The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the Cherokee Nation held a signing ceremony Oct. 17 in Riverside, California, to formalize a $470,000 commitment from Cherokee Nation in support of a groundbreaking four-year collaboration focused on Indigenous storytelling, Cherokee-language preservation and the development of the next generation of filmmakers.
“A public school of theater, film and television exists to put the means of storytelling in the hands of communities whose stories have suffered distortion, scarcity and misrepresentations,” said UCLA TFT Dean Celene Parreñas Shimizu. “Our collaboration with the Cherokee Nation carries that charge forward.”
The funding will support an annual exchange between UCLA TFT and Cherokee Film, the creation of original Cherokee-language films and educational media, and expanded opportunities for students across institutions and communities. The initiative is part of Picture Start, Shimizu's decanal five-year initiative, with the long-term ambition of establishing a permanent Indigenous media program at the school.
“Cherokee Nation has long understood that language preservation is inseparable from cultural sovereignty,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “This is a unique partnership that expands our mission of Cherokee-language revitalization and Indigenous filmmaking, accelerating that work while bringing Cherokee voices, perspectives and creative leadership to the forefront of an industry where Natives have too often been excluded.”
