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 Lincoln, Neb.: Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT) is proud to announce a special presentation on Monday, October 3 during the VisionMaker Film Festival. Standing Bear's Footsteps, on Monday, October 3 from 7-8:30 p.m., will screen with associate producer Princella Parker (Omaha) in attendance at the Merryman Performing Arts Center (225 W 22nd Street). The event is sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Education & Multicultural Education. This screening is open to the public with free admission.
Standing Bear's Footsteps, a production of NET Television for NAPT and PBS, tells the story of the Ponca Nation's exile from Nebraska to the malaria-infested plains of Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. After the banishment, to honor his dying son's last wish to be buried in his homeland, Chief Standing Bear and his small clan set-off on a frigid, six-hundred-mile journey back to their home. En-route, they were arrested and imprisoned at Fort Omaha for leaving the Reservation. Standing Bear and his starving band were about to be sent back to "death country" when a remarkable series of events unfolded. In May 1879, Standing Bear sued the U.S. government for his freedom. His courtroom trial ended with a plea directly to the judge. "My hand is not the same color as yours. If I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand, you too will feel pain. The blood that flows will be the same color. I am a man. The same God made us both." This 60-minute, high-definition documentary interweaves storytellers, re-creations and present-day scenes to explore a little-known chapter in American history.
"This film has much to say about present-day issues of human rights," said Parker.
The general public screening presentation will be preceded by a teacher workshop and pre-screening of Standing Bear's Footsteps (run time: 57 min.) at 5 p.m. CT with Parker also in attendance. Pre-registration is required to attend this pre-screening workshop and is for teachers only--particularly for elementary, language arts, social studies teachers and media/curriculum advisors. To register for the pre-screening event only, contact Peg Kirby at peg.kirby@nebraska.gov.
Held September 30 through October 6 in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney, Nebraska, the Festival will showcase 37 works by Native filmmakers, offer four special screening presentations and culminate in the celebration of NAPT's 35th Anniversary.
To find out more about the fourth biennial VisionMaker Film Festival, to purchase tickets and All Access Passes for your group, or to download the full Festival schedule, visit us online at nativetelecom.org/festival or theross.org. Also, be sure to keep current on Festival announcements by following us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vmfilmfest.
Interested in helping to share Native stories with the world? Become a Friend of NAPT by visiting www.friendsofnapt.org.
About Princella Parker (Omaha)
Parker has worked in every aspect of television and video production. She graduated in 2008 from Creighton University with a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Theatre. She assisted and edited the Native Daughters documentary shot on the Omaha and Santee Indian Reservations with students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a 2008 Chips Quinn Scholar, a multimedia journalist intern for The News Leader in Springfield, Missouri, and has won a Chips Achievement Prize (CAP) Award for best multimedia storytelling. Princella is on the Board of Directors for Hopa Mountain, a non-profit organization that invests in rural and Tribal citizen leaders in the Northern United States.
About NAPT
Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT), a non-profit 501(c)(3) which receives major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, shares Native stories with the world through support of the creation, promotion and distribution of Native media. Founded in 1977, through various media--Public Television, Public Radio and the Internet--NAPT brings awareness of Indian and Alaska Native issues. NAPT operates AIROS Audio, offering downloadable podcasts with Native filmmakers, musicians and Tribal leaders. VisionMaker is the premier source for quality Native American educational and home videos. All aspects of our programs encourage the involvement of young people to learn more about careers in the media--to be the next generation of storytellers. NAPT is located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. NAPT offers student employment, internships and fellowships. Reaching the general public and the global market is the ultimate goal for the dissemination of Native-produced media.
Thank you to our fourth biennial VisionMaker Film Festival Sponsors for making this event possible!
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Nebraska Humanities Council
Nebraska Arts Council & Nebraska Cultural Endowment
Film Streams
Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center
Sheldon Museum of Art
NET Television
Lincoln Journal Star
Region V Systems
University of Nebraska-Omaha Native American Studies Program
The Cornhusker Marriott Hotel
Creighton University's Office of Multicultural Affairs
Southeast Community College
Complete Music
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Native American Studies
Indian Center, Inc.
Nebraska Department of Education
Downtown Lincoln Association
Ho Chunk, Inc.
Lincoln 55+ Seniors Paper
Lincoln Arts Council
Focal Point Publishing
Kauffman & Associates, Inc.
Woodlands National Bank
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Contact: Jessica Kinser, NAPT Marketing Director at jkinser2@unl.edu | 
