♪ [bold drums] ♪ ♪ [traditional vocalizing] ♪ ♪ ♪ Ariel: Welcome to Native Shorts brought to you by Sundance Institute's Indigenous Program.

My name's Ariel Tweto.

Bird: And, I'm Bird Runningwater.

Ariel: And, what are we on?

Season 3?

Bird: Season 3!

What have you been up to?

(smack) Ariel: Yes!

What have I been up to?

A lot of...lot of biking.

A lot of hiking.

I think our next season- Bird: Falling down?

Ariel: Oh!

That's what I was gonna say!

(laughter) The next season of Native Shorts is gonna be Native Pants (laughter) and all I'm gonna do is wear pants to cover these legs!

Bird: Right!

Ariel: But, been busy.

How 'bout you?

Bird: Good.

Traveling the world, visiting indigenous communities across our country and around the world which is always lovely.

Ariel: You one-upper!

You just made yourself- Bird: I know!

Ariel: sound so smart!

Bird: But, I don't fall down!

(laughter) Ariel: No, it's so great to be back though!

I feel like this season we have so many amazing films.

Bird: Yes!

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: We got some really interesting films coming to us that have premiered at Sundance Film Festival over the past couple of years.

But, I think today what we're going to start off with is one of the more recent ones.

That was called "Mud (Hashtl'ishnii)", directed by Shaandiin Tome.

Ariel: How do you say?

Bird: She's Navajo nation.

Ariel: How do you say it?

Bird: Hashtl'ishnii.

Ariel: Hashtl'ishnii.

Bird: Yeah.

Ooo!

You did the glottal stop right.

Ariel: Oh, yeah.

I'm gettin' it!

(he chuckles) So, yes.

Bird, the expert, and I'll try to do my best to figure out these films.

'Cause some of them, I've seen them and then you're just like- Don't know what that meant!

(he laughs) So, hopefully, you know all the answers.

Bird: That's why we're here.

Ariel: I know.

I'm so excited to watch the first one, so should we just dive in?

Bird: Yeah!

Ariel: Let's go!

Bird: This is "Mud", by Shaandiin Tome.

(train rumbles loudly) (rapid footsteps) (distant traffic whining) [silverware jangling/ glasses plinking] (murmuring) Boss: She can't be here.

Ben: You can't wait here.

Ruby: I can't wait here?

Ben: Look, they don't want you waiting here.

♪ [eerie music] ♪ ♪ Ruby (hurt): Fine.

I walked to the hospital.

Ben: Will you go?

Please?

(rustles papers) Man: Hello?

Spare?

Spare?

Hello?

Do you have any change for some food?

Trying to get some food.

(traffic roaring) Man: Oh, that's a nice ring!

Ruby: Thanks.

Man: How much you got?

Ruby: Sorry, I ain't got no cash.

(traffic roaring) Ruby: Hey, you know what?

I made this for someone.

But if you want, you could go ahead and go down to the pawn shop over there.

(voice cracks) They'll give ya about, like, 10 bucks for it.

But, I... don't need it.

(traffic roars) But you can give me that.

(horn honking) Ruby (irked): Yeah.

(honk-honk)!

Driver (man): Hey, Ruby!

Yeah, I seen you way back there.

Man: So, I'm teaching Alex how to say her clans.

(chuckles) Back when I was staying with you guys, Joseph- right?

He's out in the ditch playing, right?

Comes rushing through the door.

He's just covered in mud, right?

And, he's screamin' hashtl'ishnii!

(he laughs) The look on your face... was priceless!

(he laughs) He rushed straight to you, he gives you a big ol' hug!

You know what I mean?

(she drifts) And, mud all over your apron.

You had mud on your arm.

♪ [eerie music] (she 'hears' door squeak/ kids chattering) ♪ (she hears) Boy: Hashtl'ishnii!

[boy's laughter] ♪ (she hears) Boy: Hashtl'ishnii!

♪ (slam)!

[clunking gas tank] [highway traffic whining] (slam) Man: Hey, I can take you back.

It's no problem.

Ruby: Aw, no.

No.

Man: No?

Ruby: It's OK. Man: OK, OK. [highway traffic whining] Man: Hey, Ruby?

Ruby: Yeah?

Man: Hey, uh?

Just hang in there, you know?

Just hang in there.

OK?

Man: Hey!

I'll be by your house later, alright?

