This film celebrates the living legacy of Ann Marie Sayers, a beloved Ohlone elder. Ohlone people are not federally recognized as indigenous nations in the San Francisco Bay Area. During the Gold Rush, there were bounties on the heads of California Natives. This government sanctioned killing and diseases killed nearly ninety percent of California Natives. Ann Marie used the Indian Allotment Act to reclaim her ancestral land in the Indian Canyon in Hollister, CA. Indian Canyon has become a refuge for many indigenous peoples who don't have traditional lands for ceremonies. The film celebrates her resilience and tenacity to reclaim her culture, land and spirituality, opening doors for other Native peoples to heal, keep their traditions alive and reconnect with their roots.
Biography:
Rucha Chitnis is a photojournalist, writer and an emerging filmmaker. Her stories highlight the power and agency of women rising and raising their voices in the face of ecological and climate chaos and economic inequities. Her work elevates a narrative of hope and resilience in the face of an ethnocentric lens that often erases and dehumanizes communities of color. She is a fellow at International Women's Media Foundation.
