Sky Woman Women Film Screening - Office of Inclusion & Belonging
Nov 20, 2024 5:30pm-8:00pm
Mukaiyama University Room, Frame-Westerberg Commons
On November 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons, there was a special screening and premiere of Sky Woman Women, a powerful film by Dara Friedman. In observance of Native American Heritage Month, this event will feature fellowship, food, and a post-screening panel discussion featuring the film's director, Dara Friedman. Sky Woman Women explores themes of identity, culture, and the resilience of Native women. Don't miss this unique opportunity to engage with the film and its creators in an intimate and thought-provoking setting.
Film Description:
The “Sky Woman Women” project holds space for eighteen women storytellers from Mohawk, Seneca and Tuscarora tribal affiliations (enrolled, unenrolled, and not enrolled), telling and retelling the story of Sky Woman to each other. The conversation happens in the round, as the women discuss and unpack the teachings of the story on a personal level. The circular structure includes the viewer as part of the conversation. The telling of this Haudenosaunee creation story is an oral tradition primarily told by men. One aspect that is unique to this project is that our filmed conversation holds space for a multi-generational collective of women between the ages of 8 and 80.
This film actively works to remove the dam of knowledge to this powerful indigenous philosophy so that it can flow freely offering guidance. The tellings are informed and relevant, working to deal with anxiety that springs from moving into an uncertain future and needing to create-- as we all do. Throughout the course of the film, we become aware that learning and change at an individual and societal level begins with people coming together and talking, as happens in an oral tradition.
The Sky Woman creation story is about a pregnant woman falling through a hole in the sky, who, with courage and gratitude, creates a whole world from a handful of dirt. The story acts as a guide from a woman’s perspective in dealing with the natural world and maintaining balance within it, by acknowledging our kinship, inter-dependence and co-creation with the plants and animals that sustain us.
With assistance from the 2024 Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grant in partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Chef Lo's biography:
Lorinda John was born and raised in the Cattaraugus Territory of the Pinewoods Community.
Chef Lo's culinary journey began at four when she learned to create delicious meals alongside her mom. In May 2023, Chef Lo graduated with an associate degree in Culinary Arts from Erie Community College. She is currently a Senior at Buffalo State University, studying Hospitality and Tourism with a concentration in Restaurant Management. After graduation, Chef Lo will continue her education and obtain a Master's in Food Sustainability from the CIA in Hyde Park, NY.
Chef Lo has had the joy and honor of curating meals for the Haudenosaunee Men's Lacrosse Team and museum exhibition openings, assisting in disaster relief with World Central Kitchen, and sharing her Indigenous culture through food wherever possible. To find out more about Chef Lo, please visit her LinkedIn profile.
Recipes:
Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese