Sundance Institute's Native American and Indigenous Program Stands By Navajo Code Talkers and The Art of Native Storytelling

01/12/2022

Film still from Red Power: Standing Rock, Part II. Photo by Christopher Yapp.

Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute and the Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Program looked with sadness and dismay at yesterday's White House ceremony meant to commemorate the unprecedented contributions of America's Navajo Code Talkers. The event unfolded in a disrespectful tone that bears attention.

The hundreds of Native American Code Talkers who served in World War I and II deserve our undying gratitude and respect, and today we offer that to them and all veterans from the far reaches of America, including Indian Country, where Native people have served this country in every war in its history.

The art of storytelling in the Native community is a treasure with deep roots on our land. Far too often, the rich and thought provoking perspectives inherent in our peoples' stories go untold. They are stories with the power to enrich the cultural soul of the nation in ways not found anywhere else. This is precisely why misusing the important platform of a White House honor is so unfortunate.

To set this particular podium, on this particular day, for this particular ceremony in front of a portrait of Andrew Jackson was an egregious and thoughtless act. Jackson known as Indian Killer signed the 1830 Indian Removal Act forcibly removing 46,000 Native people from their homelands to territories west of the Mississippi. Thousands died along what became known as the Trail of Tears. Similarly, President Trump's use of the name of Pocahontas in a derogatory manner in relation to a political rival further drained any dignity left to this purported national honor.

All of us can learn a lot from the legacy of Pocahontas. As the National Congress of American Indians noted, We honor the contributions of Pocahontas, a hero to her people, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe in Virginia, who reached across uncertain boundaries and brought people together.

In the spirit of bringing people together through Native storytelling, we encourage you to watch Indigenous filmmaker Michelle Latimer's (Metis/Algonquin) Red Power: Standing Rock, Part II, an official selection from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/native-american-indigenous-program-stan...
	See more stories from sundance

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

22/04/2026