Why Gather is already the best documentary of the year in the United States
The awakening of a rancid racism Y learn to live confined These are two of the great lessons that this year leaves us. The biggest one cannot be denied: racism is still among us while we hide our faces behind disposable masks . Racism is not a consequence of confinement, but it is true that explosion of rage of the first has occurred in full swing of the second . in the documentary Gather both appear in a strangely fascinating and heartbreaking way, because it shows that there is communities confined for centuries in the United States , suffering the harassment of systemic racism since long before the damn pandemic. Specifically since 1776 , when the North American natives were isolated in reservations protected by the work and grace of the dominant white culture.
Coincidences of life, the celebration of the month of the Native American heritage has coincided with the donald trump defeat at the polls. A historic month of November that closes with the broadcast of what is perhaps the best documentary of the year in relation to issues of racial identity, history of civil rights and traditional food. Masterfully directed by Sanjay Rawal and the executive produced by famous actor Jason Momoa , this audiovisual has become a cry in favor of food sovereignty and the acceptance of the generational trauma entrenched in indigenous elders, adults and youth.
Gather follow the future of four members of four different indigenous tribes. nephi craig, an Apache chef from White Mountain, who is browbeaten about opening the Cafe Gozoo , a restaurant that exclusively uses ingredients grown on Apache land. Elsie Dubai, a brilliant 17-year-old student from the tribe Cheyenne River Sioux , than in her scientific research on the traditional diet of buffaloes and their innate ability not to get sick. Sam Gensaw , a young member of the yurok tribe , who leads a group of teenagers in extolling his tribe's salmon-fishing traditions. Y Twila Cassadore , the great collector teacher of the San Carlos Apache in California, who teaches medicinal and food practices to the young people of her community.
The hunt at Gather
Personal stories that do not touch each other, but are interspersed with archival material that emphasizes the Systematic violence against Native Americans , without falling into the mess of historical overinformation that would distance it from the average viewer . “The film deals with the destruction of the indigenous food as a tactic of genocide; the continuation of genocidal policies in the United States that create health disparities in indigenous country; and, most importantly, the resurgence of traditional knowledge often shrouded in secrecy and the sacred”, says the director. His words are transcendental, because Sanjay Rawal comes from a Hindu family established in New York . Being a non-Native American Indian, with a home blowjob sensibility, his voice could be suspect from the first second. “ As a non-native, this was a very difficult topic to tackle. It wasn't really my choice . He had no right to even want to broach this subject. Not even as a person of color,” he reflects.
Could it be disrespectful to Native American people for a non-native to explain his story? Faced with the possibility of an affirmative answer, Sanjay Rawal put himself in the hands of the advice from the First Nations Development Institute , the collective that attempts to revitalize Native American communities and economies. If his main concern was the reception of the documentary among all the indigenous peoples, it was logical that it was they and only they who gave the Welcome to the documentary . more than anything because if it generated rejection among their faces, it would be reason enough to leave the documentary in the drawer of oblivion.
Sam Gensaw, a young member of the Yurok tribe, who leads a group of teenagers in extolling his tribe's salmon fishing traditions
On March 11, before a 100% native audience , a preliminary projection of Gather in a Colorado auditorium. It was an overwhelming success. The necessary push to dare to show the documentary without fear of betraying the native sensibility. “The characters are imbued with spirit and their dedication to decolonization is so clear that I just had to let them shine. As a non-native, I had the opportunity to do justice to this critical issue. either. I think it will inspire and motivate deeply. But there will be many ongoing discussions about what it means to serve the Indian country as a non-native ally. . The lack of representation of natives in film is real,” he says.
That does not imply that viewing the documentary in Europe is easy. At the moment, it is not on the usual platforms and you have to ask the producers for explicit permission by filling out a form to have access to the footage. That care for the exhibition rights shows the importance they give to the content among an audience outside the Native American reality. “ The Red Nation will rise again and it should be a blessing for a sick world, a world full of broken promises, selfishness and separations, a world that asks for light again With these words of Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Lakota Nation a documentary begins in which landscapes are imposed on cities, vegetation or fauna gains ground lost to people's egos, and traditional foods are imposed on processed products. A journey into the interior of the indigenous soul in a historical moment full of decisive changes for its future as a people with a past, present and future.
Twila Cassadore, the great forager teacher of the Apache of San Carlos in California, who teaches medicinal and food practices to the young people of her community.
Because before the genocide of which only 10% of native americans survived , the indigenous peoples had a completely different global system to subsist. The problem is that the bridge with the new generations was broken too long ago, and it is costing more than expected to unite them again. “ We need to introduce young people to the land, the food and our traditional healing systems . Reconnect people with the idea of who we are. And it all starts with small things, like planting seeds," he says. Twila Cassadore , the great master gatherer of the Apache. Her figure represents the palpable demonstration of the power of women in the Native American community and her transcendental role in passing on knowledge.
“70% of all the food consumed in the world today originated from the American Indian people. Italian tomato seeds, Asian hot sauce, zucchini, Swiss chocolate, Irish potatoes… It all comes from here,” says Nephi Craig, one of the most renowned Apache cooks. “ Our food system was colonized from 1776 to 2020. We have been isolated within protected reserves when all the land was ours ”, she says showing a map with millions of acres confiscated year after year.
Elsie Dubray, of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, is dedicated to scientific research on the traditional diet of buffalo and their innate ability not to get sick
But, how was it possible to subdue the indigenous people in the United States? Culling millions of buffalo, banning salmon fishing and offering junk food, alcohol and gambling as an alternative . The cruelest expression of food capitalism in its purest form. “ kill the indian, save the man ” (Kill the Indian, save the man), was the unanimous cry of the colonizers. The echoes of racism towards the original inhabitants of America have prompted the creation of political movements of the new generations. Standing Rock in South and North Dakota o Bears Ears in Utah are trying to fight to guarantee rights to water, hunting and traditional food routes, because there is no future for a people without the preservation of their food sources.