- [Director] Audio rolling, action.

(pleasant music) - [Narrator] MAPS Media Institute presents, "Stories From Montana's Future," award-winning films produced by the talented young students from across Big Sky country.

(singing in Indigenous language) - [Man] There was one time where we had to hide.

We don't have to hide no more.

There's never-ending I guess, when it comes to our way of life.

From the time we are born, to the time we have to go back.

In between that time, though, there's so much things that it's there for us.

(singing in Indigenous language) (drums banging) (singing in Indigenous language) - They took us away.

They took us away from our parents and our grandparents as young children.

They took us away from our culture, and our prayer.

They took us to boarding schools, and they wouldn't let us speak our language, or do anything like that.

And they forced a different religion onto us.

A lotta kids don't know where they come from, or what their culture is, 'cause they were never taught it.

They used to say, "Kill the Indian, save the man."

(drums banging) (singing in Indigenous language) (speaking Indigenous language) - All you students, it's very important to celebrate who we are as Indian people.

We come from strong people.

It's in our blood.

Remember that, know your history.

Know who you are, and know where you come from.

(soothing music) - My name is (speaks Indigenous language) and it means "Little Cloud Woman."

And my name on my birth certificate is Amilia Blackcrow.

Culture, it means a lot to me because it's who I am.

It's our food, the way we dress, the way we sing, the way we dance, the way we style our hair.

It's like, it's a lifestyle.

- Hello, my relatives.

I'm A'aninin, my name is Flying Eagle Boy.

My family is a, well we're pretty traditional, you know?

But I think we all got a little bit of at least some part of culture to us around here.

It's the feeling you get when you're doing it.

Kind of a sense of pride because you know that your people once did it, and we got those ways tooken away from us for awhile.

(soothing music) - I know that boarding schools were a way that the (speaks Indigenous language) came over and took our kids, and took them from their families, took them far away so that we couldn't be together.

They just beat us when we couldn't, when we talked in our language.

They just, they were brutal.

I heard a story that this man was trying to get language started in our school again.

And so he went and asked an elder, and that elder wouldn't do it because he's afraid that they'll beat us again and try to take it away from us again.

I think it brought a lot of fear into our elders, and gave us a lot of hurt, because now our people don't know who we are anymore.

- Boarding schools affected our culture today by epigenetics.

The boarding schools made these kids depressed.

So, that depression has been slowly passed down to us.

- I think it's hard on the kids themselves, and also on the elders.

So just everybody is stressed and sad, and they turn to alcohol or drugs to fix their problems, but it doesn't really.

And so, it just makes it, like hides up the secret, I guess.

We've had a lot of suicides and a lot of just like, people passing away.

And I think in the past month there was like five funerals, right?

And we've had those like, a lot.

It's sad to see where our people is, what's happening to them, because it's just dying out, and for me, I don't want that.

I don't want to see that happen because it's just like, it like honestly really hurts me.

(gentle music) People are always trying to tell you what to be, and what you need to do.

Like here, they tell you that you need to go get an education, come back, and help the community.

But like, some people are always telling you that you need to just get your education and leave and forget about your culture, and don't help.

Like now, nobody wants to go outside because there's druggies outside.

We don't want to go outside.

Don't go over there, because they'll give you alcohol.

Or they don't want you to be around those people.

But those are your people, and all they're, they're lost also.

So like, because they're lost, our community's lost, and nobody likes being lost.

And to be happy and whole is to have your community, and be together as one.

(pleasant music) - Good morning, it's good to see all of you.

You look next to you, you look right, you look left.

Every one of you children are relatives.

So we thought of getting all of the schools together at the same time.

All of your relatives, your ancestors.

This week is for every one of you.

It's a chance for us to learn in a school setting, more about our own culture, more about our own traditions.

How many of you little guys over here ever got to eat a buffalo tongue?

That's the only food that could taste you back.

(students laughing) (gentle flute music) - Well, welcome everybody.

We're here to process a Buffalo.

As you can see, it takes a lot of work, a lot of teamwork.

A long time ago, we used to use everything on these guys.

Heart lungs, liver, the stomach, the intestines, even the, the male nut sack.

Everything on this buffalo, we use.

- [Man] See how big the buffalo's heart is?

- [Boy] The buffalo provides so much for the Indian people, and not a lot of people do this anymore, butcher the buffalo.

- [Man] That's what they call tripe.

So the inside of the guts.

It's a delicacy.

- It taught me a lot of importance.

They had me over there cutting off every little bit of piece of fat, and just shows me that every part of the buffalo is important, and that nothing goes to waste.

- [Man] This is where our food comes from.

- As I've been told, long ago, the buffalo, and skinning it, and cutting it, and washing it was the woman's job.

And seeing that made me feel happy, in a way.

It made me feel like I was there with them, you know, back in the day.

Knowing that our ancestors do that long ago, and being able to experience that, and someone teaching us how to do that is a nice feeling.

(gentle guitar music) - Everybody in the community is coming together.

Whether they're a part of the native community or not, they're all coming together.

And I think it shows that there's more out there.

