About the Film
A documentary about the Mono Indians of Central California, and their attempt to maintain their cultural traditions made by Orie Hugaitha Sherman. This documentary includes shots and discussion of acorn collecting, food preparation, music, dance, as well as the shots of the Mono Hand Game Team playing Hand Game, a popular gambling game. This award-winning documentary includes the Bass Lake Ranger District, located in the Sierra National Forest and North Fork Mono Tribal members in Eastern Madera County. Research: Bernice C. LeNoir; Paula Starr; Harold White; Linguistic consultants: Rosalie Bethel; Lorraine Bishop. The filmmaker received a production grant from The American Film Institute in association with The National Endowment for the Arts. Orie Sherman is an unprecedented figure: the first American Indian woman of the Mono tribe to earn an MFA in Motion Pictures and Television Production at UCLA and the first American Indian woman to make a film about the Indian people of California. Sherman has made distinguished contributions to American Indian cultural understanding through the medium of film; has had a partnership with Sierra Mono Museum; participated in the initial development of Mono language project at UCLA; proficient in Mono language; developed media packages for projects of Indian Centers, Inc. of Los Angeles; has skills in Indian health care delivery, including traditional medicine and family crisis programs. Expertise in educational equity, family planning, non-traditional job training, and women's health advocacy.
