People of the Sacred Land Film Screening

A film by Dewi Sungai + Jason Houston (www.eight16creative.com)

Executive producer: Richard Williams, People of the Sacred Land (www.peopleofthesacredland.org)

Field Director: Sarah Ortegon HighWalking (www.sarahortegon.com) 

PEOPLE of the SACRED LAND (2026; 32mins): The idea that we are living on stolen land isn’t new, or even novel; it’s a reality that exists across settler communities worldwide, and many people in the United States are aware of the blatant agendas, coercion, and profound immorality of the treaty process. What’s often missing from that conversation, however, are rigorous, comprehensive, academically supported Native-led studies proving that even through the lens of modern law, large areas of what we call the United States remain illegally occupied. The evidence and culpability is dramatic in the state of Colorado.

PEOPLE of the SACRED LAND follows Richard Williams (Oglala Lakota, Northern Cheyenne) as he recounts the findings of the Truth, Restoration, and Education Commission (TREC) of Colorado’s TREC reports. While exploring their impact in the contemporary landscape of Colorado’s Front Range, Rick is correcting the default narrative, illuminating the widely untold history of Colorado and uncovering the causes of the extensive damage endured by Native peoples due to forced relocation, illegal seizure of land, violations of human rights, acts of violence, warfare, deceptive practices, genocide, and other illicit actions perpetrated by the state of Colorado, its citizens, and the U.S. government and federal agents over the past 170 years. Although Rick’s story focuses on Colorado, the approach, implications, and impact of his work provide a model for Native leaders across the continent.

In the wake of irreparable harms and the midst of the boisterous and patriotic celebrations of the United States’ 250th and Colorado’s 150th anniversaries, the TREC reports and this film are dedicated to the restoration of Indigeneity, relationality, reconciliation, and wellness for the next seven generations.

After the screening will be a discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers and Richard Williams, President of the People of the Sacred Land. This film will be shown in the Colorado’s People of the Sacred Land exhibit and visiting the exhibit is included with the program.