AGAINST THE CURRENT | A Short Documentary About the Culture of Indigenous People | BYkids
Summary
TLDRThe video script tells the story of Mona, a 17-year-old from the Omaha Indian Reservation, as she navigates her cultural heritage and contemporary life. It highlights her preparation for a feathering ceremony, a significant rite of passage, and explores the community's struggles with historical trauma, substance abuse, and unemployment. Mona's journey is interwoven with her family's experiences, including her grandmother's boarding school history and her own modeling career that celebrates indigenous identity. The script also touches on the importance of cultural practices in healing and the resilience of the Omaha people, culminating in a powwow that symbolizes community, tradition, and hope.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The speaker, Done at Mona's Rayom, is a 17-year-old from the Omaha Indian Reservation who is proud of her heritage and wants to share the beauty of her culture.
- 🎬 She is creating a film to showcase the struggles and resilience of her community, aiming to educate others about the realities faced by indigenous people.
- 🪶 The feathering ceremony is a significant rite of passage, symbolizing the earning of the right to wear an eagle feather, which represents fallen soldiers.
- 🏡 Life on the reservation is depicted as challenging, with limited activities and job opportunities, leading to a sense of struggle and weariness among the residents.
- 👪 The community faces issues of self-worth, with people not recognizing their strength and power as they once did, which is a source of pain for the speaker.
- 🎭 The speaker's modeling work and public appearances, such as in Teen Vogue, are ways she advocates for her culture and gains recognition for indigenous representation.
- 🧵 Cultural practices like smudging and making regalia are used as healing methods, particularly for those dealing with PTSD or other traumas.
- 💪 The speaker emphasizes the importance of cultural resilience and the need to break the cycle of historical trauma that has been passed down through generations.
- 🌾 Powwows are described as a time of celebration, community gathering, and a connection to ancestral traditions, serving as a source of strength and identity.
- 📣 The script conveys a strong message of empowerment, urging indigenous people to be heard, to be resilient, and to take an active role in making positive changes for their communities.
Q & A
What is the significance of a feathering ceremony in the Omaha tribe?
-A feathering ceremony is a rite of passage into adulthood in the Omaha tribe, symbolizing the individual's growth and readiness to take on responsibilities within the community.
Why are eagle feathers important in the Omaha tribe's culture?
-Eagle feathers represent fallen soldiers and are earned or given the authority to wear as a sign of respect and honor within the Omaha tribe's culture.
What challenges does the community on the Omaha Indian reservation face according to the transcript?
-The community on the Omaha Indian reservation faces challenges such as a lack of activities for youth, limited job opportunities for adults, and historical trauma from past injustices.
How does the protagonist express her pride in her heritage?
-The protagonist expresses her pride in her heritage by creating a film to showcase the beauty of her culture, participating in traditional ceremonies, and advocating for her people through her modeling work.
What is the impact of historical trauma on the Omaha tribe as mentioned in the script?
-Historical trauma has been passed down through generations in the Omaha tribe due to forced eradication of their culture, including the impact of boarding schools, leading to struggles such as alcoholism and mental health issues.
What role does cultural practice play in the healing process for the individuals in the script?
-Cultural practices such as smudging, praying with tobacco, and participating in traditional ceremonies play a significant role in the healing process, helping individuals cope with trauma and connect with their ancestral roots.
Why is the powwow considered a harvest celebration and a homecoming for the Omaha tribe?
-The powwow is considered a harvest celebration and a homecoming because it is a time when the community comes together to celebrate their culture, dance, and give thanks for the blessings of the harvest.
What does the drum represent in the Omaha tribe's culture?
-In the Omaha tribe's culture, the drum represents the heartbeat of the people and is central to their songs, dances, and spiritual practices, providing a rhythm and melody that uplifts the spirit.
How does the protagonist view her role as a Native American in the context of the script?
-The protagonist views her role as a Native American as one of strength, resilience, and advocacy. She sees herself as a powerful voice for her people and is committed to overcoming historical trauma and challenging stereotypes.
What message does the protagonist convey about the importance of cultural identity and heritage?
-The protagonist conveys that maintaining a strong cultural identity and connection to heritage is crucial for personal and community well-being, as it provides a sense of belonging, resilience, and a platform for healing from historical traumas.