(sniffs/sobs) (water splashes) (distraught) ♪ (shaky voice/worried) [knock on door] Clerk: Out of $20?

Ruby: Yeah.

Clerk: Need a bag for those?

Ruby: No.

Clerk: OK.

So, $1.20 will be your change.

Receipt?

Clerk: Hi, Ben.

$7 on 3?

Need a receipt?

No?

(footsteps) Ben: Mom?

Mom, I've been looking everywhere for you.

(sniffs) Ben: I'm really sorry about today.

Shouldn't be like that.

Sorry.

Ready to go home?

(sniffs) [glass plinking] Ben: What's in your purse?

Ruby: Nothing.

Ben: Just get in the car.

Ruby: No.

Ben: You know who has to come home to your s--- every day?

I do!

Ruby: Well, you know what?

It's not my fault!

Ben: Then, whose fault is it?

Dad's?

Dad's f----- dead, Ruby.

Grow up!

♪ Ben: What's wrong with you?

♪ [tense music] ♪ [highway traffic whining] (sobs) [train horn blaring] (sobs/shaky voice) [horn blaring] (footsteps scraping gravel) (heavy sigh) (sobs/distressed) (flop)!

(breathes heavily) (hears) Boy: Mom!

Mom!

Hashtl'ishnii!

Ruby (whispers): Hashtl'ishnii.

♪ (shaky labored breathing) ♪ ♪ [tense music] ♪ Hashtl'ishnii.

(shudders) ♪ (shudders) ♪ [rail cars rumbling] [clattering rail cars] (footsteps) [rail cars rumbling] (playful scuffle) [crickets chirping] ♪ [heavy orchestral string music] ♪ ♪ ♪ Ariel: Whoa!

Well?

Well, we just jumped right into it.

That was deep.

Bird: Yes.

Ariel: Deep...in mud!

(laughter) Bird: I know!

Ariel: Okay?

What does the mud signify?

'Cause I think of mud- first, I'm just like, dirt.

Then, I'm like it represents actually stuck in some- in something?

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: So, what's she stuck in?

Or, what does it mean?

Bird: I think there's a lot of metaphors that Shaandiin was really going towards with this film.

I've known Shaandiin for several years now.

She came out of our youth fellowship.

Ariel: Aw, that's cool.

Bird: We worked with her early on.

And then, she applied to our Native lab where she came with this script to develop the story.

And so, she's had a lot of different kinds of metaphors and meaning behind the idea of mud.

One is that, you know, all Navajos have clans that they belong to.

And so, she belongs to the Mud clan, the Hashtl'ishnii.

Ariel: OK. Bird: Which is, like, 'mud people'.

Ariel: OK. Bird: And, I think it's one of the main clans at the Navajo nation.

And so, she really wanted to kind of explore this idea of mud as a metaphor with this woman's hardship, but also reflecting on her life and looking at where she belongs and where she should belong.

But also, kind of feeling disconnected?

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: So, the metaphor also has another piece where it's kind of like you said.

It's kind of like a weight.

It's kind of like an affliction that she can't seem to escape.

I feel like in the end, I think it's quite poignant and beautiful how she just kind of essentially returns to the earth, you know?

Ariel: Do you think that's what happens?

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: When she sort of like melts into it.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: So, is it- can mud be something positive too?

Bird: Yeah!

Ariel: 'Cause I feel like- the people in this tribe, they say they're created from mud.

Right?

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: OK. Bird: And then, they're also- belonging to the mud people, it's kind of like having a deep connection- Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: to the culture.

And so, she kind of has two facets of the mud.

One is a connection, a cultural significance in her own life.

And then, also, kind of like the burden, as well.

Ariel: Yeah.

It's so hard to watch it though, because I feel- I used to get so angry when I saw these types of films just because it's just like 'aw, just another show about alcoholism in the tribes'.

But then, I think unless you have known someone that has suffered- Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: it's a disease.

And so, it's so sad.

But then, I- now that I'm older I understand them.

But then, the poor son!

Like, just that relationship is so hard.

But, speaking of the son, he's been in some big movies.

Bird: Yeah!

Ariel: Wasn't he in The Revenant?

Bird: His name is Forrest Goodluck.

Yes.

Ariel: Oh, yeah.

Bird: He played Leo DiCaprio's son in the movie The Revenant.

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: So, he's off to a good start with his acting career.

I love him!

He's really great.

