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"The hand seeks tools to cut the wood,
To till the soil, and harness the power of the waters.
Then the hand seeks other hands to help,
A community of hands to help-
Thus the dream becomes not one man’s dream alone,
But a community dream.
Not my dream alone, but our dream.
Not my world alone,
But your world and my world,
Belonging to all the hands who build.”
- Freedom’s Plow by Langston Hughes
Celebrate the rich traditions and contributions of Black land stewards in this inspiring film block that highlights their deep connection to the land. Through powerful stories and vivid imagery, these films showcase the resilience, creativity, and wisdom of Black farmers and environmentalists as they nurture and protect their communities and ecosystems. Come watch these films and learn how you can support Black and Indigenous efforts.
Filmmaker Maaliyah Papillion has been tapped to learn the ways of her elders and carry on their sacred traditions as the next chief of The Atakapa-Ishak Nation, making her the second woman to lead the tribe since 1771. Determined to advocate for their rights to land and resources, this is her story of remembering her ancestry in a state that has forgotten her people.
The contemporary descendants of the Atakapa-Ishak consist of a large group of Afro-Indigenous community members who still live in the South. The tribe has faced many roadblocks proving their ancestry, with it often being denounced at the state and federal level because of their mixed-race ancestry. In a system that still upholds the “blood quantum rule”, a highly controversial measurement of the amount of "Indian blood" you have, it makes it harder for descendants with mixed race ancestry to acquire the resources they need. By doing this, America has created a system to acknowledge some Indians, but not all Indians. Afro-Indigenous historical erasure leaves tribes like the Atakapa-Ishak Nation dangerously at risk and vulnerable.
We are immediately immersed into filmmaker Maaliyah's new reality: she’s been tapped to become the next chief of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation, the Indigenous tribe her family descends from. While juggling her own creative pursuits, she learns to balance her life, and the call to carry on her ancestors’ legacy. Her tribe has been denied state and federal recognition for over a decade, despite their precolonial history in the state, and now lack the resources needed to thrive as a community at risk due to climate related disasters in the Gulf South. Determined to share her story to gain support for her tribe, Maaliyah embarks on a spiritual and political journey of reclaiming what rightfully belongs to her people.
Maaliyah tells of her tribe’s plight from her perspective by capturing the best qualities of her heritage, while shining a light on how her tribe continues to preserve and spread their history without the recognition of the government. She turns to her creative abilities to share the needs of her community to bring awareness to the racist systems still at place within, and against Indigenous communities.
"The hand seeks tools to cut the wood,
To till the soil, and harness the power of the waters.
Then the hand seeks other hands to help,
A community of hands to help-
Thus the dream becomes not one man’s dream alone,
But a community dream.
Not my dream alone, but our dream.
Not my world alone,
But your world and my world,
Belonging to all the hands who build.”
- Freedom’s Plow by Langston Hughes
Celebrate the rich traditions and contributions of Black land stewards in this inspiring film block that highlights their deep connection to the land. Through powerful stories and vivid imagery, these films showcase the resilience, creativity, and wisdom of Black farmers and environmentalists as they nurture and protect their communities and ecosystems. Come watch these films and learn how you can support Black and Indigenous efforts.
Filmmaker Maaliyah Papillion has been tapped to learn the ways of her elders and carry on their sacred traditions as the next chief of The Atakapa-Ishak Nation, making her the second woman to lead the tribe since 1771. Determined to advocate for their rights to land and resources, this is her story of remembering her ancestry in a state that has forgotten her people.
The contemporary descendants of the Atakapa-Ishak consist of a large group of Afro-Indigenous community members who still live in the South. The tribe has faced many roadblocks proving their ancestry, with it often being denounced at the state and federal level because of their mixed-race ancestry. In a system that still upholds the “blood quantum rule”, a highly controversial measurement of the amount of "Indian blood" you have, it makes it harder for descendants with mixed race ancestry to acquire the resources they need. By doing this, America has created a system to acknowledge some Indians, but not all Indians. Afro-Indigenous historical erasure leaves tribes like the Atakapa-Ishak Nation dangerously at risk and vulnerable.
We are immediately immersed into filmmaker Maaliyah's new reality: she’s been tapped to become the next chief of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation, the Indigenous tribe her family descends from. While juggling her own creative pursuits, she learns to balance her life, and the call to carry on her ancestors’ legacy. Her tribe has been denied state and federal recognition for over a decade, despite their precolonial history in the state, and now lack the resources needed to thrive as a community at risk due to climate related disasters in the Gulf South. Determined to share her story to gain support for her tribe, Maaliyah embarks on a spiritual and political journey of reclaiming what rightfully belongs to her people.
Maaliyah tells of her tribe’s plight from her perspective by capturing the best qualities of her heritage, while shining a light on how her tribe continues to preserve and spread their history without the recognition of the government. She turns to her creative abilities to share the needs of her community to bring awareness to the racist systems still at place within, and against Indigenous communities.