LAKOTA NATION VS. THE UNITED STATES
Film Screening presented by NOFORM, XTR, IFC & Tulsa Artist Fellowship as part of Circle Cinema's Native Spotlight Series.
You are cordially invited to a sneak preview screening before the theatrical release of this illuminating film directed by Jesse Short Bull & Laura Tomaselli. Filmmakers and special guests in attendance.
Reception | 5:30 PM
Screening | 7:00 PM
Q&A | 9:00 PM
Tulsa Artist Fellowship programming is free and open to all. Seats are limited.
Lakota Nation vs. the United States (2022, 120 min, US). Directed by Jesse Short Bull & Laura Tomaselli. Featuring the poetry of Layli Long Soldier and the original score by Raven Chacon. Executive Produced by Jodi Archambault, Kevin Killer, Sarah Eagle Heart, Kathryn Everett & Mark Ruffalo.
Featuring: Nick Tilsen, Phyllis Young, Milo Yellow Hair, Nick Estes, Krystal Two Bulls, Henry Red Cloud, Candi Brings Plenty, Alex Romero-Frederick, Craig Howe, Mary Kathryn Nagle
"Lakota Nation vs United States” is a First People's account of the Lakota Nation's fight for sovereignty and self-determination against the United States government. Throughout, filmmakers Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli bring to light the Lakota people's legal battles for treaty rights and sovereignty including the landmark case of United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, which determined the illegal seizure of the Black Hills. Interviews with Lakota leaders, community members, and Native American civil rights activists are punctuated by writer and narrator Layli Long Soldier, who poignantly expresses hard truths in a poetic and chilling manner. Combined with beautiful scenic shots, innovative use of archival footage, and a mesmerizing score by Navajo and 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Raven Chacon, Lakota Nation vs United States is an illuminating documentary and a powerful testament to the "Land Back" movement.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
Jesse Short Bull (Oglala Lakota) produced the 2013 short film "Istinma," set on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, he received a 2016 Sundance Institute Grant and attended Creative Producing Summit. Short Bull helped renamed Shannon County to Oglala Lakota County, serves on the Black Hills Film Festival board, and leads filmmaking workshops with First Peoples Fund in Oglala Lakota Nation.
Laura Tomaselli, Director and Editor, is a filmmaker with credits spanning narrative, documentary, and commercial projects. Most recently, she edited the documentary features "MLK/FBI" and "Surge" as well as the nonfiction shorts Feathers and Lowland Kids. For her work on "MLK/FBI" Tomaselli received a Cinema Eye Award Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. Her films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Toronto International Film Festival.
FEATURED GUESTS
Amber Morning Star Byars (Choctaw) is an artist, Indigenous rights advocate, community organizer, and producer. Amber graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2018 with degrees in Indigenous Liberal Studies and Studio Art, and from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in 2022. Amber is currently working for XTR Films as an impact producer, where she applies her legal expertise and organizing skills to support documentary filmmakers in achieving their goals.
Mary Kathryn Nagle (Cherokee), an attorney and playwright, focuses on tribal sovereignty and Native rights. She has fought for Native rights in court, using the Indian Child Welfare Act in the notable "Adoptive Couple v Baby Girl" case while her theater work challenges prevailing narratives and explores Native experiences. Her acclaimed plays like "Manahatta" and "Sliver of a Full Moon" contribute to a richer understanding of Native peoples and addressing pressing issues.