Native American Heritage Month Programming on PBS SoCal Honors An Inspiring Lineup of Indigenous Trailblazers Focusing on Their Cultural Impact
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Los Angeles, CA – October 16, 2024 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS organization, announced today a specially curated lineup of programs to honor the diverse narratives of Indigenous peoples across the country for Native American Heritage Month. Throughout the month of November, several programs will spotlight Indigenous peoples and trailblazers dedicated to protecting and preserving the cultural identities of various tribes. All-new content includes the special THE ELECTRIC INDIAN which follows a hockey legend’s journey from stardom to cultural reclamation as well as AND KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP US which spotlights an Alaskan camp that supports the next generation of Indigenous youth. Additionally, PBS fans will be thrilled to see a new episode from LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA where PBS cooking icon Lidia Bastianich meets award-winning chef Sean Sherman to learn how Indigenous food practices preserve cultural identity. Regional stories kick off the month starting on Sun, Nov. 3 on PBS SoCal Plus with PBS SoCal’s locally produced Original Emmy® award-winning documentary series TENDING NATURE with two, 30-minute, back-to-back episodes of TENDING NATURE every Sunday at 6 p.m. in November.
THE ELECTRIC INDIAN is all-new to the PBS schedule and is a personal story of resilience and self-discovery from Ojibwe hockey legend Henry Boucha. A standout player from Warroad, Minnesota, Boucha had a successful start playing with the NHL for the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings as well as representing the U.S. in the 1972 Olympics. He faced a life-changing on-ice assault that resulted in a debilitating eye injury and a controversial court case. Temporarily lost without his hockey career, he embarked on a journey of healing and cultural reclamation to rediscover his true self off the ice. THE ELECTRIC INDIAN premieres on Sun., Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
During Native American Heritage Month, popular award-winning chef and Italian immigrant Lidia Bastianich embarks on a culinary journey across America in a new episode of LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA where she meets award-winning chef, author, activist and Oglala Lakota Sioux member Sean Sherman who discusses the importance of Indigenous food knowledge. As the founder of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS), Sherman explains the ways his nonprofit and other various groups around the country collect traditional techniques, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous food practices and how that knowledge can benefit greater society. LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA: “Changemakers” premieres on Tues., Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Two new documentary specials explore how Indigenous communities are coping in the aftermath of historical oppression, highlighting their efforts toward reclaiming their identities. AND KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP US, premiering on Sun, Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus, spotlights an Alaskan camp on Kodiak Island that supports the next generation of Sugpiat youth. The Akhiok Kids Camp has been instrumental in revitalizing the Sugpiat culture and the knowledge cultivated by their ancestors for more than 7,500 years, forging a path toward a more positive future.
Additionally, the INDEPENDENT LENS documentary series brings audiences the story of the historical trauma caused by U.S. Indian boarding schools. A delegation of Northern Arapaho tribal members journeyed from Wyoming to Pennsylvania to retrieve the remains of three children who died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the 1880s. This significant journey confronts the painful legacies and quest for justice to heal generational wounds within their community. INDEPENDENT LENS: “Home from School: The Children of Carlisle” premieres on Sat, Nov. 9 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
A highlight of the schedule relevant to Southern California viewers includes weekly encore broadcasts of PBS SoCal’s Original Emmy® award-winning, locally produced series TENDING NATURE, shining a light on the environmental knowledge of indigenous peoples across California by exploring how the state’s Native peoples have actively shaped and tended the land for millennia, and in the process developed a deep understanding of plant and animal life. Produced in partnership with the Autry Museum of the American West, PBS SoCal Plus will premiere two, 30-minute, back-to-back episodes of TENDING NATURE every Sunday in November starting Sun, Nov. 3 with a special airing of the one-hour special TENDING NATURE: “Indigenous Land Stewardship” on Sun, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m.
Beloved PBS series ANTIQUES ROADSHOW and FINDING YOUR ROOTS will also pay homage to the month with rich histories and personal stories of Native American artists. A new episode of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: “Celebrating Native American Heritage” showcases the art and artifacts from Indigenous creators and history makers from a Sioux beaded vest to a Carrie Bethel basket, all valued between $75,000 to $150,000 premiering on Mon., Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal. While FINDING YOUR ROOTS: “Fathers and Sons” features Native American actor, film producer and activist Wes Studi (“Dances with Wolves,” “The Last of the Mohicans”) of the Cherokee Nation, as he learns more about his estranged father and family histories. The episode of FINDING YOUR ROOTS premieres on Sat, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Additional digital content at pbssocal.org/nativeamerican will continue to highlight the contributions of Indigenous peoples in America who have deeply enriched the quality and character of Southern California. The content offers a broad array of topics from various community perspectives and distinct Indigenous tribal groups.
Included in the lineup for Native American Heritage Month are the following series, specials and documentaries that will be telecast as follows (*subject to change*):
TENDING NATURE: “Indigenous Land Stewardship” – Sun, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The one-hour special honors the Indigenous knowledge in a broader context: as a way of life. This way of life centers around resilience, revival and renewal.
TENDING NATURE: “Rethinking The Coast with the Ti’at Society” – Sun, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Climate change and urban development have significantly altered ocean conditions and our ability to access the coast, making it more and more difficult for the Tongva tribe to carry on their long-held seafaring traditions.
