On this edition of Your Call, we discuss Lakota Nation vs. United States, a new documentary about the ongoing fight to reclaim Indigenous land.
The film chronicles the Lakota Nation’s quest for sovereignty, self-determination, and reclamation of sacred land stolen by the US government. The film focuses on the landmark 1980 Supreme Court case affirming that the Black Hills — the site of Mount Rushmore — were taken from them, necessitating compensation. That money has been refused as the land was never for sale.
Narrated by the Oglala poet Layli Long Soldier and featuring interviews with Indigenous activists and scholars, the film is a powerful call to action for the land back movement.
Lakota Nation vs. United States will be featured at this year's Doclands Film Festival on Friday, May 12, at 6:30pm, at the Rafael Film Center in San Rafael. Tickets can be purchased here.
Guests:
Jesse Short Bull, member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe in South Dakota, co-director of Lakota vs. United States, and co-founder of the Native Youth Leadership Alliance
Laura Tomaselli, freelance video editor and co-director of Lakota vs. United States
Web Resources:
The Movable Fest: Tribeca 2022 Interview: Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli on Covering Sacred Ground in “Lakota Nation Versus United States”
The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Lakota Nation vs. United States’: Film Review
