The Aunties Dandelion

On this edition of the Aunties Dandelion - our Aunties Emergent series returns as filmmaker/host Loren Waters (Cherokee/Kiowa) visits with her friend and Auntie/Artist Dana Tiger. Loren recently completed a 12-minute film TIGER about Dana and her family's artistic legacy as the two talk about their joys and challenges and expansiveness of being Indigenous creators. The two met on the set of Reservation Dogs where Loren was background casting director and Dana appeared on the iconic Season Two episode where the community gathers to say goodbye to Grandma Mabel. The two have made a beautiful kinship with each other and we all can benefit from their examples of how creators support each other.

AUNTIE: Wa’tkwanonhweráton Greetings, Love, and Respect from us to all of you. Today we are visiting with three amazing women who’ve come together to create Tuscarora Nation’s mighty language programs called Neyekwaweta’tkwáhsheg. Tuscarora Nation, or Skarúre, is located in Western New York and is part of our Haudenosaunee/Rotinonhsyón:ni Confederacy of Six Nations. Some people want to call their language extinct because they lost their last first language speaker – in 2018. But Lynette Printup, Betsy Bissell, Caitlin Phillips and so many others are creating a very different reality. They’ve spent years methodically and joyfully lighting the fire of their language on this territory of about 12 hundred people. Here’s Lynette: LYNETTE: Howdy Hill was our speaker and he would talk to us about the fact that he wanted to live to be 100 years old. That was his goal. He didn't quite make it. That would have been in 2022. But if he had made it he would have been alive to see our first language speakers going through the curriculum. He worked tirelessly. AUNTIE: The group created language opportunities from early, early childhood right through high school and into adulthood. And while we spent much of this visit laughing – there were moments of deep emotion – as in this exchange with Betsy Bissell. KPM: Where are the tears coming from? BETSY: Pride in what they have accomplished. Knowing that our language will continue. During this process we have heard other people say "Oh, Tuscarora language is dead. We heard it was dead. And it's not. I’m host Kahstoserakwathe and we are Yéthi Nisthénha ne Tekaronyakénare – The Aunties Dandelion. We’re thrilled to offer these visits with Indigenous changemakers who are revitalizing their communities through stories of land, language, and relationships. Wa’tkwanonhweráton to the folks at Indigenous Screen Office teyonhkiwihstekénha – who provide the support we need for these important conversations. When you like, share, and comment on these episodes – that helps bring more of these healing stories to you. And as always – we are thrilled you are here to listen to your Aunties.

AUNTIE: WA’TKWANONHWERÁTON SEWAKWÉ:KON DID YOU KNOW THAT IN TAIWAN THERE ARE 16 RECOGNIZED INDIGENOUS TRIBES WHO LIVE IN 700 COMMUNITIES? THAT WAS NEWS TO ME UNTIL I MET THE REMARKABLE ELENG KAZANGILJAN- WHO IS A PAIWAN INDIGENOUS PERSON AND RECENT GRADUATE OF UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA’S ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PROGRAM. ELENG HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL INDIGENOUS YOUTH CAUCUS AND SHE IS FOCUSED ON GLOBALLY CONNECTING INDIGENOUS NATIONS IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE. IN OUR VISIT ELENG DISCUSSES THE REVIVAL OF HER TRIBE’S CULTURAL PRACTICES INCLUDING HUNTING THE SACRED MUNTJAC WHICH IS LIKE A SMALL DEER FOR CEREMONIES. AND HOW RECONNECTING WITH HER COMMUNITY’S SONGS IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF RECLAIMING HER IDENTITY. ELENG: I am singing the same songs that my ancestors did. That feels like they can hear me and we are in the same place again. AUNTIE: STAY AROUND UNTIL THE END OF THE EPISODE FOR THE GREAT JOY OF HEARING ELENG SHARE A TRADITIONAL PAIWAN SONG OF LONGING. HERE IS A LITTLE SNIPPET: WE ARE YETI NISTENHA NE TEKARONYAKÁNARE – THE AUNTIES DANDELION. WE BRING YOU STORIES OF INDIGENOUS CHANGE MAKERS WHO ARE REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THEIR LAND, LANGUAGE AND RELATIONSHIPS. JOIN US IN SENDING GREETINGS LOVE, AND RESPECT TO CANADA’S INDIGENOUS SCREEN OFFICE – TEYONKHIWIHSTAKÉNHA – WHO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT TO SHARE THESE REMARKABLE VISITS. LIKE SHARE AND FOLLOW OUR POSTS AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HERE - TO LISTEN TO YOUR AUNTIES.

The Aunties Emergent series returns with host/educator Otsistohkwí:yo Melissa (Kanyen'kehà:ka) visiting with with Tehahenteh (Kanyen'kehà:ka), Language and Cultural Carrier. The dynamic duo discuss the significance of the historic eclipse that passed over the whole of Haudenosaunee territories on April 8 and the recent reciting of the Great Law at Six Nations of the Grand River. Stay for the end when these amazing Kanyen'kéha speakers gift us 10 minutes of immersive conversation.

Our Aunties Emergent series returns as Haudenosaunee filmmaker and host Paige Bethman visits with Cherokee filmmaker Loren Waters. The two discuss the joys and challenges of creating movies that honour Indigenous communities.