Tribal Water Media Fellowship | Four Corners Water

A short documentary about the work of the community activists in The Smokehouse Collective who are trying to preserve Alaskan Natives’ village culture; found in the fish camp and their elders’ memories, to the sparsely used smokehouses and the intimate potlatches of the community. Directed, produced, and filmed by Bethany Grant (Denaa), this film seeks to preserve and inspire the...

Filmmaker Ellie Fluckiger examines her love and history of adventuring on the rivers of America’s Southwest in a conversation with Diné (Navajo), Chippewa, and Lakota river guide Lewis Williams. Lewis illuminates and inspires reflection on outdoor recreation and how those who love Nature and water can balance their joys with respect.

An audio documentary which draws parallels between Hopi farming practices, respect for water, and adapting to changing times while rooted in tradition. Produced by Ellyse Fredericks (Hopi) and with support from her home community, Invisibility of Water shows that the past is always present, even if unseen.

Made by Hailey Chanler, a non-Indigenous resident of Taos New Mexico, this informational film highlights the Taos Pueblo’s respect for water in the 21st Century in a conversation with the Director of the Taos Pueblo Utility Service Lawrence Lujan (Taos Pueblo). The conversation conveys that Native Americans’ respect for water, rivers, and streams is not just a spiritual or cultural...

In this documentary, filmmaker and farmer Kiera Nordin shows that the dictum “Water is Life” is not just a platitude, it’s a pressing reality that touches the lives of individuals. Following local Diné (Navajo) farmers, the film illustrates how water provides healthy food for families, challenges communities to balance and share resources, while being a focus of cultural...

An episode of the audio serial Water Woes, Maleah Tuttle (Oglalla-Lakota) tells the story of another Maleah, an Indigenous resident of Durango Colorado, who one day begins to hear the multitudinous voice of the spirit being Water. Working and living daily life is a challenge enough but now Maleah (the character) has to decipher the cryptic words of an enigmatic spirit. Is it a message? A...

An experimental documentary by Morgan Timeche (Hopi) that meditates and ruminates on water’s properties as medicine for the body, spirit, and mind.

Following a traditional Diné model of didactic storytelling, Rian Stanley (Diné) examines water’s role in Shonto Arizona’s spiritual life, the community’s residents daily reality, and as a focus of inspiration for young Natives working to sustain their tribe’s future.

Rosamariah McCabe (Diné) shares a poetic glimpse into water as both a living being and a necessity in her home of Window Rock Arizona. As water is a witness to the struggles and joys of life, this film is a window into Navajo humor, awe, and reverence.

A highly personal collage film, Ithana Oka is Rue Denney’s (Chickasaw) elegy and diary to their friend Water, oka in Chickasaw. Though the appearances change shape – from the muggy bayous of Alabama, to the powdered snow of the Rockies, and even in the chilly spray of the ocean – Rue finds that these are all faces of one spirit and still their friend all the same.

A tone poem that follows the flow of water in Arizona’s Verde River from Sedona through the Tonto National Forest. Filmmaker Sasha Miller (Diné) combines sound and image to create an emotional journey reflective of the physical path of water.