The Goldbelt Heritage Foundation will hold a special screening of the film, Herring Protectors on Wednesday, July 12th at the Goldtown Nickelodeon Theater in Juneau. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. and is free to the public.
Yaa at wooné (Respect for all things) – This film, directed by Lee House and Kash’eechtlaa Louise Brady, will share the way of life and original instructions that are rooted to the herring in Lingít Aaní. The film takes viewers through five parts (the Herring, History, Harvest, Risk, and Ceremony) to show the importance of herring for thousands of years, the risks they currently face, and envision a way forward that centers Indigenous sovereignty.
Yee eedé tooshí áa (We sing to you) – This film, by Xéetl’ee Katelyn Stiles and Ḵ’asheechtlaa Louise Brady, centers the Lingít harvest process of g̱áax’w [Herring eggs] on Hemlock branches and the voices of Herring Ladies as we prepare for the Yaaw Koo.eex’ [Herring Celebration], fighting to protect our Yaaw relatives through song, dance, protest, ceremony, and harvest. This film supports our Kax̲átjaasháa X’óow [Herring Lady Robes], which were created in 2021 as new at.óow [ceremonial objects or relatives], holding our ancestors and the oral history of the first woman to call to Yaaw.
After the two twenty-five-minute films, there will be a brief panel discussion centered on the importance of herring. Panelists include Forest Haven, Heather Evoy, Ḵaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid, and X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell.
