♪ music playing ♪ >> coming up, we hear about this year's american i indian film festival and meet one of its film makers. and we get a preview of a new novel from an ojibwe author that is hitting bookstores this week. join us for those interviews, plus headlines on the "ict newscast." ♪ music playing ♪ >> this program is made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. a private corporation funded by the american people. >> the "ict newscast" is sponsored by the indian land tenure foundation aircraft nonprofit organization serving

american indian nations and people in the recovery and control of their rightful home lands on the web at iltf.org. >> support for the "ict newscast" with aliyah chávez comes from the arizona pbs studios in phoenix at the walter cronkite school of journalism and mass communication at arizona state university. ♪ music playing ♪ ♪ music playing ♪ >> ah meh dawa, hopa. thank you for joining us! i'm aliyah chavez. the u.s. infant mortality rate rose 3% last year, the largest increase in two decades. a new report from the centers for disease control and prevention shows significant death rate increases for white and native american infants, infant boys and babies born at 37 weeks or earlier.

u.s. infant deaths surpassed 20,500 in 2022. that's 610 higher than in 2021. the national average climbed from 5.44 to 5.6 deaths, per 1,000 live births. for american indian and alaskan natives the increase was even higher, from 7.46 to 9.06 infant deaths, per 1,000 live births in 2022. the report did not try to answer whether the data is a one-year statistical blip or the beginning of a trend. >> we go now to hawai'i where activists and environmentalists have won a battle against the u.s. military. the military has been draining a leaky jet fuel storage facility for years, creating risks to a critical source of drinking water on o'ahu. in november 2021, about 93,000 people were exposed to jet contaminated water at

17,000 gallons leaked from the facility and at least 3300 gallons contaminated the navy's drinking boughter system, about 2,000 people got sick and over a dozen were hospitalized with some of the children being sick for up to a month. last month, five navy admirals received official rebukes for their mishandling of the crisis. the extent of the spill and the mishandling of the situation gave rise for calls to empty the tanks. the process is now underway and will take three months for all the fuel to be sent down three miles of pipeline to a pier at pearl harbor, where it will be loaded onto tankers and sent elsewhere. >> moving to nebraska, a new, but much-needed hire, is hoping to tackle the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people in the state. oglala lakota citizen grace johnson has been hired as the liaison for m.m.i.p. for the state's attorney general's office. she will coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies to report and investigate cases. previously, she worked with both

the great plains tribal leaders health board and the nebraska indian child welfare coalition board. according to a 2020 report with the nebraska state patrol, a majority of missing native americans in the state are males under the age of 17 years old. the position is funded by the nebraska state legislature. >> moving to new mexico, there has been a new development in the state's approach to m.m.i.p. the missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives task force was ended by governor michelle lujan grisham's administration in a quiet fashion. the task force has not met since may. this comes after multiple members publicly opposed the nomination of former san ildefonso pueblo governor james mountain to be the head of the indian affairs department, which the task force is a part of. mountain was accused of rape in 2007. he was indicted the following year on charges of kidnapping and aggravated battery. the case was dismissed in 2010 after prosecutors said they did

not have sufficient evidence for him to stand trial. the governor's press secretary, caroline sweeney, did not answer a question about whether the task force member's opposition to mountain was a factor in ending the task force. instead, sweeney, told new mexico in depth that the task force already achieved its objectives. >> well, a seasonal display is highlighting a social dance for all to see. the gourd-geous display contains 100 carved pumpkins tha highlight the haudenosaunee smoke dance. the pumpkins are part of the pumpkin-ferno exhibit in upper canada village ontario. the social dance focuses on fast footwork, artistic flair, and athleticism. the pumpkins were created in collaboration with the akwesasne mohawk community to better connect the two neighbors. this is the second year that pumpkin-ferno has worked with the community, with last year's event featuring carvings of the legendary deer lady.

