A handful of scenes from the visually breathtaking and poignant feature film ‘Lakota Nation vs. United States’ lure the viewer into the vast Midwestern expanse known as the Black Hills: horseback riders galloping in a circle in slow motion on top of a grassy plain, a berry pink, almost crimson, withering sun, and a 1953 Technicolor clip of a white couple expressing their longing for the geographic region.
In the upcoming feature documentary, Lakota Nation vs. United States, co-directors Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli bring a fresh, authentic take on the history of the Black Hills by telling it through the eyes of the Lakota Nation.
The film begins and concludes with the solemn voice of acclaimed Oglala Lakota poet Layli Long Soldier, whose enunciated words evoke a melancholy longing for what has been lost. Clips inserted from varying sources and of different mediums (interviews with Lakota Nation members, animations of Indians sporting headdresses) are seamlessly woven together to paint a comprehensive understanding of historical perceptions – both of the disfigured past and the one the Lakota Nation have of themselves in relation to their land.
Film premiere at IFC Center on June 26, 2023 in New York City
For the Lakota Nation, the Black Hills serve as the backbone of their culture. In the words of executive producer Sarah Eagle Heart, “The Black Hills are Ȟe Sápa, which means the heart of everything that is. It’s our Mecca. For the Oglala Lakota, it’s our birthplace.” In contrast to how the Lakota viewed the land as inextricably linked to spirituality and centuries-old tradition, the capitalist settler state viewed it as nothing more than an extension of manifest destiny. To satisfy the ruthless economic demand for gold, Americans violated the treaties signed less than a century ago, contracts that had formally recognized Indian tribes as nations and protected their rights to land and natural resources.
“[Americans need to] understand that those treaties weren’t made because the Native people were under duress. These treaties were made because they were as strong as the American army. The Battle of Little Bighorn was lost by the United States and the Lakota Nation was protecting themselves from genocide,” emphasizes executive producer Mark Ruffalo. After recognizing that the Indians posed a formidable threat, they continued to enfeeble the Lakota Nation even after encroaching upon their territory and subverting local economies. By establishing boarding schools for Native American children whose main objective was to force them to assimilate to white American culture, American leaders effectively undermined the relationships Lakota members had with each other. Future generations would find it difficult to escape this mindset, even going so far as to refuse to teach the native language to their children in the hopes that it would make assimilation easier.
Co-directors Laura Tomaselli (left) and Jesse Short Bull (right) at the New York City premiere at IFC Center on June 26, 2023
Knowing that these events are often overlooked by other accounts of American history, this documentary hopes to underscore the importance of re-learning American history through the eyes of the people the land belongs to. “[Telling this story] is long overdue. We’ve needed an accurate story, an accurate perspective for a very long time due to Indian tropes – Hollywood stereotypes – of indigenous people in this country,” says impact producer Amber Morning Star Byars. By portraying Native Americans in film as savages, Hollywood producers created opportunities for white Americans to justify their advances as mere self-defense. The misrepresentation spanning decades has led to a lack of awareness of the history surrounding the land, including over some of the most famous national monuments in this country. For example, Mount Rushmore, decorated with the faces of four of the most influential presidents in America, is often renowned for its engineering prowess. Yet what many people may not know, as this film delves into, is that prior to illegal taking of the mountainous range from the Sioux nation, it was (and still is) known by the Lakota people as the Six Grandfathers, just one of the many regions that constitute their sacred home.
Executive producer Mark Ruffalo at the New York City premiere at IFC Center on June 26, 2023
These events do not just live in the past. While the documentary seeks to enlighten viewers on overlooked history, it also frames the impetus for land reclamation movements such as Land Back, giving viewers an understanding of why it is imperative for the American government to make reparations and to give the Black Hills back to the Lakota Nation. Yet this is not an effort limited to those who are part of the Lakota Nation. As executive producer Kathryn Everett says, “Getting the Black Hills back is going to take all of us. We have to follow the lead of the tribal leadership and all of the indigenous activists who have been working on this issue for decades.”
Executive producer Mark Ruffalo also views now as the time for Americans to confront the lessons neglected by history textbooks, and to realize that there is an enormous amount of opportunity to redefine and amend the country’s relationship with the Lakota Nation. “Americans, for us to move forward, in a non-divisive time, it’s time we come to terms with our past. No one here did this, but it did happen, and we can [correct] it now… This is the Native American century. There is so much wisdom to be gained from them… I don’t see us going back. We can’t relearn our ignorance. This is just going to keep unraveling in the most beautiful way.”
‘Lakota Nation vs. United States’ will be released on July 14, 2023 in New York City theatres. Photos taken by IFC Films. Full-length interviews with executive producers Mark Ruffalo, Kathryn Everett, Sarah Eagle Heart, are all available on Instagram: @theknockturnal.
