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| (Many Paths) | ||
| An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America | ||
| February 9, 2002 - Issue 54 | ||
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| First Peoples TV Has Arrived | ||
| by Suzanne Westerly Canku Ota Correspondent | ||
| Photo of Elaine Miles and Drew LaCapa on the set of Rez Robics by Suzanne Westerly |
 Something many of us have been hoping for has arrived. Finally, a nationwide television network that will give Americans a global perspectives on news, events and culture – “WorldLink TV.” “WorldLink TV” premiered January 17th with a new weekly series by and about the tribal peoples of the world. The first program was Reason to Fear; The Cultural Defense of Hooty Croy. "First Peoples TV" will feature twenty-six award-winning documentaries and dramas focusing on the lives of contemporary Native and Aboriginal people and the issues they face. "First Peoples TV" will be the first time a regularly scheduled TV series concerning tribal peoples will be accessible to all urban areas, including the territories of every Indigenous nation in the United States. DreamCatchers, a non-profit organization working to bring Native films to a wider audience, is bringing this together to air eachThursday night at 7pm PST or 10pm EST. So far the line-up includes documentaries confronting fishing rights; Lighting The Seventh Fire by Sandra Sunrising Osawa, sacred sites; Backbone Of The World by George Burdeau, and religious freedom; The Peyote Road by Fidel Moreno. The series will also feature dramatic films dealing with government attempts to destroy tribal cultures; Where The Spirit Lives by Bruce Pittman and Indigenous political activism; Tushka by Ian Skorodin. We will get to see Native actors, comedians and educators introducing each episode. Hosts will include Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order, Blood In-Blood Out, Pinero), Tantoo Cardinal (Legends Of The Fall, Black Robe, Dances With Wolves), Steve Reevis (Geronimo, Last Of The Dogmen, Fargo), Elaine Miles (Northern Exposure, Smoke Signals, RezRobics) and up and coming Apache funny man, Drew Lacapa. The one non-Native host will be legendary historian of world religions, Huston Smith. Where To Find It You can get WorldLink TV through direct-to-home satellite services; DIRECTVÆ (Channel 375) and EchoStar's DISH NetworkÆ (Channel 9410). DreamCatchers has previously produced health and fitness videos for American Indian communities including, The Red Road To Sobriety, documenting the contemporary Native American sobriety movement, and Rez Robics, a pow-wow dancing and martial arts inspired aerobics video designed to combat diabetes. Series producer Gary Rhine has previously produced award-winning documentaries including Wiping The Tears Of Seven Generations and Your Humble Serpent; The Wisdom Of Reuben Snake. You can find program descriptions at http://www.dreamcatchers.org/fptv |
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