A Film Exploring Native American Tribal Elders
An interview (right) with Chief Billy Red Wing Tayac for a video news item on Wisdomkeepers produced by AARP.
This film will be a spirit journey to the homes, minds, thoughts, and hearts of the nation’s most poignant and accurate visionaries: Native American Spiritual and Traditional Elders. These Wisdomkeepers are the healers and visionaries, high priests and faithkeepers, traditional chiefs and clan mothers, prophets and mystics, storytellers and philosophers.
Inspired by the thought provoking and landmark book, Wisdomkeepers, Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders, co-authored by Harvey Arden, this film will exude the book’s essence and beauty. The production crew will visit the Wisdomkeepers on their own sacred soil, in the intimate settings of their own homes. There they will share with us their innermost thoughts and feelings, their dreams and visions, and above all their humanity. We will visit several elders and listen as they share with us many important traditional teachings and values that were passed on to them by their Grandmothers and Grandfathers. They will impart to us a verbal and visual record for the future generations of this planet. The words and teachings of the elders show us how to derive satisfaction and fulfillment from non-material things.
The film's beauty and essence will be enhanced by an original score under the direction and performance of award winning Oneida singer/songwriter Joanne Shenandoah.