Documentary 'Gather' to show at State Theatre

May 13—TRAVERSE CITY — The world is in a dire situation with how it is treated under colonial commodities, which view natural resources as something to ransack, traditional Anishinaabek agricultural knowledge keeper Tera John said.

For many years, John has been working from the ground up to help bring back traditional Anishinabek food practices, sharing her knowledge with a range of organizations, communities, and sovereign nations.

"Biiskaabiiyang, loosely translates to the recollection, and reclamation of all Creator intended us to become," said John. "It is vital we recognize the knowledge of traditional Native food systems."

She will be featured as a panelist on Monday alongside other Indigenous artists, activists, and land stewards: Jamie John, Darylin Berryman, and Tricia Denton for the free screening of the 2020 documentary "Gather: The Fight to Revitalize Our Native Foodways."

The film portrays the growing movement of Indigenous Peoples reclaiming their spiritual and cultural identities through obtaining sovereignty over their ancestral food systems, while battling against the historical trauma brought on by centuries of genocide.

The film will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A led by Traverse City-based attorney and Indigenous activist Holly T. Bird of the Yaqui/Apache/Tarascan/San Felipe Pueblo Nations.

Oryana Community Co-op and the State Theatre partnered together for the free community event that will start at 7 p.m. May 15. Community members are encouraged to claim their free ticket on the State Theater's website to make sure there is enough seating.

Report for America corps member and Indigenous Affairs' reporter Sierra Clark's work is made possible by a partnership between the Record-Eagle and Report for America, a journalism service project founded by the nonprofit Ground Truth Project. Generous community support helps fund a local share of the Record-Eagle/RFA partnership. To support RFA reporters in Traverse City, go to www.record-eagle.com/rfa