TENDING NATURE: “Holistic Healing with the Syuxtun Collective” – Sun, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Scientists and doctors are embracing alternative concepts that Indigenous peoples have practiced for thousands of years, by using medicinal plant knowledge that informed much our pharmacopeia.
CARA ROMERO: FOLLOWING THE LIGHT – Mon., Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Wed., Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Contemporary fine art photographer Cara Romero's work captures Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural memory, collective history and lived experiences from a Native American female perspective. This documentary features interviews with Cara and those closest to her, shows behind-the-scenes footage of her shoots and looks at the rich California Indigenous history that informs her work.
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: “Celebrating Native American Heritage” – Mon., Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
Celebrate the art and artifacts from Indigenous creators and history makers. Discover which items – a Sioux beaded vest, ca. 1876, a Ruth Muskrat Bronson archive or a Carrie Bethel basket – turned out to be valued between $75,000 to $150,000.
NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER: “Embracing Duality: Modern Indigenous Culture” – Wed, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
In partnership with electronic music pioneers The Halluci Nation, R&B artist Martha Redbone, and performance artist Ty Defoe, The Kennedy Center explores the impact and evolution of indigenous performing arts cultures.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS: “Fathers and Sons” – Sat, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi—two men who grew up without their fathers. With few clues to guide him, Gates introduces them to ancestors they’ve never known—revealing connections to key moments in history.
INDEPENDENT LENS: “Home from School: The Children of Carlisle” – Sat, Nov. 9 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Northern Arapaho tribal members travel from Wyoming to Pennsylvania to retrieve the remains of three children who died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the 1880s.
TENDING NATURE: “Restoring the River with the Yurok, Hupa and Karuk” – Sun, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The environmental costs of timber extraction and damming have reached a tipping point in the North Coast region of California.
TENDING NATURE: “Managing Groundwater with the Paiute” – Sun, Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
California’s Native peoples have lived with drought cycles for millennia and today, the Paiute are shepherding conversations around access to water resources, raising key questions about how our snowpack, streams and aquifers are used and maintained.
NATIVE BALL: LEGACY OF A TRAILBLAZER - Wed., Nov. 13 at 8:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A Native American girl uses basketball as a ticket to college and helping others.
THE ELECTRIC INDIAN - Sun., Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Wed., Nov. 27 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
Henry Boucha, a member of the Ojibwe Nation and hockey legend, made his mark on the ice playing in the NHL and the 1972 USA Olympic hockey team. An on-ice assault and injury ended his athletic career leading him on an unexpected journey of healing and cultural reclamation.
TENDING NATURE: “Guarding Ancestral Grounds with the Wiyot” – Sun, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The Wiyot Tribe from present-day Humboldt County have fought a long and hard battle for recognition and restored access to their land, including regaining ownership of traditional ceremonial grounds on Tululwat, an island in Arcata Bay.
TENDING NATURE: “Preserving the Desert with NALC” – Sun, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Native peoples have long lived in the desert and their understanding of the desert’s fragility has made them one of the region’s most outspoken protectors.
NATIVE AMERICA: “From Caves to Cosmos” – Thurs., Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Ancient wisdom and modern science try to uncover the 15,000-year-old question of who were America's First Peoples. The answer hides in Amazonian cave paintings, Mexican burial chambers, New Mexico's Chaco Canyon and waves off California's coast.
NATIVE AMERICA: “Nature to Nations” – Thurs., Nov. 21 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore the rise of great American nations. Investigate lost cities in Mexico, a temple in Peru, a potlatch ceremony in the Pacific Northwest and a tapestry of shell beads in upstate New York whose story inspired our own democracy.
NATIVE AMERICA: “Cities of the Sky” – Thurs., Nov. 21 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore the creation of some of the ancient world’s largest and most splendid cities including American urban centers that bloomed from the Mexican jungle, a massive multi-cultural city in Central Mexico that is among the largest urban centers in history and the capital of South America’s greatest empire.
NATIVE AMERICA: “New World Rising” – Thurs., Nov. 21 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Discover how resistance, survival and revival reveals Native American cultural continuity in the face of genocidal warfare and history’s worst demographic devastation. Native Americans tap 10,000 years of beliefs to fight and survive the forces of Conquest.
AND KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP US – Sun, Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Every year at Cape Alitak on Kodiak Island in southern Alaska, Sugpiat kids gather for Akhiok Kids Camp to connect with each other and celebrate the knowledge their ancestors cultivated for more than 7500 years.
TENDING NATURE: “Reclaiming Agriculture with the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation” – Sun, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
For the Yocha Dehe people, who have lived in California’s Capay Valley for more than 15,000 years, local food production and deep knowledge of plant diversity sustained them for millennia. Using olives, a fruit of Spanish colonization, the Yocha Dehe people are combining ecological knowledge with modern science to rethink community-centered agri-business using sustainability practices that include high-efficiency irrigation.
TENDING NATURE: “Cultivating Native Foodways with the Cultural Conservancy” – Sun, Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The commodification of food has led to a bottom-line approach that has disconnected people from their food sources entirely. The Cultural Conservancy, an inter-tribal organization headquartered on Ohlone land in modern-day San Francisco, is revitalizing Indigenous knowledge by inviting us to re-engage with the land, honor heirloom seeds, grow clean food and medicines, and decolonize our foodways.
LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA: “Changemakers” – Tues., Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Italian-American cooking icon Lidia Bastianich meets Oglala Lakota Sioux chef and author Sean Sherman to discuss Indigenous cuisine.
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