DIBAAJIMOWIN SHORTS 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM State Theater
Thursday 3/12 Indigenous Youth Film Day
Q&A
Dibaajimowin is the Ojibwemowin word for the telling of a story. As a foundational element to our cultural traditions, storytelling conveys our essential teachings. Our stories give us insight for how we might continue to brave new challenges with ancestral knowledge.
13m
21m
7m
13m
Bizhiki: A Modern Indigenous Experience Bear Witness Media’s documentary captures Bizhiki’s residency in Cook County, presented by the North Shore Music Association, offering an inside look at their musical artistry, cultural teachings, and the meaningful connections they formed with local students and community members.
Unraveling the Ribbon
Tahnaanooku’
Tiger
For thousands of years, the Indigenous Peoples of what is now known as North and South Dakota co-existed reciprocally with the Missouri River, its waters offering life while also inspiring legends and languages. Tahnaanooku’ explores the severing of this relationship between native communities and the river, the result of over 80 years of US government efforts to control the Missouri.
Dana Tiger was just five years old when her father, legendary Muscogee Creek artist Jerome Tiger, passed away. She turned to his art as a way to know him, the richness of her culture, and the bounty of her family’s artistic tradition.
Explore the deep cultural, spiritual, and political meaning of the Native American ribbon skirt. Worn with pride, each skirt tells a personal and collective story of resilience, identity, and ancestral connection. Once forced underground, the ribbon skirt reemerged after the 1978 Religious Freedom Act, becoming a powerful symbol of Indigenous survival and sovereignty.
Waawaate Programs Sponsored Lunch Panel 12:00 - 1:00 PM at Ely Folk School Chris Jourdain and guests on Indigenous Athletes in Minnesota
11m
15m
AAUW Sponsored Student Lunch 12:00 -1:00 PM at the Ely Community Center With Live Music by Keith Secola and Gary Farmer
Ñuuyii (Earth)
Bdote: A Birthing Island A short that traces the Dakota people's profound connection to Bdote, where the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers meet. Through the lens of Dakota oral histories Bdote delves into the cultural and sacred significance of the island, showcasing the resiliency of Dakota people through generations.
A young man, born and raised in the vastness of the galaxy, lands on an unknown planet. As he
surveys the landscape, he recognises fragments from
ancient stories. Driven by a quiet urgency, he contacts his ship’s command to retrieve archival recordings of the last humans to abandon earth.
10
FOURTH ANNUAL ELY FILM FESTIVAL | MARCH 11-15, 2026
ELYFILMFEST.ORG
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator