- [Announcer] This series was created in partnership with the Sundance Institute.

More information at sundance.org Funding for "Native Shorts" was made possible by a generous grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, and from viewers like you.

(bold drumming music) ♪ (singing in indigenous language) ♪ ♪ ♪ - [Bird] "Native Shorts", presented by Sundance Institute's Indigenous Program.

- [Ariel] Hello, and welcome to "Native Shorts."

I'm Ariel Tweto.

- [Bird] And, I'm Bird Runningwater.

- And, we don't have a lot of time.

This episode is a long one.

Oh, this film is-- Come on!

Go Bird!

- Chop, chop.

- Chop, chop!

(Bird laughing) - Well, today's film is "The Coyote Way: Going Back Home" by Missy Whiteman.

And, Missy belongs to the Northern Arapaho and Kickapoo peoples.

And, she's from Minneapolis, Minnesota which is, you know, one of our larger urban Native communities.

It has a long illustrious history and a dark history, as well.

The reason why there's a lot of Native people there is because of the relocation efforts of the U.S. government when they remove people to urban areas, but it's also the founding place of the American Indian Movement.

And so, you know, Missy had her start in the Sundance Institute's Indigenous Program Native Lab, where she developed this script, and it's a really interesting and provocative film.

So, let's watch "The Coyote Way: Going Back Home."

(film machine whirring/clattering) [dark musical humming sounds] ♪ ♪ ♪ [electric buzzing sounds] [dark musical humming sounds] [light organ music] ♪ [bright tonal music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [staticky percussion/ bright tonal music] ♪ ♪ ♪ [louder tonal music] ♪ ♪ ♪ [staticky percussion/ bright tonal music] ♪ [music softens] [soft tonal music] ♪ [thoughtful keyboard music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [light keyboard music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [traditional solo drum music] ♪ [rapid drumming] [drumming stops] [soft fast solo drumming] ♪ [louder fast traditional drumming] ♪ ♪ ♪ [solo traditional drumming] ♪ ♪ [music fades] [moody electronic music] ♪ [slow high/low pulsing music] ♪ ♪ [slow bright tones] ♪ ♪ [slow high/low pulsing music] ♪ ♪ ♪ (Plains Indian Sign Language) ♪ ♪ ♪ [slow high/low pulsing music] ♪ [slow bright tones] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [slow eerie electronic music] ♪ ♪ [high voice singing in Lakota language] ♪ [singing in Lakota language] ♪ [singing in Lakota language] ♪ ♪ [singing in Lakota language] [slow hip-hop beat] ♪ (Plains Indian Sign Language) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [music fades] ♪ [low tense music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [shrill tense music] ♪ [shrill tense music] ♪ ♪ [tense dullen music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [tense dullen music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [tense dullen music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [tense dullen music] ♪ [music softens] [shrill dullen keyboard music] ♪ [low ominous electronic music] ♪ ♪ ♪ [dark percussive/ tonal music] ♪ ♪ ♪ [eerie tense music] ♪ [ominous tonal music] ♪ ♪ (Plains Indian Sign Language) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ominous keyboard music] ♪ ♪ [airy thoughtful keyboard music] ♪ ♪ ♪ [light airy swirling music] [relaxing acoustic guitar music] ♪ [Narrator] ♪ Time dreams ♪ ♪ Our memories ♪ ♪ Come from the earth ♪ ♪ And return to the earth ♪ ♪ ♪ In the reunion ♪ ♪ Our pulse ♪ ♪ Comes from the sky ♪ ♪ And returns to the sky ♪ ♪ ♪ Reflections of ancient sunlight ♪ ♪ ♪ Time dreams ♪ ♪ In human form ♪ ♪ And reformed ♪ ♪ Life ♪ ♪ In shapes of shadows ♪ ♪ Of industriously darkened ♪ ♪ ♪ Reformed humans ♪ ♪ And behaviors ♪ ♪ Morality ♪ ♪ Decided by punishment ♪ ♪ Or reward ♪ ♪ Punishment ♪ ♪ Or reward ♪ ♪ Decided by obediences ♪ ♪ Willingness to believe ♪ ♪ ♪ Using the lie ♪ ♪ Like a drug for the heart ♪ ♪ ♪ Silenting questions and feelings ♪ ♪ With answers of fear ♪ ♪ And doubt ♪ ♪ Taking the mind through trips ♪ ♪ Some self-pity ♪ ♪ Some anger ♪ ♪ Some blame ♪ ♪ Disconnected from time dreams ♪ ♪ The medicine of dream time ♪ ♪ Encoded in the DNA of human form ♪ ♪ Spiritual ♪ ♪ Umbilical cords ♪ ♪ Inside ♪ ♪ Human consciousness ♪ ♪ Dream time ♪ ♪ A place of being ♪ ♪ Outside of us ♪ ♪ Inside of us ♪ ♪ Where we can unhide our hiddens ♪ ♪ Straight talk ♪ ♪ With ancestor memories ♪ ♪ Free without judgment ♪ ♪ Answers to questions ♪ ♪ And feelings ♪ ♪ Dream time ♪ ♪ Is part of our pulse ♪ ♪ Memories in the shapes of life ♪ ♪ We are a part of that ♪ ♪ The breath part ♪ ♪ ♪ Our memories ♪ ♪ Come from the earth ♪ ♪ And return to the earth ♪ ♪ In the reunion ♪ ♪ Our pulse ♪ ♪ Comes from the sky ♪ ♪ And returns to the sky ♪ ♪ Dream time ♪ ♪ ♪ A place of being ♪ ♪ Outside of us ♪ ♪ Inside of us ♪ ♪ Where we can unhide our hiddens ♪ ♪ Straight talk ♪ ♪ With ancestor memories ♪ ♪ Free without judgment ♪ ♪ Answers to questions ♪ ♪ And feelings ♪ ♪ Memories in the shapes of life ♪ ♪ We are part of that ♪ ♪ The breath part ♪ [vocalizing/singing in Lakota language] [upbeat acoustic guitar] ♪ [vocalizing/singing in Lakota language] ♪ ♪ [vocalizing/singing in Lakota language] ♪ ♪ [vocalizing/singing in Lakota language] [upbeat acoustic guitar] ♪ ♪ [vocalizing/singing in Lakota language] ♪ [music fades] [wind whistling] [musical humming sounds] ♪ [rhythmic percussive tapping] ♪ - [Ariel] Whew!

