Chinook Nation Begins to Buy Tansy Point Land

So excited this is happening! You can continue donating to the Chinook Indian Nation as they purchase more of the surrounding Tansy Point land and save up for important restoration work.

From the Daily Astorian: 

“The Chinook plan a cultural center similar to the Cathlapotle Plankhouse built in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge at the site of a former Chinookan village once visited by the Corps of Discovery.

“We are putting in grants for building structures out there, like a plankhouse and a utility structure,” said Rachel Cushman, secretary and treasurer for the tribe. “Hopefully, we can do some environmental restoration work out there as well (and) not just have it be another building site, but stream restoration and habitat restoration.”

How that restoration looks is yet to be determined, Johnson said. The Chinook continue fundraising through a GoFundMe page titled, “Preserve Tansy Point Treaty Grounds.”

The Chinook will also reach out to Warrenton and the Port of Astoria about expanding access to local plants such as basketgrass and other natural resources, Johnson said.”

Continue to support the Chinook here:

https://www.gofundme.com/preserve-tansy-point-treaty-grounds

New Trailer and Screening Dates for the Film!

We're so excited to show you the film's first official trailer (the one that's been up online for the last few years was just created for grant purposes while the film was in-production.) 

We finished the film this spring and we can't wait to show it to you this fall. We're so pleased to announced that it's been accepted to the 19th Annual Local Sightings Film Festival, Joshua Tree International Film Festival, the 12th Annual Ellensburg Film Festival, on top of many exciting regional shows we have planned. 

We will have dates and ticket information up on the site by the end of the week, but until then, I hope you enjoy the trailer and start thinking of ways to write your representatives (Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell spring to mind) to advocate for these tribes in the Pacific Northwest.

Off the road again...

Last Tuesday, while on a road trip up and down the coast filming, we celebrated our one year anniversary working on our documentary, Promised Land. We’ve met so many great people along the way and while we wrap production in July, we know we’ve made lifelong friends up and down the coast.

We can’t wait to share this story of the Duwamish and Chinook nations fight for sovereignty with the world. Their fight for federal recognition is an important story not just for the Pacific Northwest, but for the country at large as we, as a country, consider how we honor our promises, our past and how we move forward into our future together. When we look at one small story of these regional tribes; one still lead by the descendants of Chief Seattle, the other led by the descendants of those who fed and sheltered Lewis and Clark and controlled trade up and down the coast as the West was settled; we find we’re looking through a key hole at a larger story that connects us all: the immigrants and indigenous alike. 

Consider contributing (tax-deductible donation!) to the film here. We’ll thank you in the film credits and you can be an important part of this filmmaking endeavor: http://www.sffs.org/filmmaker360/project-development/promised-land#.U3v64lhdXIX

Sponsored by San Francisco Film Society!

We’re really excited to announce that our film, Promised Land, has been sponsored by the amazing San Francisco Film Society. We’re so honored to have access to their resources, partnership and advice as we work on our documentary.

This has been an exciting journey so far, but it’s also been rough. Doing anything you love is hard because it takes all of you: all of your time, all of your resources, and most of all, your heart. You put all that you have of yourself into a creative work, and that can leave you feeling pretty vulnerable. That’s why it’s been wonderful, and an unbelievable privilege to ally with such a great force in the filmmaking world. We’re ecstatic moving forward with this amazing story having such a great vote of confidence in this film in place.

Here is the San Francisco Film Society page on our project! There’s a blurb up about the film, and a place to donate. It just means a lot to be listed on their site. The Hollywood Reporter did a fantastic article on San Francisco Film Society and how it’s become a game-changer for the film world in the last few years. Seriously, have I mentioned that we’re excited about this partnership? If I haven’t, let me know. I can keep on repeating myself.

What’s next for us? We have a lot of exciting things in the works, but we’re continuing to be tactful about when we release the full information about the film until we’ve reached a certain point in production. What you can look out for is our first trailer, which should be released within the next month!

Stay tuned and thanks for your support!

Cross-posted on sarahsamudre.tumblr.com