Ariel: I love him, too!

Bird: Got a great presence.

Ariel: Yeah, he does.

And, it's just- oh!

It's so real, and so honest.

I thought he did such a good job.

Bird: Yeah.

Well, Shaandiin wanted to tell this story because- where her family is located along the Navajo reservation near Gallup, they have a lot of what's called "exposure deaths".

And so, they report it the newspaper, local newspaper, as just being statistics.

And, she wanted to actually kind of humanize those statistics.

Those people who happen to die from exposure death.

Ariel: What does that mean, "exposure death?"

Bird: Basically, they- you know, they freeze to death.

Are out at night and it gets too cold.

Sometimes they go to the border towns for alcohol.

And so, it's a really deep complex issue.

Like, she really struggled with the responsibility I feel of portraying this image and wanting to put something out there like that of her own people.

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: And, I felt like she did it really beautifully.

Kind of like putting a cultural lens to it and really kind of interpreting it from a Navajo perspective.

And ultimately, this story was inspired by someone from her own family who had that experience.

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: And so, she wanted to tell the story as kind of a part of a healing process, not only for herself but her family.

But also, her community.

Ariel: Did her community- were they pretty accepting of the film?

Bird: Yeah!

People have been welcoming it.

Yeah, it's played in different places around New Mexico.

Ariel: That's good and this story has to be told, too.

It happens so often- Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: in the culture.

And so, I feel like if you don't talk about it, if you just try to shove it under a rock, it's gonna happen.

So I feel like in order to solve this problem, you need to show these films.

This is what's happening to our people, and now as a community, let's figure out how to end it.

And so, I think she did a really good job on just like showing- Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: the truth about what happens.

Bird: She did!

And also, I feel like she really kind of shows the complexity of Ruby, the main character's life.

Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: She has family.

That she is supported and loved, but is really struggling, walking this kind of line between- Ariel: Yeah, and not knowing- I feel like she really wants help but then she just can't- Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: get out of this disease she's actually stuck in.

It's like 'come on, Ruby!'

Bird: I know!

We developed this film through the Sundance Institute's Native Lab.

We worked with her on the script, you know?

We funded this actual production of this short film, and she was actually accepted to Sundance Film Festival in 2018 for this film to premiere there which is, I think, quite an accomplishment for her first short film.

Ariel: Yeah.

Yaaay!

Bird: I know.

Ariel: That's a good job!

Bird: Yay for women directors.

Ariel: I know!

I'm excited to see- is she working on anything else right now?

Bird: Yes!

She's currently writing another short; she's developing a feature.

So, she's really trying to set her eyes on some of her own more personal stories- Ariel: Awesome!

Bird: that will end up on the screen.

Ariel: You go, girl!

Yeaaah!

(he chuckles) I'm excited to watch more of them.

Bird: Yes.

Ariel: Cool!

Well, I really like that one.

Should we get into this next one?

Bird: "Mobilize" is coming to us from Canada from Caroline Monnet.

She belongs to the Algonquin nation which I believe is in Quebec.

And so, she was one of four indigenous filmmakers from Canada that was commissioned by the National Film Board of Canada to basically go through the National Film Board's archives of historical Native imagery and archives to create kind of contemporary stories- Ariel: That's cool.

Bird: around them, and to utilize that.

Ariel: So, she just got to go through everything and just pick what she wanted?

Bird: Yeah!

Ariel: What an awesome opportunity!

Bird: I know!

And, the way that she really constructed film was she wanted to- well?

I don't want to get into to it too much!

Why don't we go ahead and watch it first?

Ariel: OK!

Let's watch it.

(he laughs) "Mobilize"!

[clattering film reel] ♪ [rhythmic metallic clicking] ♪ [drums/clicking percussion] ♪ ♪ ♪ [traditional throat singing] ♪ ♪ [percussion/throat singing] ♪ ♪ (growling) ♪ ♪ [percussion/throat singing] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [drums/clicking percussion] ♪ ♪ [percussion/throat singing] ♪ ♪ ♪ [throat singing/percussion] ♪ ♪ [throat singing] ♪ Ariel: I recognize that voice!

Bird: Yes!

Ariel: It's Tanya, right?

Bird: Tanya Taqaq.

Ariel: Yeah!

She's so well known for throat singing.

I could pick it up anywhere.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: And, it's really- I've traveled so much in northern Canada and the Inuit communities.

And, it's- everybody knows her.

