Monday, February 17, 2020

Missing Natives: "Somebody's Daughter" (film)

Rain, Somebody's Daughter, Jan. 17, 2020; Xochitl, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly


The crisis of missing Native American females
“After watching Somebody’s Daughter many thoughts fevered my brain for hours,” commented Wes Studi, the only Native American actor ever to receive an Oscar.

“The search for a solution begins with first knowing a crisis exists,” Studi continued. The purpose of Somebody’s Daughter is exactly that – to alert the public and lawmakers alike that the murdered and missing indigenous women (MMIW) crisis exists and demands urgent action.

"Somebody’s Daughter is both hauntingly beautiful and emotionally devastating and should be recognized as one of the most important documentaries made on not only MMIW, but also on Indian Country in the twenty-first century" (Native News Online).

For the first time on film, tribal leaders reveal the devastating role of drug cartels and gangs in this crisis. Somebody’s Daughter focuses on higher-profile MMIW cases, some of which were raised during the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs MMIW/MMIP hearing in December 2018.

With historical points of reference, the stories of victims and their families are told through the lens of a legal and jurisdictional maze, revealing the socioeconomic bonds that constrict Indian Country.

Directed by Rain. Executive producer: the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana. Consultant: award-winning actor Georgina Lightning. Cinematography: Alex Robinson.

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