Outlines
🌿 Cultural Identity and Coming of Age
The speaker, Done at Mona's Rayom, introduces herself as a 17-year-old from the Omaha Indian Reservation. She shares her intention to create a film that showcases the beauty and struggles of her community. The paragraph details preparations for a feathering ceremony, a rite of passage, and the significance of eagle feathers as symbols of honor and respect for fallen soldiers. It also touches on the lack of opportunities and the impact of historical trauma within the community.
🎤 Pursuing Dreams and Overcoming Adversity
The narrative shifts to the speaker's journey in the modeling industry, with a focus on her first professional photoshoot for Teen Vogue. It highlights the sacrifices made by her family to support her dreams and the significance of representation in media. The speaker also discusses her grandmother's struggle with PTSD, the impact of military service, and the healing power of cultural practices and community involvement.
🌈 Embracing Tradition and Personal Identity
The paragraph explores the experiences of a two-spirited individual, Jerae, who identifies with both masculine and feminine spirits. It delves into the challenges faced due to societal expectations and the process of acceptance. The conversation also includes the importance of Omaha traditions, the impact of historical trauma, and the resilience passed down through generations.
🏵️ Honoring Ancestors and Healing through Culture
This section discusses the speaker's preparation for a feathering ceremony and the profound connection to her ancestors and culture. It includes a conversation about the historical trauma inflicted by the U.S. government's policies, particularly the forced eradication of Native American culture and its lasting effects. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of cultural practices in healing and the strength derived from community and tradition.
🎉 Celebration of Heritage and Community
The paragraph describes the annual Hirawachi Powwow, a harvest celebration and homecoming event for the community. It captures the joy and pride of the dancers, the significance of the drum as the heartbeat of the people, and the communal feast as an act of gratitude. The speaker reflects on her identity as a Native American, the challenges faced, and the power of resilience and voice in overcoming historical trauma.
🌟 Empowerment and the Power of Voice
In the final paragraph, the speaker, referred to as Shooting Star, emphasizes the importance of being heard and not silenced. She calls for fearless individuals to enact change and speaks to the strength and intelligence inherent in being Native American. The paragraph concludes with a celebration of her identity and a commitment to healing and empowerment.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Omaha Indian Reservation
💡Feathering Ceremony
💡Eagle Feather
💡Historical Trauma
💡Resilience
💡Cultural Practices
💡Powwow
💡Two-Spirited
💡Indigenous Representation
💡PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
💡Cultural Eradication
Highlights
Introduction to the speaker's identity and purpose of the film to showcase the beauty and struggles of their community.
Description of a feathering ceremony as a rite of passage and the significance of eagle feathers.
The importance of community connections and the anticipation of the feathering ceremony.
Challenges faced by the community, including lack of activities and job opportunities.
Personal reflection on the community's struggle and the desire to preserve cultural identity.
Family support for cultural interests and the impact on the speaker's modeling work.
The significance of a Teen Vogue photoshoot and the community's response.
A veteran's struggle with PTSD and the healing process through cultural practices.
The process of making regalia and its therapeutic effects.
Inspiration from a local high school talk and the importance of indigenous role models.
Discussion on the two-spirited identity and its role in carrying on traditions.
The impact of historical trauma and its effects on the current generation.
The role of cultural practices in healing from personal and historical trauma.
The significance of the powwow as a harvest celebration and a time for community to come together.
The meaning of the drum and its importance in Native American culture.
Reflection on the speaker's journey of self-discovery and the power of cultural connection.
A call to action for fearlessness and the importance of speaking up for change.
Closing thoughts on being Native American, the challenges, and the power of the community's voice.
Transcripts
uh
[Music]
if i asked you to tell me about yourself
about who you are
what would you tell me
would you tell me the color of your hair
your favorite song
your hobbies who raised you
what time you grew up in the schools you
went to are your profession
[Music]
or would you tell me about the god you
pray to the language your grandparents
spoke
the holidays you celebrate
your country of origin
the color of your skin
would you tell me who you truly are
let me tell you who we truly are
my english name is done at monas rayom i
am 17 years old and i live on the omaha
indian reservation
i wanted to make this film to show the
beautiful side of us
to show people that i'm extremely proud
of where i come from
what i come from
i wanted to make this film because
i wanted people to see
and to hear
and to know
what we go through
what it's caused by
and how we overcome it
[Music]
we're going to hawate's gift shop to
prepare for my feathering ceremony that
takes place on thursday the first day of
paul
and
basically a feathering ceremony is kind
of like your rite of passage into the
arena
alton's the one that's making my
centerpiece that's yeah that i'm getting
actually yeah i know her mother went to
school together so everybody knows each
other there's always a connection
when are you getting feathered on
thursday thursday thursday at 1. i can't
wait
just talking about it it makes me really
excited
you know feathers people
people just don't put them on
they can't just wear them or you know
just out of novelty or whatever they
gotta
they gotta earn the ride or they're
given the authority to to wear an eagle
feather
to a veteran eagle feathers represent
fallen soldiers you know so if you were
to drop
drop a feather you know a veteran is the
one that has to come in and
pick it up
and if he wants to give it back to you
he can or if he wants to keep it
he can thanks for sharing that yep
[Music]
life in walt hill is slow
we don't have all types of activities
for
the youth to participate in or we don't
have a bunch of
job opportunities that the adults can
apply for
if i'm being completely honest we
struggle here
it is a beautiful place when you're
seeing the right parts
but
when you live here and this is your
day-to-day life it drains you
it really does
i see not only my family members but
people in this community people in our
tribe
not treating themselves as the powerful
and strong people that we once were
our people didn't drink every day our
people didn't do drugs our people didn't
they didn't live like that
it hurts
my parents didn't grow up being taught
our ways of life
but they've always supported my interest
in it
and it encouraged me to advocate for it
in my modeling work
two
three she gets shaky
google what's after six
seven
records
that's how you get them go and see if
they're up now
she was always performing for us when
she was little
with her little microphone in her wig
yeah she used to make her brothers and
sisters sit there and watch what she
would sing they were her audience so
this is like her very first professional
photo shoot this one is
this is the may issue of teen vogue back
in 2016.
this is the first time my face ever went
public like this and then
my grandma and grandpa his mom and dad
went and bought like 17 copies
for this shoot
actually
we drove 16 hours
and dropped off our boys slept for an
hour and then drove into new york city
that's just where i'm willing to
what i'm willing to sacrifice
to make sure that my kids are successful
i mean when she did team vogue we were
getting comments from
like all the elders throughout
the country we've been waiting for this
whereas it's been it's beautiful i love
this um there were even people that were
like thanking teen vogue for finally
finally putting an indigenous person
in a major major magazine
i went to speak to shelby who will give
me my feather at the feathering ceremony
and she is also making my dress for
powwow you want the zipper in the front
or the back that stars in the background
oh yeah it'll be in the front never mind
yeah see
so this will be her
the skirt
this is the vision here if you wanna
we're a great artist
i tried
i was in iraq in 2003 2004
during the invasion i was a truck driver
in the army when i joined
the army i was a single mom of those two
children right there so i was diagnosed
with ptsd in 2006
and
i didn't know i had ptsd
didn't realize that i was going through
a lot of things that i didn't understand
you know i didn't understand why i was
so angry i didn't understand why
why nobody understood
me
and
i was angry
and um
you know i turned to you know alcohol
it was bad
and then eventually i realized you know
i didn't want to be that kind of person
i needed help and it was hard for me to
ask for help
do you want to talk about how you use
making your
regalia or you're doing your bead work
or even just smudging like how it helps
helps you heal from your ptsd i prayed
and i smudged and i i tried to do our
you know our cultural ways and you know
i i would be
and that would keep my mind busy i then
i started i learned how to sew so then
that would keep my mind busy
and then um
you know practicing
you know our culture helped me
being involved in the culture helped me
it's hard
a lot of my family would say oh you you
look so happy
you're so happy you're
i never would have known you're going
through that you know you wear this mask
you know you wear this
this facade
because
you don't want no one to know i don't
want no one to know
the things that i go through the deep
dark things that i go through just being
in this those
situations where you just don't know if
you're gonna live
and you know you're like
or you're gonna get blown up and i'm