the event also had native north american travelings college for a display themed around legends of our land. and those are the headlines for the "ict newscast." ♪ music playing ♪ >> this year is the 48th annual american indian film festival. ict's paris wise got the schedule of events from its executive director and an exclusive interview with one of the filmmakers up for awards. take a look. >> i am the executive director of the american indian film festival and we have been around since 1975. we started in seattle, washington. the festival is actually started by my father, michael smith, who passed in 2018. but, you know, i have been working along with him since i was born. i was born into the film festival. and, you know, learned from him, watched, you know, how he, you

know, presented the festival to the community. the festival has always been community based and he moved the festival from seattle to san francisco in 1977. and we have been showcasing programs every year since then. and so we are now on our 48th festival season so we are really excited. this year there are nearly 60 films, shorts, music videos, docs, up for awards as well. can you give us a little overview some of these projects people will see and some of the creatives behind them? >> from the third through the eighth, we are showcasing films at two venues, which is one is at the young museum in golden gate park and then also at the san francisco public library and i all of the films -- a bulk of the films that are presented at the public library are all free to the community and so we, you know, we welcome everybody to come out.

that's a total of 15 programs, free programs. and some programs have up to about eight films in them. and a lot of the films that are going to be shown throughout are nominated for our awards, which is a features documentary, music video animation, and so, you know, we have -- we have some incredible films this year, you know, bonds of crows by by e cléments, crows i gale marie. one of the filmmakers we have is jack koehler and cade i doors film on gift of fear. >> i am so glad you mentioned that, because jack koehler is here to join us, hi, jack, thank you so much for being here. >> hi, thank you for having us. >> tell us about your film "the gift of fear." >> "gift of fear" dealings with the murdered and missing indigenous women's issue we started doing the documentary

and we realized the only way to reach a mass group of people, especially non-nasties was to make a narrative feature something that was he enterg but still got the point across about this issue, that a lot of people don't mo know b it'sa young native girl, milley who is a foster youth whose mother was -- was missing and murdered indigenous woman. and so she's growing up and looking for identity, a place to belong, and unfortunately she's leaning towards the gang life. because she wants a family. and her social worker pulls her out of the gang life. but then that is where the conflict comes in and she gets -- one her good friends gets kidnapped and is being forced into the human trafficking area, which is quite often happens with a lot of young native girls and also foster youth. so we deal with that issue you. and we also -- we are trying to rent the mmu, which is the missing and murdered unit, which

was created by deb holland around our secretary of the interior. and we are trying to put it out there as something that is actually going out and doing something positive about this issue, this crisis that has been going on since pocahontas, pocahontas was probably one of the first documented mmiw cases in america. that whole pocahontas theme has been romanticized and sort of whitewashed and so we are trying to -- we are trying to give another perspective through a narrative film. i have had lots of films in the american indian film fest valve my very vice documentary won the best documentary award which was "river of renewal." from there i started creating more and more it was a good catalyst that film and that was back in the -- 2008. and so, you know, film making is a good way, a good outlet and a

good way for native americans to tell their story. their history, which oftentimes is not presented properly and hollywood hasn't been a very good job -- done a very good job in the past of representing native american history, life, crises, and so i think as native american filmmakers that's what we need to do. we need to tell the true story of what happened. >> since you are returning to this festival. what does being a part of it this yermín to you? >> we always look forward to the festival every year. i miss michael smith a lot. seeing him at the festival and being there and it's always good to see all of the new talent coming out. and representing native americans all over the country and seeing old friends and being with good friends like mattia. >> mattia, can you tell us more about what will be happening over the course of the nine days, in addition to the awards

and the screens of these films? >> actually on the evening the 9th, we are going to be presenting our fireside chat we are super excited about that. it will be at berkeley city, berkeley. they have been wonderful in welcoming us and wanting to host the event there. the event is going to take place starting at 6:30. and will start with a reception, we are going to have a little indian market and then a little later on in the evening we'll have an hour-long sit down with janice, with -- she's the actress from "reservation dog" and "rutherford falls" and it will be hosted by local east bay comedian jacky who is with good medicine comedy that much will be followed by a funders panel

