Karuk Tribe Hosts Film Festival Featuring Tribal Elders, Created by Local Youth

By Connie J. Davis, Two Rivers Tribune

The Karuk Tribe held  the first public showing of Karuk Voices Film Festival on May 20, in Orleans. The presentation of Oral History films were interviews with Karuk elders. The films were produced by local youth. A community discussion, led by Phil Albers Jr., vice chair for the Karuk Tribal Council, followed the presentation.

 Local youth spent the last six months interviewing elders of the Karuk Tribe, who possess a wealth of traditional and contemporary knowledge and stories, in order to share their lives and wisdom with a larger audience. The youth worked in groups to make video recordings of elders and then edit the recordings for presentation to the community.

 The first film was an interview with Lillian Bennett by her granddaughter, Leesa Jordan, next up was “Sticks and Stones,” an interview with Karuk artist Brian D. Tripp, by Jared Wilder. Following were: “Weaving Roots” an interview with Karuk basketweaver LaVerne Glaze, by Sinead Talley and Ashely Allgier, “Achviivich,” an interview with a Karuk Tribal medicine man David Arwood, by his nephew, Mike Polmateer, and “A personal Story of the 1964 Flood,” an interview with Adrian Gilkison, by Geena and Josa Talley. 

Albers said the projects were “very incredible” and it was wonderful to see the youth working with and listening to the elders. He described the event having a packed crowd.

“Public discussion was all positive and it was nice to see such a positive event,”

Albers said. “The Karuk Tribe as a whole were very proud of the kids and the community is really excited about the project.”

Part of the outcome from the project is that the elders are more open to discussing the past.

“It created a safety net for some of the elders, they can be themselves, express themselves,” explained Albers.

The boarding school mentality has had an effect on the elders and the next generation, as well. For some mid-generations this is the first time they have heard the stories.

The youthful filmmakers received an award of a mounted photo of their choosing. Photos will be mounted by the People’s Center which is the Museum and Cultural Center of the Karuk Tribe. Karuk Tribal Language Program Coordinator Ruth Rouvier, stated that there is the possibility of the films going to other film festivals and that the group has already been invited to a festival on the coast. In addition, DVDs will be distributed to local schools and libraries for free and are available for sale at the People’s Center Gift Shop in Happy Camp.

Communities are welcome to volunteer host showings of the videos. Rouvier said groups who are interested in holding public showings should contact her at (800) 505-2785 x 2205.

The event was dedicated to the memory of Lillian Bennett. The project was supported by a grant to the Karuk Tribe from the California Council for the Humanities’ California Story Fund and additional funding by the Karuk Tribal TERO Commission.

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