just a res girl
i didn't ask for that
but you know i guess that's what i
signed up for
so today you know i just i want to do
good things i want to help when people
ask me to do work and i do it for free
because i'm like
i'm good you know i have
i don't have much but you know
here you know it's got good feelings in
it
it's got love
you know i love i love my community i
love my my tribe i
i love everything about our people and
what we are thank you for those words
though
like not even for the camera like thank
you for those words because
just out of the good of your heart you
wanted to help me
and
i'm just glad i met you because i don't
they make me cry now i know
i know how you feel
i want my legacy to be shelby was a nice
person
and she can make omaha much
so
oh my gosh you
there you go
you don't move your arms you just do
that
three years ago i went to speak to
students at a local high school and
jobly's daughter sydney was there too
i never see like native american like
role models and stuff
well my mom but
like someone kind of near my age and it
inspired me like to work harder in
school and stuff and stay on track
you inspire a lot of little girls and
other kids
like to be better and stuff
i wanted to talk with some of my peers
about what life was like for them on the
reservation my friend jerae has a unique
perspective because she is two-spirited
which means she identifies as having
both masculine and a feminine spirit
how do you carry on some of our like
traditions and stuff i pray
i say to the whole house i just don't
say to my one room for me it's more
different since i can do either or
so because you're two spirit you're able
to
perform both the man and the woman's
voice
if i wanted to touch the drum i could
have people started treating you
differently since you started
identifying more as a female yeah
a lot of people treated me differently
some
kindly a lot
what hate and negativity but i had to
grow thick skin
long time ago um
[Music]
and i had to go through a lot of stuff
on my own in the end
people grew to
be more accepting and open-minded to
my choices and stuff
so yeah
you ready for pow-wow
don't say it like that
are you ready to dance
i'm real ready to dance i haven't
finished beating my
um my contemporary marks for my jingle
dress i have to finish beating those but
my omaha mocks are done
my relative marissa knows so much about
our people and our history we talked
about the forced eradication of our
culture that happened when the u.s
government put children into special
boarding schools
and how that has contributed to the
historical trauma that's passed down in
our families for generations
what does it mean to you to be an omaha
woman
so for me being a maha maha
it means
that i have a beautiful relationship
with food with seeds it means that i've
delivered my sister's babies
it means that i take care of other women
it means that i
have unconditional love for creation
itself it also means being a warrior
and being a warrior for our language for
a culture to fight for
for our people and we have to bring back
that way of thinking less individualized
i remember as a little girl i did
something and i was like dad i did this
i did you know i was really excited i i
and my dad scolded me and he said
no you you don't talk like that
you always say we
because um in some ways we're always
doing things collectively
your grandmother went to boarding
schools how has that affected you
personally
like do you believe that historical
trauma was passed down to you
i think historical trauma does get
passed down i also think resiliency gets
passed down my grandmother
all she knew was our language and her
family
and then all of a sudden she didn't have
any of that as she was told how to pray
how to think she had my father
then she had two other children a girl
and a boy and adopted them out to a
white family
and in her mind she thought she was
doing
something good she dealt with a lot my
grandmother suffered from alcoholism
there was definitely trauma then was
passed down to my dad and he was never
mean never cruel never abusive um but he
had that inner pain that he couldn't get
rid of he
also um
struggled with drinking but i had a
really hard childhood too
um and i had a lot of privilege too so
it's it's a balance but
there was a point where i was suicidal
and so there was a lot of trauma
historical trauma in my family line but
what i do know
is that i stopped with me
how has our practices
helped to
heal
when i go through really hard times i
sit with my tobacco and pray and i feel
and i sing
songs and those songs connect me to
creation and then help me heal
help me um be able to keep moving
forward with love
and kindness because that's that's
what's hard
it's easy to be bitter
and cruel to people
if someone puts all their pain and hurt
because they're hurting they're not well
and they put that pain and hurt on me
now i carry it and then i put it on you
right it moves it has a life it moves
among people
and that's that's a sickness
but if i take what you threw at me
sit with it pray with it and let it go
out of love then it's gone
it doesn't keep moving anymore and
that's a form of medicine
i kind of woke up with a heavy heart
today
just because um
like i wish all my relatives could be
there
to witness that for me
especially my loved ones that's passed
on but
that's not that's not the way um
creator
made for things to go and
that's fine because
regardless of if i see them there or not
i know that
they're still gonna be there with me
[Music]
[Music]
you ready to do your hair
just before my feathering ceremony took
place my grandpa sam marissa and i got
into a conversation about a speech that
i'd given at the united nations in 2017.
