Image courtesy of: circleofblue.org
Summary of the Event
The event I went to go see from the ASU Human Rights Film Festival was the film Four Stories About Water (from the Navajo Nation). Pictured below are Navajo Community Liason, Sarah Henio-Adeky (left) and the film's producer/co-director Deborah Begel (right). This film focused on the Uranium poisoning of the Navajo Nation's water supply and how it affected them. As a direct result of the poisoning, animals and children were born with birth defects and this was a detriment to the entire society. With the animals being born with defects, they were not able to be used properly for normal purposes such as milking and eating. This poisoning was a result of improper management by workers in the area, who did not dispose of dug up pollutants.
This film showed those of us in attendance a view of the Navajos that most of us probably did not even know of. It just goes to show that if this is hidden from us, what else is hidden from us? What if this was something that directly influenced our everyday lives? Would we know about it? The improper management by the workers hugely affected the Navajos and should be considered a crime against them.
This film showed those of us in attendance a view of the Navajos that most of us probably did not even know of. It just goes to show that if this is hidden from us, what else is hidden from us? What if this was something that directly influenced our everyday lives? Would we know about it? The improper management by the workers hugely affected the Navajos and should be considered a crime against them.
Deborah Begel
Deborah Begel is the producer/co-director of the film, Four Stories About Water (from the Navajo Nation). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the University of Oregon and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing at Spalding University. For many years, she has been producing news reports, documentaries, literary programs, and public service announcements that have garnered national attention. From 1999-2001, she worked with teachers at the National Writing Project to develop Rural Voices Radio, a series of 14 half-hour programs featuring students reading their own stories, poems and essays about place. She has received awards for her productions from the Corporation for the Public Broadcasting and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, among others.
Information courtesy of: hsc.unm.edu/pharmacy/healthyvoices/about
Image courtesy of: www.rootsandmedicine.com/behind
Information courtesy of: hsc.unm.edu/pharmacy/healthyvoices/about
Image courtesy of: www.rootsandmedicine.com/behind
Sarah Henio-Adeky
Sarah Henio-Adeky (far right) is a Navajo community liason. This photograph was taken in front of an eight-sided Navajo home known as a hogan, which was built for meetings and classrooms to provide learning about sheep and cultural and environmental knowledge. In addition to being the liason, she is also a cultural interpreter for the Ramah Navajo Weavers Association. Sarah's mother, Katie Henio, is one of the weavers involved in this association. The wool comes from their own sheep that they have fought to be able to own the rights to. Sarah does not have much faith in the people "trying" to aid in the future of the Navajo community. She sees the projects as short term solutions that will not solve the long term issues. Her view is that the Navajo people should come together and bring themselves back up to a good status.
Information and image courtesy of: indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com
Information and image courtesy of: indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com