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08/04/2007
Film is a celebration of American Indian women'Miss Navajo' spotlights pageant contestantTRAVERSE CITY — A chance to celebrate American Indian women is what drew Ron Olson to "Miss Navajo,” this year's Native American Matinee at the Traverse City Film Festival. "In Native American culture, women play an important and pivotal role,” said Olson, who is chief executive officer of the Economic Development Office for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. "There are many subcultures, of course — men, women, elders, children. This film highlights women and will help people understand the role women play in the Navajo culture.” "Miss Navajo,” a documentary produced and directed by Billy Luther, tells the story of Crystal Frazier, a contestant in the Miss Navajo Nation pageant, which stresses Navajo culture and language over beauty or swimsuits. Contestants over the years have been required to make fry bread, recite the Treaty of 1868 — in Navajo — and even butcher sheep (it didn't go well). "It's an exciting movie,” Olson said. "It's enlightening and uplifting and it's a way to honor Native American women.” The film was an official selection at this year's Sundance Film Festival. In addition to Frazier, the film follows other contestants and several previous pageant winners from the past 50 years. Olson admits there aren't that many Native American films to showcase but he's thrilled with the selections screened at the film festival. "Last year, we had the producer (of 'The Canary Effect') who explained how it got made and the difficult times they had due to the location. It was a real eye-opener.” "The Canary Effect” explores the history of the U.S. policy on Native Americans. The Grand Traverse Band planned to have drumming, smudging, coffee and doughnuts at the 10 a.m. screening at the State Theatre on Sunday. As far as increasing the amount of films about Native Americans, Olson said the Grand Traverse Band "has been gathering information through personal interviews” for a tribal history. "Maybe in the future, when our museum is completed, we can showcase our own film.” The Grand Traverse Band is planning a museum in Peshawbestown on the waterfront, Olson said.
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