would you talk a lot oh i think
like i spoke about that 606 um like
suicide in indian country and like the
missing invited indigenous women alcohol
why do you think that that's a struggle
for us in indian country and for the
youth
i kind of feel like
a lot of us just lost touch with
you know our home base like who we were
as the people lost touch with our ways
of life
it's all tied in because
they dismantled our belief system and
our way of life and those original
teachings that we're talking about that
have been lost they outlawed our
ceremonies they outlawed this way of
life the only time that we could
practice our ceremonies was here and we
had to do it in front of white people so
the people tried to put all these
ceremonies into this one time of year
um and then mask it so that white people
didn't know what they were doing
you know all these things
changed and and then it wasn't no
gradual change like something
was quick like that
and we had to forget who we are small
people
and
being able to find a little bit of piece
of yourself is a huge accomplishment
and you're doing it i'm proud of you for
that
just
keep going you're going to stumble
you're going to fall
you're young it's going to happen
and you're human you know if it wasn't
if we didn't have these troubles in our
lives that we wouldn't have
you know ceremonies to help us feel we
wouldn't need those ceremonies
you know growing up on a rest you know
i've seen those things and i'm a
product of a lot of abuse you know and
for me one of those things was being
sexually abused
as a kid
and
um
being burned by my own father at eight
months old
you know
you look at all those things i should be
a a serial killer or something like that
you know but for some reason creator
you know said no i don't want you to be
that way you know but i'm gonna give you
some
some things that you have to look at
you have to go through to be who you are
today
but it's good what you're doing proud of
you
[Music]
we did not film my feathering ceremony
because of how sacred it is
my granddaughter here has some gifts
that she wants to give out
i was so
excited and overwhelmed and happy when
shelby gave me my feather
[Music]
it was
such a beautiful moment that i will
never forget
[Music]
right now we're at powwow and we're
about to have the first grand entry of
the weekend
that's where all the dancers are sold
into the arena for the first time it's
exciting for me because i finally get to
dance with my father
[Music]
our powwow our annual
hirawachi
is
our harvest celebration
but a lot of us see it as a homecoming
that's when everybody comes home to
celebrate together
you know seeing all of our our tiny
babies dancing or seeing our golden age
dances still dancing
it's a beautiful sight
the feeling that you get in your heart
it's kind of indescribable
so
[Music]
[Music]
you spend a lot of time on the jump so
explain what the drum is so the people
who are watching
know what it is to us
the drum what it means is this like it's
the heartbeat of our people in our
nation and
creator wakanda he gave it to us to use
for him he made us his dancers and his
singers
then through that drum the drum beat we
have our our melodies our footsteps our
footwork our
our rhythms like my spirit the shields
are lifted once i hear the music and
when i have everything on
i feel like it's like a shield to me
like nothing can harm me in any type of
way then i'm not the best dancer but i
try my best in my every time i get out
there give it all my artist like it's my
last time dancing
[Music]
on the last day of powwow we always have
a feast
we place our food on the ground to make
a connection with mother earth and to
thank her for what she's given us
we begin serving people sitting to the
east and then everyone eats together
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
wakanda
our creator he
blessed me with the connection to our
people to our ancestors to our homelands
it was hard to find at first
but when i found it it was a feeling
that no photo shoot no runway no crowd
could ever give me
i won't be held back by
what they call historic trauma it won't
hold me back because
i will have properly healed myself from
it
i'm trying
like i'm trying to learn how to heal
myself from not only things that i've
been through but things that everybody
in my family has been through
you know i can only heal what's in my
heart but i can also pray for
everyone else's trauma everyone else's
pain to be lifted from them
to be a native american
is to be challenged it is to be strong
it is to be intelligent
it is to be resilient
being native american is not to be
silenced
but to be heard
to be a native american is to be
powerful
to have a powerful voice for those who
have lost their ability to speak
we need more fearless people
who are willing to make a change
when you don't hold your words in when
you speak your mind
amazing things can happen
[Music]
with a gooseberry sibling
they call me shooting star
and i am a native american
[Music]
[Music]
uh
[Music]
hey
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
hey
[Applause]
[Music]
thank you
[Music]
yes
[Music]
hey
[Applause]
hey
[Applause]
bye
you
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