So, it's like right when the show started I'm like, HA!

Tanya!

(he chuckles) That's so cool.

So, what did you think of this film?

Bird: I thought it was really interesting.

It's kind of got a bit of an experimental take on it.

But, Caroline basically went through the archives of the National Film Board of Canada, and wanted to construct imagery.

But actually, what she wanted to really focus on- hence, the title- was mobility and movement, and movement forward.

But, always remaining creative and always kind of constructing from, like, the snowshoes that some of the people are wearing- Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: to the canoe to building things in the city.

She really kind of shows this creative, constructive ability that Native people have maintained throughout generations.

Ariel: Yeah.

It's sort of how we could adapt to different situations.

Is that any part of it?

Bird: Adap-cing?

Ariel: Like, adapt.

Or, just how a Native could be in this village and making showshoes, and then in the city- Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: building a skyscraper?

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: Is that a part of it?

That's sort of what I took from it.

Bird: I think so.

Ariel: Because some of these films, I'm always just like- it could be so 'surface' where you're just like 'oh, there are snowshoes', and then there's like making a building, and then it's a pretty girl in a green dress.

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: Or, you could look at it and be like 'no.

'This is about an indigenous person that is adapting to different situations, and different places'.

Bird: Yeah.

Well, I think one of the things also, that if you contemplate even the history of Native imagery within cinema.

So, like over a hundred years of cinema made about us without our involvement.

But, with this kind of imagery, I feel like Caroline really chose very specific imagery.

I mean, as pretty fairly contemporary?

Even though it looks like we're going back to, what?

The '60s and '50s, probably.

But, I mean even those kinds of images are so rare of us, I think, in popular culture.

And so, I love the woman in the green dress with her bouffant- Ariel: Yeah!

Her hair.

Bird: Walk with her purse.

Walkin' through the city.

It's like that, to me, is kind of- I think that's such an iconic image that I think of with maybe my parents- Ariel: Yeah.

Bird: when they were in high school and their big hairdos!

(laughs) Ariel: It reminded me of Audrey Hepburn.

Bird: Yes!

Ariel: Like, she's the Native Audrey Hepburn.

I think 'ah!

I like that'.

Bird: I know.

But, she really wanted to cut the film to Tanya's singing doing really a particular kind of quick pace and motion, and really cutting together all of these beats and this imagery of all these iconic images from this archive.

Ariel: Yeah.

For some reason, the music always makes me sort of 'on edge', or nervous!

(he laughs) Like when the guy's really paddling his canoe?

Bird: Through the rapids!

Ariel: Yeah!

I'm like 'something's gonna happen!'

Bird: Yeah.

Ariel: Or, somebody's gonna flip over or something.

But, just the intensity of throat singing?

It's always like da-da-da, da-da!

Something's gonna happen!

(laughter) And then, I was so happy to see that it's just her strolling through the city- Bird: I know!

Ariel: and no one died.

Bird: I know.

But, she really wanted to do, I think, a kind of positive spin on this archive imagery using her own kind of lens as an indigenous woman.

And, I think it really works.

I think it's really powerful.

Ariel: I like it!

For such a short film, you get so much from it.

Bird: Yeah.

It's only like- Ariel: 3 minutes.

Bird: 3-4 minutes long.

Ariel: 3 minutes and 2 seconds, to be exact!

Bird: Oh, right on!

(laughter) Ariel: I know stuff!

Ariel: I know stuff!

(laughter) Bird: Cool.

Ariel: Well, that was awesome!

Well, Bird?

Bird: Yes: Ariel: Good job.

Bird: High five!

Ariel: Learned a lot.

I always learn from you.

You're like a little sponge of knowledge!

Bird: And, welcome back!

Ariel: Thank you.

It's good to be back.

Bird: For more information about these films, or to watch them again, you can go to FNX.org/nativeshorts.

Ariel: Or, you can- check this out!

Download the app, the FNX app, and watch it on your iPhone, your Android, your flip phone!

(laughter) Your beeper!

Grampa?

You could maybe watch it- Bird: Rotary dial!

Ariel: on your radio!

Just anything.

So, that's pretty cool.

Bird: Exactly!

Ariel: Yes.

Well, see you guys on the next episode!

Bird: We'll see you again!

♪ [bold drums] ♪ ♪ [traditional vocalizing] ♪ ♪ ♪ [vocals fade] ♪