The student documentary also is a selection for screening at
the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne,
Australia, a conference of the world's religious and
spiritual communities that explores interreligious
understanding and cooperation.
"The Chiefs' Prophecy" is part of a
presentation on indigenous rights, issues and spirituality.
The conference takes place from Dec. 3-9.
Notable presenters scheduled for this
conference include Director of the UA Native American
Research and Training Center Dr. Jennie Joe (Navajo Nation),
Chief Oren Lyons (Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation of the
Iroquois Confederacy), and His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
Nobel Prize winner and the head of state and spiritual
leader of the Tibetan people.
"The Chiefs' Prophecy" first aired April
20 on PBS-HD channel 6, in conjunction with the American
Experience documentary series, "We Shall Remain." The film
has since aired on UA Channel and screened at the Gallagher
Theater on the UA campus.
More information on the film including a
video preview available on the Arizona Public Media Web
site.
The Citizen Journalism program from
Arizona Public Media is a community-based series that puts
professional television cameras, methods and production
support into the hands of non-professional citizens who
create films offering personal perspectives on important
topics.
The program's purpose is to introduce
viewers to differing perspectives by presenting as many
points of view as possible.
Filmed on location in Montana's Northern
Cheyenne Nation in December 2008, "The Chiefs' Prophecy:
Survival of the Northern Cheyenne Nation" is a historical
narrative of the leadership of the Northern Cheyenne people.
Killsback tells this story from the people's perspective,
offering a tribal view that would have been impossible to
capture from the outside looking in.
The movie is an inspiring story of
survival and reveals the hope for positive change.
Leo Killsback is a member of the Northern
Cheyenne Nation from Busby, Mont., and is currently a Ph.D.
candidate in the UA's American Indian Studies Program.
Killsback also teaches American Indian Studies classes at
the UA, Tribal Law courses at Tohono O'odham Community
College and Anthropology at Pima Community College.