And I feel like it opens up their eyes a little bit to who they can be, or what they can do.

(kids shouting) - We don't know some of these kids' lifestyle.

We don't know what kind of home they have.

So right here, school is their safe zone.

This is where they come.

Some of them might come just to get away sometimes.

I guess in our English language, we call it games.

But what I always tell our youth, and even our adults, it's a way of life.

That was our classroom back in time.

Majority of the games that we're playing now, I try to relate to maybe take ourselves back to our teepee days when we used to chase buffalo, when we roamed our land freely.

But when you're there, and you're actually playing, and you're actually enjoying yourself, then you kind of understand more, and it gives you self, some sense of identity.

You're enjoying yourself, but at the same time, you're like, oh man, how did they live a long time ago?

What did they have to do to survive?

This is the coyote or the fox, ready?

(people laughing) Okay now this one, like the deer or the antelope.

So he will be big, and you should be able to hit him.

Here we go.

(people laughing) Eye hand coordination, reflexes, building your lungs up so they can run, talking to two other, you know, expressing their selves, so they're not holding anything in, using their voices.

(people shouting) - [Trenton] We're playing double ball.

It's like lacrosse.

It's like a sock with two balls, and you play it with a stick.

- [Interviewer] And how do you think that was important to the Native American people?

- It was fun.

- I don't know, this teaches you sportsmanship, and how to be a good person, and how to respect people.

- I guess in our olden days, everything was a fun learning, but it taught so much things behind it.

Your patience, your respect, you know, being good to each other, helping each other, loving each other.

- Just playing games like this, sees that there's hope for the future, you know?

- These weeks like Native American Week are really important so we can remind each other how important life is.

This week is not enough time, but I'll take it over anything.

(gentle music) - Most tribes put their teepee to the east, and back here, that's what they call the place of honor.

And what should you do when they come into your teepee?

Feed 'em, that's right.

Why do you feed them, what are you giving them?

Life, exactly, Delray, you're giving them life.

So the first thing you do, is you gotta get, you guys need to go over there and get that canvas, and lay it out.

I need a couple other guys to look, and we want three good poles.

Yeah, go across.

Putting up teepee is a, this is our traditional home.

It's very efficient.

You can take it down, and put it up really quickly.

That's why we're really a communal people is because one person to construct a teepee, it would take a lot of work.

That's kind of why I think it's important to put a teepee together because it's good activity with the kids to put them all together in a circle, and communally put it up.

It's kinda who we are as a people.

How come the biggest guy has got the rope?

(kids laughing) - I was really intrigued in how, knowing that our people did that many years ago, and we were learning from all those experiences.

I have a big imagination.

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time, and be there, and be able to experience all of that for myself.

- Somebody small could get on Delray's shoulders.

Help her now, help her.

- [Mitchrena] It's like you can see it, and you just wanna be there in real life, but you can't because that was a long time ago.

- Quit moving around.

- Pull the stick back some.

- I imagine myself there, and doing those things, and being there, and it's just, I love it.

I don't know how to explain it, it's like a nice feeling to be able to be part of something that could possibly save our culture one day.

(singing in Indigenous language) - If our ways were stronger, I think we'd all be here for one another maybe, if we practiced our ways more, and there wouldn't be so much people being lost.

You know, it's gonna take a people to do it, not just one, not just a few.

You know, we're really trying.

That's what we're trying for, I think.

(singing in Indigenous language) - Who here has known someone suicidal?

Who here has known of someone committing suicide?

How many have ever been in a rainstorm?

How many got dry, and warmed up later?

How cool was that?

- Outside, they were talking about suicide.

I don't think we've ever talked about suicide before.

I've heard that there was going to be assemblies about suicide, but they've never happened.

And so outside, and them talking about suicide is a big deal because nobody's ever done it before.

- What's the first thing you do if you wonder if someone's suicidal?

You ask 'em.

What do you ask 'em?

Are you okay?

Are you suicidal?

We had people that acknowledged right here that they had suicidal thoughts, and it's a very common thought.

I told you earlier- - And it all connects, because it's happening to our people.

And I think if we know who we are, and we know who we're supposed to depend on, and then if we can bring back our culture, I think that we'll be more happier because we're whole again.

So I think it's just one big circle, but it's just a matter of how we're gonna get there.

- Maybe this week has helped certain people, because they're connected again.

Just bring them back to who they are, and what they value for themselves.

- What is happening today is, I think, monumental for the Aaniiih and Nakoda people.

We're all in this together, and trying to raise our people up, and participate in our culture, and know who they are as Anniiih and Nakoda people.

(gentle music) - What did you first learn to do in your culture?

- Dance.

Sing.

- Mm-hmm.

- Talk.

- Why is that so important?

- 'Cause you raised me like that, and it's all I know, mostly.

- Does that make you happy?

- Yes.

- Huh, that's good.

(drums banging) (singing in Indigenous language) - [Interviewer] Camera rolling, action.

Can you please introduce yourself?

(people cheering) (singing in Indigenous language) - [Girl] This is the rez.

- [Boy] They call us ghetto.

- [Girl] Rugged.

- [Boy] Rough.

