A small Maine town decides the fate of its American Indian mascot after facing public allegations of racist behavior at a high school football game.
Hosted by Team We Are The Warriors
November 19th – 20th (Q&A on the 20th at 5pm) – Register here.
November 26th -27th (Q&A on the 27th at 5pm) – Register here.
Check out these free work-in-progress screenings of “We Are the Warriors”, an upcoming documentary film about Wells High School’s decision to retire its Native American mascot. Learn more at www.wearethewarriorsfilm.com.
The film’s Co-Directors, both graduates of Wells High School, gathered interviews and insights from residents of Wells and from Wabanaki people, including Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Dana. The documentary follows citizens of Wells as they decide the fate of their High School’s mascot by engaging in challenging conversations with Wabanaki people about intent and impact, and by reflecting upon their own understanding of the town’s colonial and contemporary history. Revelations about the town’s brutal colonial history and difficult conversations about the actual impact of the intended honor were key to changing hearts and minds of committee members who eventually removed the problematic Native imagery.
We Are The Warriors is nearly ready for consideration by PBS stations across the country, and registration information for free online screenings of a work-in-progress edit can be found on the film’s website. The film’s fiscal sponsor, Documentary Educational Resources, recently launched an Indigenous Studies Initiative with the objective of contextualizing and decolonizing their catalogue of ethnographic films. Learn more at www.der.org/blog.
