Amazon Prime Video offers movies and shows with Indigenous creators, actors, topics, and themes. You must have a Prime subscription to watch videos for free, but titles are available for rent or purchase. Trailers for a few of these films are highlighted below; films / series include closed captions.
This Canadian television series created by Ron E. Scott (Canadian Metis) has been described as "intense, compelling and confrontational" and "raw and authentic." Over five seasons, the series "tells the story of the fictional Blackstone First Nation, suffering disintegration by its own hand – the result of the corruption of its Chief and Council. From within the community, a new generation of leaders rise up and fight to create lasting and substantial change." The series confronts head-on numerous difficult issues including sexual abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, a broken foster child system, and poverty. Despite these bleak topics and a very difficult beginning, the long arc of the series bends toward hope and redemption, featuring unforgettable stories and characters with powerful performances from a huge cast of indigenous actors. Duration: Most episodes are approximately 45 mins.
Gather shows an intimate portrait of a growing movement amongst Indigenous Americans to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities through obtaining sovereignty over their ancestral food systems, while battling against the historical trauma brought on by centuries of genocide. The film follows Nephi Craig, a chef from the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona), opening an indigenous café as a nutritional recovery clinic; Elsie Dubray, a young scientist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation (South Dakota), conducting landmark studies on bison; and the Ancestral Guard, a group of environmental activists from the Yurok Nation (Northern California), trying to save the Klamath river. Duration: 74 mins.
This documentary examines the enigmatic life and mind of Pulitzer Prize winning author and trailblazer, Navarro Scott Momaday. It delves into the psyche behind one of Native America's most celebrated authors of poetry and prose. Momaday, a member of the Kiowa tribe, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1969 for his novel House Made of Dawn. Duration: 84 mins.
The film examines the impact of Indigenous musicians in Canada and the U.S. on the development of rock music, as well as their general role in contemporary music history. Musicians profiled in the film include Mildred Bailey, Link Wray, Jesse Ed Davis, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Randy Castillo, Jimi Hendrix, Taboo (The Black Eyed Peas), and many others. Filmmakers were inspired to make the film after the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian first created an exhibit on indigenous influence in American music back in 2010. Duration: 103 mins.
An Eastern Shoshone Elder and two Northern Arapaho youth living on the Wind River Indian Reservation attempt to learn why thousands of ancestral artifacts are in the darkness of underground archives of museums and churches, boxed away and forgotten. These artifacts are overwhelmingly preserved, and locked away, by 'outsiders' who have no connection to or understanding of these objects. They travel to Chicago's Field Museum to investigate the collection's indigenous artifacts with the dream that their tribe will one day be able to maintain their own museums. Duration: 79 mins.
Netflix offers movies and shows with Indigenous creators, actors, topics, and themes. You need to have a Netflix subscription to watch videos. Trailers for a few of these titles are highlighted below; films / series include closed captions.
This docuseries follows the Chinle High basketball team in Arizona's Navajo Nation on a quest to win a state championship and bring pride to the isolated community. Duration: 35 min episodes.
An adaptation of Ojibwe author Richard Wagamese's 2012 novel Indian Horse, the film follows Saul Indian Horse, a young Canadian First Nations boy who survives the Indian residential school system to become a star ice hockey player. Canada's indigenous residential schools, addiction, trauma, and racism are all topics highlighted by the film. Duration: 100 mins.
The film centers on the interaction between Áila, an indigenous woman with a stable and happy domestic life, and Rosie, a more impoverished First Nations woman who has just been a victim of domestic abuse, after they meet in the street. After their chance encounter, Áila decides to bring Rosie home with her and over the course of the evening, the two navigate the aftermath of this traumatic event. Duration: 105 mins.
A personal and political dialogue with women at the forefront of some of Nova Scotia’s most urgent environmental crises. Based on the book of the same name by Ingrid Waldron, There's Something in the Water explores the topic of environmental racism, poignantly shining a light on the Canadian government’s current and historical decisions to prioritize the profits of large corporations over the health of indigenous and black communities. Duration: 73 mins.
ISU Library subscribes to Filmakers Library Online, a streaming video collection that provides more than 1000 award-winning documentaries in the social sciences, humanities, & sciences. Here are a few of their Native American documentaries; films include closed captions and searchable transcripts.
Note that films from Filmakers do not always embed well within LibGuides. If you have difficulty playing the film via the embedded films below, please use the direct link provided for each film, under the film description.