which will take place in san francisco at the magic theater the following day. and we have participation by an itbs member from san francisco, vision maker media member and other representatives in san francisco, these three individuals will talk about funding opportunities within their collective organizations and they all have connections, you know in, broadcasting and so this is a really good opportunity for filmmakers merging filmmakers to just come and listen and learn about the opportunities and television broadcast that evening. we are excited about another project that we are hosting, it is the premier of marvel's new series called "echo." it's one of marvel's newest superhero series that follows a heroin named my a lópez from the choctaw nation. and the next day we finalize our festival with the annual awards

show take place saturday november 11th at the california academy of science and it begins at 6:30. so there are a couple of level of tickets if you want to come and experience the whole night or just come for the awards show, you know, you have that option. it should ab guide night. we have two comedians hosting at wards air mountain, bringing back jacky and also a mead comedian from los angeles his name is ty leclaire. the 40th annual american indian physical think festival takes place november 3-11th in san francisco if you would like to check out you the please visit our website at aifiss.com. and we'll see you there. >> thank you, guys so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> thank you. ♪ music playing ♪

♪ music playing ♪ >> a new novel from an ojibwe author is in bookstores this week. “a song over miskwaa rapids” is from bois forte citizen linda legarde grover. ict's shirley sneve interviewed her recently. >> it's identify fourth fiction book and they most -- they center around a fictional reservation and band in northern minnesota. it's fictional, but it's very much like -- it's very much like the lands that my family is from, bois forte and also grand portage in fan due lack. so it's like that, but it's fiction. >> sure, it is. [ laughter ] >> you must have modeled the characters on some folks you know or stories you heard? [ laughter ]

>> you know, david troyer has a book that i admire it's a novel called "prudence." and so somebody asked him too, because it's set in walker, minnesota and they are saying, you know, what part here is really happened and stuff and he said, i made it all up. [ laughter ] >> birds have a lot of symbolism in all native cultures, right? and for you guys, mig see is one of those, but the robin seems to be the messenger in your book. tell me about the robin. >> the robin takes care of stories of old stories. and so communicates them to the, you know, to their -- to other robins and that is their kind of their sacred trust here. and so they keep the stories. they care for them. they observe what's going on, and so that saturdays ads to the story. and then it passes on to another generation. and so, yeah, they -- they are

kind of -- they are not as noticeable i guess, a bird, but they -- but they do know the stories. and the female robins, actually i read quite a bit about older women in this book and female ran ins as it is everywhere in the bird and animal world are not as colorful and splashy as the mails. at the same time they are the underpinnings of existence here. and just, a you know, female humans are. >> there is a lot of humor in the book and and the interplay between those who are in this world and those who have passed on i think is a delightful read. i don't want to give too much away. but the way the aunties come together with their lawn chairs i think is just charming. [ laughter ] >> well, you know, my aunt, she's, you know, she's in the

next world herself and has been for quite eye while. but she used to talk in that way. so i enjoyed having those ladies come to the book here. and i remember she used to say on the fourth day the -- after someone dies, the spirit arrives in the next destination. but she the, yet at the same time, they are still among us all the time. it's a leap of faith and something that i sang pretty easy leap for native people in the way that we -- the way that we see the world and have the world shown to us. and so i had her in mind when the ladies made their appearance here in this book. but to me, the story, the land itself is the -- not just the

backdrop, but actually the large entity in the story is, you know, the people in northeastern minnesota. living on that land and great changes taking place in their community. and yet the terrain, though we may change the terrain and there is -- there is something in my newest book about changes e terrain and human made inroads on things that you just go, well, is that really a good thing? but at the same time, i think that the land itself, the terrain around us, i mean, not just the earth, the water, everything, is so much larger and more powerful than we are. and have us there what breeds life into them is the creator, great spirit. and so we are really kind of frail and futile as we do things, just the same, this is