Heavy one.

Deep.

- [Bird] Think so?

- Yeah.

How did you feel?

- I felt very emotional at the end of it, like I kind of wanted to cry.

- Aw.

- I know.

There was just something so impactful and heartfelt about it.

And, there's so many different tribes there, and she even includes, you know, Latin American indigenous people, and there's multiracial people.

And, you know, it just has so many evolutionary kind of representations of a very contemporary indigenous culture or cultures.

- And then, who narrated the poem at the end?

- Oh, that was John Trudell.

- OK. - A very well-known-- You know, one of the people who led the takeover of Alcatraz in San Francisco, was involved with the American Indian Movement, became a poet and a musician.

Just the tone of his voice- - Yeah.

- you know, and the gentleman who's singing for him, singing on his tracks, as well.

Like there's just this emotion, this teardrop- - Yeah!

Ooh.

- in their vocal chords.

- It is.

It's like a music video.

Yeah.

It's really a beautiful film.

- I love the sign language, because that's one of Missy's specific areas of interest.

And part of her voice is the Plains Sign Language, where so many tribes communicated through sign language.

- Well?

That was a good one, Bird.

- Wasn't it?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Let's do some more.

- Yes!

And I hope you all enjoyed it, as well.

- Bye-bye, everybody.

♪ - [Ariel] Today, I am wearing a dress from Choke Cherry Creek by Angela Howe, earrings by Tiyóspaye Beadwork, and the scarf is by me!

- [Bird] Today, I'm wearing footwear by Rez Stompers by Josie Kai, a jacket of my own design, and rings by Aaron Broke Shoulder and Cody Sanderson.

♪ - [Announcer] This series was created in partnership with the Sundance Institute.

More information at sundance.org Funding for "Native Shorts" was made possible by a generous grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, and from viewers like you.