Western spiritualists often adopt indigenous religions from around the world for their enlightenment. Native American rituals are popular, and Europeans stage ceremonies for which they charge people to attend. But America's original people are not happy. Beautifully crafted and filmed, 'Spirits for Sale' explores both sides of an unlikely battleground. Duration: 59 mins.
Viewers are invited into the lives of contemporary Native American role models living in the U.S. Midwest. It dispels the myth that American Indians have disappeared from the American horizon, and reveals how they continue to persist, heal from the past, confront the challenges of today, keep their culture alive, and make great contributions to society. The tragic history of Native Americans is considered by many to be our 'American Holocaust.' To help heal this historical trauma, Native Americans are reclaiming their spiritual and cultural identity. Duration: 56 mins
Kili Radio, the "Voice of the Lakota Nation," is broadcast out of a small wooden house in the vast countryside of South Dakota. There, people converge to speak to the community about daily concerns and in doing so, strengthen their sense of identity. Daily existence on America's poorest reservation is hard but everything comes together at Kili Radio. Instead of sending smoke signals the radio station transmits its own signals across a vast and magnificent landscape with a delightful combination of humor and melancholy. A film about the role of media, as well as an up-close look at present day life on the reservation. Duration: 90 mins.
Soundmix brings together five extraordinary teenage musicians who are reinvigorating American musical traditions. In communities where music is a way of life and at a workshop where they meet for the first time, these dedicated young artists offer fresh and inspiring takes on a range of American music. Styles explored include jazz horn, old-time fiddle, Native American flute, Latin percussion, classical cello, and rock bass. Featured mentors include trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the late old time fiddle legend Melvin Wine, Soundmix celebrates American diversity, the passing on of traditions, and the unique power of music in people's lives. Duration: 56 mins.
Native Silence is a solemn account of the legacy of forced adoption on Native American children, torn from their tribal communities and placed in foster care and boarding schools. Joyce, is a recovered drug-addict and now mental health worker, and Paulette, a mother who ‘doesn’t associate’ with the Natives in her town. Their stories reflect the struggle that they and many others faced growing up as Native American within larger non-Indian culture. Duration: 23 mins.
ISU Library subscribes to Kanopy, a vast and eclectic collection of documentaries and feature films. Strong focus on educational resources, social, political, and cultural issues, and numerous international film classics. Here are a number of Kanopy's Native American titles; the next tab also includes indigenous Latin American films from Kanopy. Films include closed captions.
This is the story of the courageous all-female Apache 8 firefighting unit which has protected their reservation and responded to wildfires around the nation for 30 years. This group, which recently became co-ed, earned the reputation of being fierce, loyal and dependable--and tougher than their male colleagues. Despite facing gender stereotypes and the problems that come with life on the impoverished reservation, the women became known as some of the country's most elite firefighters. The film focuses on four women from different generations of Apache 8 crewmembers who speak tenderly and often humorously of hardship, loss, family, community and pride in being a firefighter.
Duration: 57 minutes
Four Native American veterans reflect on their experiences in the military during the divisive Vietnam War and how their communities helped them carry their warrior legacy proudly. From the Marine Corps to the Navy to the US Army, veterans Valerie Barber, Art Owen, Sandy White Hawk, Vince Beyl, and civilian eyapaha (announcer) Jerry Dearly recall their memories of one of the most controversial wars in United States history. Even as they struggled with their relationship to the United States government from genocidal policies and government oppression; the Dakota, Lakota, and Ojibwe warriors still felt compelled to honor their duty to their people as Akichita | Ogichidaag | Warriors, as protectors of the people.
Duration: 57 minutes
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.
Duration: 70 minutes
A chronicle of American Indians of African descent battling to regain their tribal citizenship. By Blood explores the impact of this battle, which has manifested into a broader conflict about race, identity, and the sovereign rights of indigenous people. The film demonstrates both sides of the battle, the shared emotional impact of the issue, and the rising urgency of the debate: a Native American and African American history has been overlooked, and a tribal body feels as though their sovereignty is under siege.
Duration: 53 minutes
Language Healers is a documentary that tells the story of Native Americans who are striving to revitalize their languages. From Alaska to Oklahoma and Wisconsin to Montana, we witness stories about the importance of saving Native American languages and meet some of the people who are working hard to heal these national treasures. Language Healers is one of the first films to focus upon the work the broader Native community is doing now to revitalize their languages.
