About the Project
“We Wear Our History”
Who are we are and where we came has long been documented on the robes of the Northwest Coastal peoples of Alaska and Canada. Producers, Clarissa Rizal (Hudson) and Donna Beaver (aka Foulke) lead a team of newly independent Tlingit documentary filmmakers that are in the early stages of creating a film that documents the history and importance of dance regalia among today’s Northwest Coast Native tribes including the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian.
The indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast have developed a culture that places art and design in a position of social importance. Traditionally, nearly every important item that a family or clan possessed displays an artistic, symbolic fashion with clan crests or storytelling artwork. Some tribal leaders suggest that this treatment of clothing and household items demonstrates these items held great importance in the life of the tribe; the word “sacred” is sometimes used to clarify the importance of these decorated, symbolic possessions.
At one time the practice of decorating clan possessions diminished because of European contact and the exposure to Christianity. But, since the late 1960’s a resurgence began and tribes returned to the practice of making and wearing highly decorated dance regalia including dance blankets, headdresses, tunics, moccasins, leggings, dance staffs, and various other dance items. This tradition perhaps plays THE central role in preserving the artistic styles and future directions of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples.
The designs and contemporary uses of this regalia during various ceremonial gatherings and dance performances, has been recorded in the past by various photographers, writers, and videographers. However, the focus of most of this documentary work has not been on the regalia itself, nor on the stories connected with regalia design, creation or ownership. We envision our work as a multiyear documentary project, to gather these stories, histories, and explanations through video and an indexed photographic record of the regalia and its present owners. With this, ”project of the heart,” we hope to educate the general public and our own Native young people with a deeper understanding of how dance regalia plays a central role in preserving the traditional beliefs and values of Northwest Coast indigenous peoples.
The documentary project began the first phase of research, photographing and filming at “Celebration 2004,” (June 2004), one of the largest gatherings of Native Alaskan dance groups in Alaska. The biennial event brings traditional Native dancers from all around the Northwest Coast that gather in Juneau to tell stories, and perform traditional and present-day songs and dances. Many of the photographs and video clips collected will become a part of the documentary.
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