what we have now. we have our -- we have our -- you know, we are -- i think we are fortunate, you know, that we -- that we still have reservation lands. i mean, we -- i mean, those of us who are not obliterated. we are thankful for this every day. and at the same time, i think that traditionally we have felt, you know, just as the robin is about the stories, our task has been to appreciate and to care for what we have been given, which is -- which is the -- you know, the mother earth that we walk upon. so that's a big part of this story. and in all of my books then, what is happening up there, a treaty happens in earlier books, people have to locate torque move there and then the characters in the books experience the things that all of us have. i mean, the boarding schools, the education policies, the --

the termination policies of the '50s through the late '80s all the programs associated with these things and then, of course, the -- the larger degree of travel is sovereignly anf determination, and is -- a lot show that it's not a perfect world and we are not perfect beings in it either. we -- we still must deal with -- deal with things in the contemporary world and it can be a struggle sometimes. you know, how do we maintain what we really have been taught is our -- is our duty to continue in a world that changes so much. linda legarde grover's new book, “a song over miskwaa rapids” is out november 7th.

♪ music playing ♪ ♪ music playing ♪ >> well, a group of native hawaiians are working together to save a species of a tree that holds deep cultural significance to the island's history ict's demi dupavillon has the story. >> teams rushed to keep a famous banyan tree alive in the heart of lahaina. it has been a tourist landmark and a symbol for outsiders. but there is another story, one that peels away a layer of colonialism. a small group of arborists, farmers, and landscapers argue that the attention given to the banyan tree was misplaced. seeing the banyan tree lifted up which is a symbol of colonialism, you know, was planted by an individual who was a key figure in the

overthrow of the hawaiian kingdom, is a symbol of you know, tourism and kind of hawaii as america's playground. you know, is a symbol of a lot of the things, the mistakes i guess, that we're hoping are not repeated. >> the fire also nearly wiped out another set of trees. ones that sustained polynesian voyagers about a thousand years ago. as maui recovers from the deadliest u.s. wildfire in more than a century, some hawaii natives have made it their mission to save these trees. >> as our ancestors spread out across the islands they were cloning these trees and moving them around. they're sterile, so you can't grow them from seed. so every pre-european ulu tree in hawaii is believed to be a clone of itself. you know, these trees are not

necessarily genetically unique, but they are unique in the sense that they hold the stories of that place. >> deep in the roots of badly burned specimens is live tissue that can be used to clone new ulu trees. researchers believe they were carried across the ocean by polynesian voyagers before arriving on the island. ulu trees can grow to 60 feet tall and produce hundreds of pounds of breadfruit, typically eaten cooked with a starchy taste. >> the work we are trying to do is first and foremost to up sure that the had historical tre on and their genealogy lives on throughout the historical footprint of lahaina. >> that was he had know botanist who has bread fruit trees on his farm i thes reintegrating bread fruit into the at that train ca

reingrate the of the town and feet it too. >> it's so tasty. paprika and hawaiian salt it's the best. >> as plant life is found through the roots, samples are clerked and sent to the lan of the university of hawaii in hil hilo. lincoln projects hundreds of new trees could grow from seeds or saplings. >> and so when a disaster like this happens and potentially wipes out the last remaining trees that date back to pre-contact times that are a reminder that, you know, the lahaina of today and the lahaina of the past hundred years is not the lahaina that was always there. it was quite different in the past. and that's really important to remember because it reminds us that it can be different in the future as well. >> the groups saving these ulu trees are restoring hawaiian values. they hold the history of lahaina's past and hope for its

future. reporting for "ict news," i'm demi dupavillon. >> volunteers are trucking in water, applying compost extract and testing soil to revive the trees. >> and that's a lights of you are indigenous world to feel all of the latest visit u.s., from all of us in the newsroom, stay safe my relatives. ♪ music playing ♪ ♪ music playing ♪ >> this program is made possible

by the corporation for public broadcasting. a private corporation funded by the american