Duration: 41 minutes
URBAN REZ explores the controversial legacy and modern-day repercussions of the Urban Relocation Program (1952-1973), the greatest voluntary upheaval of Native Americans during the 20th century. During the documentary, dozens of American Indians representing tribal groups from across the West recall their first-hand experiences with relocation, including the early hardships, struggles with isolation and racism. Interviewees also speak about the challenges of maintaining one's own tribal traditions -- from language to hunting -- while assimilating into the larger society. Actor, musician and Oglala Lakota member Moses Brings Plenty narrates this insightful film about this seldom-told chapter in American history.
Duration: 58 minutes
ISU Library subscribes to Kanopy, a vast and eclectic collection of documentaries and feature films. Strong focus on educational resources, social, political, and cultural issues, and numerous international film classics. Here are a number of Kanopy's numerous Latin American indigenous titles. Films include closed captions.
"Through parallel story threads set 40 years apart, this absorbing odyssey follows two Western scientists who travel deep into the Amazon jungle looking for a rare plant that possesses healing powers, with enigmatic shaman Karamakate as their guide. Nominated to for Best Foreign Language Feature at the 2016 Academy Awards, Best International Film at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and winner of the Sundance Film Festival's Alfred P. Sloan Award. Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival." Duration: 125 min. In Cubeo, Huitoto, Ticuna, Wanano, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Catalan, and Latin, with English subtitles / captions.
"Journey into the world of Argentina's most famous musical artist in Mercedes Sosa: The Voice of Latin America. Over a career that spanned 50 years, Sosa sold millions of records, performed thousands of concerts all over the world, and left behind an incredible legacy as an artist who went beyond the borders of music to become one of the most influential - and loved - personalities of the 20th century. This intimate documentary reveals Sosa's early life and her rise to worldwide stardom, and explores the impact she had on the musical -- and political -- heritage of Latin America... and the world." Duration: 95 min. In Spanish, with English subtitles.
"The film tells the story of a young indigenous Peruvian man who has lived his entire life, but for a few brief months, in a small farming village in the mountains above the Sacred Valley. Like everyone in his community, he has been raised as a farmer. And like many, he has been instilled with the belief that life in the city would be better than the life he leads. When Feliciano was young, his father would tell him, "You are not going to be like me. You will go to the city, you will study, and you will become something more." When Feliciano was sixteen, his father sent him to the city, where he worked and studied. Shortly after leaving his village, Feliciano's mother came to him to tell him his father was sick. Five days later, his father died. Being the eldest son, Feliciano was forced to leave his school and return to his village to work his father's fields and care for his younger siblings. "Luck did not accompany me, and I lost my education." The loss has stuck with Feliciano as he has grown and made a life for himself in his village. Now he has a young son of his own, and his desire is the same as his father's. He will see his son study in the city, and become something more than he has become." Duration: 101 min. In Quechua, with English subtitles.
"The story of Eufrosina Cruz, an indigenous woman from the Zapotec community of Santa Maria Quiegolani in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Las Sufragistas details her political struggle, as well as Mexican women's long fight for political power, beginning with the Revolutionary period. The film also considers challenges that women in power face." Duration: 78 min. In Spanish, with English subtitles.
"A classic documentary on war and social revolution in Guatemala, which vigorously and persuasively describes the struggle of the largely indigenous peasantry against a legacy of state and foreign oppression. Centered on the experiences of Nobel Peace Laureate Rigoberta Menchú, a Maya K'iche indigenous leader, the film interweaves interviews, re-enactments, and stunning footage shot at great hazard into a wide-ranging yet cohesive epic canvas of the Guatemalan struggle." Duration: 84 min. In Spanish, with English voice-over narration and English closed captions.
"Filmed over a span of 8 years, this film is based on dialogue between Zulay Saravino, an indigenous Otavalena of Ecuador, and Mabel Preloran, an Argentine anthropologist living in Los Angeles. The Otavalo Indians are industrious landowners and farmers who have also transitioned somewhat to a textile-based economy, selling handwoven garments to tourists at markets in Quito. The film shows the beautiful mountainous landscape of Zulay's home and the traditions of her people - their work, history, food, clothing and Catholic religious practices. The educated and business-savvy Zulay shares her opinions on tourism and photography and her anger over the stereotypes imposed on indiginous people in Equador. She tells Mabel stories passed down from her elders and reflects upon the trade-offs she's had to make in leaving her home to come to Los Angeles, where her desire to learn new skills is tempered by homesickness. The film becomes a universal document on transculturation and its implications for identity, education, economic advancement and emotional ties." Duration: 110 min.
