“Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective” A Special Film Coming to Arena Theater, May 22
Arena Theater will show the film “Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective” on Sunday, May 22, beginning at 4:00pm. The movie follows five Native American tribes as they restore their traditional land management practices in each of their widely different ecosystems. This, the second of three science films in this grant-funded 2022 Science on Screen Program.
"Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective" explores intentional burning among the Karuk Tribe in California; the return of buffalo on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana; the vigorous revival of Native Hawaiian food forests; and sustainable agricultural practices on Hopi land in Arizona and the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin.
Across coastlines, prairies, forests, and deserts, these practices illustrate the vitality of location-specific sustainable practices. Perhaps even more importantly, they model personal, spiritual relationships within the natural world that powerfully contrast with the dominant cultures’ aggressive assault on nature in the service of consumption.
As the climate crisis escalates, these time-tested practices of North America’s original inhabitants are becoming increasingly essential for these tribes and all of us. At least 32% of the land globally is owned or governed by Indigenous people and other local communities whose cultures and livelihoods are deeply embedded in the land. A detailed analysis by a non-profit consortium and the UN’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre revealed that most of these areas are conserved and in good ecological condition.
Indigenous people are the world’s biggest conservationists, but they rarely get credit for it. This movie helps correct that imbalance. Pomo Tribe members will discuss “Inhabitants” and answer questions from the audience. Admission for this film event is by voluntary donation. .