- [Girl] Poor.

- [Girl] Small town.

- [Girl] Drug abusers.

- [Girl] Bad influences.

- [Girl] Delinquents.

- But that is not who I am.

(inspiring music) I am a brother.

- [Girl] I am a sister.

- [Girl] I am caring.

- [Girl] I am a fighter.

- [Woman] I am a Native American woman.

- [Boy] I want to be someone that can support other people.

- [Girl] I love my people.

I want to be a role model.

- [Girl] Whenn I play basketball, I feel happy, confident, and comfortable.

- [Girl] When I'm dancing, I feel relieved, confident, and Indigenous.

Just dancing all of it out.

- [Girl] I wanna be a nurse, because I wanna help people.

- [Girl] I don't want to fail in my community.

If I could change anything in the world, I would help find justice for the missing and murdered Indigenous women, men, and kids.

- [Girl] I am a survivor.

- [Girl] I am a survivor.

- [Girl] I am a survivor.

- [Boy] I am a survivor.

- [Girl] I am a survivor.

(inspiring music) - Why do we normalize our struggles?

(upbeat piano music) - [Girl] Why do people not wanna learn about our culture anymore?

- [Girl] Why do people have to tear others down?

- [Boy] Why am I so angry?

- Why are there so many single parent families?

- [Girl] Why does the color of our skin matter?

- [Boy] Why are there so many riots?

- [Girl] Why can't people be kind?

(rapping in Indigenous language) ♪ Why is one man rich and another man poor ♪ ♪ Why we ain't satisfied ♪ ♪ When we've never had more ♪ ♪ Why is suicide rates on the rez so high ♪ ♪ Well I'll tell you the truth ♪ ♪ But you say don't lie ♪ ♪ Why is being a good father at an all time low ♪ ♪ Why is it acceptable yo why, I don't know ♪ ♪ While she blame him and he blame her ♪ ♪ It's useless ♪ ♪ Ask yourself this question ♪ ♪ Why you makin' excuses ♪ ♪ Why do parents gotta parent they kids ♪ ♪ While we text and drive ♪ ♪ Not caring how scary it is ♪ ♪ Why is it so hard to forgive ♪ ♪ And leave the past behind ♪ ♪ And if you did, then that's divine ♪ ♪ Why don't you help your brother when you see him fall ♪ ♪ Why do we act like God don't see it all ♪ ♪ Why do we call them Black and white and Asians ♪ ♪ And use labels ♪ ♪ Now that's racism ♪ (rapping in Indigenous language) ♪ Why is there innocent people locked up for life ♪ ♪ While some people can't say nothing nice ♪ ♪ Why do we always gotta question ♪ ♪ What all of them needs ♪ ♪ And why won't you follow your dreams ♪ ♪ Tell me why ♪ ♪ The night when you took my dad ♪ ♪ Why'd you let me see my grandpa cry ♪ ♪ And tell me why ♪ ♪ And why do you choose to hide ♪ ♪ Even though you was born to fly ♪ ♪ And tell me why ♪ ♪ And why do we turn from all the hate ♪ ♪ And why do we learn from our mistakes ♪ ♪ Why do I keep on wrecking these fat beats ♪ ♪ And teachers don't make more than professional athletes ♪ ♪ And why, yeah why ♪ - [Girl] How can the world be better?

♪ Why ♪ - [Boy] I am confident.

♪ Yeah why, yeah why, yeah ♪ - [Girl] I am strong.

- [Boy] I am strong.

(rapping in Indigenous language) - I am strong.

- I am strong.

- I am positive.

- [Group] I am strong.

(gentle flute music) - [Narrator] If you can feel love, laughter, joy, and gratitude, then you will see a beautiful life.

(thunder rumbling) (singing in Indigenous language) - [Girl] I am an insecure teen who thinks that I am a strong young woman as well.

- [Boy] I see myself as someone that isn't gonna make it out of the rez.

- [Girl] I see myself as thoughtful, loving, puts people in front of me before myself.

- [Boy] Something that makes me feel good is basketball.

It makes me forget about all my problems, like there's nothing else in the world I'd rather do.

- [Boy] Improvement is like something that's always made me feel good.

It's just nice to achieve something.

- [Girl] Probably the happiest when I'm around my mom, and my older brothers, knowing they're behind me all the way.

- The thing that makes me mad is my biological father because he chose drinking over me and my siblings.

- What makes me mad is that people have the nerve to call victims of traumatic experiences liars.

- It's hard to say what I do wanna be, but it's easy to say what I don't wanna be.

I just don't wanna be broke, or addicted to anything.

I don't want to be hated by the people I love.

I don't want to be any of that.

- I want to become an actress, so I can meet all the big celebrity Natives.

- I want to become a pediatric nurse because I like working with kids and babies.

- I want to become a college student, because I wanna play basketball.

- I want to become a Dakota teacher, because I want to help with saving the language.

- I wanna be a neurologist for children.

- I want to become a good man, helpful, protective, and hopefully in a stable family.

(inspiring music) - I am a warrior.

- I am a warrior.

- I am a warrior.

(inspiring music)