TENTSÍTEWAHKWE

genres:

As a young girl, Jessica Shenandoah (Wolf Clan from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation) learned about harvesting medicine and edible plants alongside her mother and grandmother. Contemporary Native Peoples are often separated many generations from their traditional knowledge due to the effects of colonial realities such as boarding school, forced religion, and land theft. In Tentsítewahkwe, the latest film centering Native women by Mohawk filmmaker Katsitsionni Fox, Shenandoah goes on a journey across four seasons and multiple Native territories to connect with other knowledge keepers reviving the land-based wisdom of foremothers in order to return to time-honored practices of pottery making, mat weaving, hide tanning, medicine making, food gathering, and more. Jessica embodies the Mohawk concept of tentsítewahkwe as she picks up knowledge of the old ways, these slow methods of creating and connecting in reciprocity with the Earth.

Credits

Director(s):

Katsitsionni Fox

Producer(s):

Adam Mazo, Tracy Rector, Kavita Pillay, Taylor Hensel

Cast:

Featuring: Jessica Shenandoah, And; Ozzy Bucktooth, Tianna Back, Angela Furguson, Richard Zane-Smith, Nelson Jock, Nihahsennaa Peters, Delia Cook, Tyler Laffin, Jayden Smoke, Donna Rockwell Jock, Quincy Angus, Caleb Musgrave, Grace Barnes, Ranerahtentha Benedict, Kawennahente Clute, Raniehtanawentha Clute, Iakokariio Clute, Konwasennawi David, Katsitsios David, Chrissy Jacobs, Ronwahharani Jacobs, Sodi Horne, Tsiotenhariio Herne, Steven King, Wathahonni Mitchell, Maya Swamp, Alice Thompson, Basil Thompson, Karonhine Thompson, Kyle Thompson, Rose Thompson