the development, they vow to follow a new path: to establish the first women-led urban Indigenous land trust. BEYOND RECOGNITION tells the inspiring story of women creating opportunities to preserve Native culture and homeland in a society bent on erasing them.

KANOPY KIDS PICKS

Bushwacked! – Series 2 : This series weaves adventure, travel, food, wildlife, history and culture as Kayne Tremills goes on the adventure of a lifetime with Indigenous co-host Kamil Ellis.

My Place – Series 2 : My Place is a rich source of entertainment and education. It is one of the ultimate pieces of episodic literature and now it is on television, involving more than a century of time, lots of kids, and a tree to provide continuity. The second series of My Place adapts the final chapters of the book, written by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins, into 13 new episodes about 13 children who live in the same place, from 1878-1788 and Before Time. Their special place is the tree that represents a place of belonging.

Waabiny Time – Series 2 : This is a children’s variety program that celebrates Noongar Language in a community and family themed environment. The presenters, Kylie Farmer and Lee West, entertain children between ages 3 to 6 and take them on a colourful adventure with stories, songs, dance and craft activities. The production aims to entertain, preserve Indigenous language while telling stories, and showcase the rich diversity of Indigenous culture and creative talent.