Adrian Gomez: Wisdom scattered to the winds: If Native cultures are not preserved, it will be an unimaginable loss
Jun. 25—When Michelle Tomlinson learned that a language can die, she was dismayed.
It was also the impetus into her journey to make the documentary film "Edge."
"I was raised in Los Alamos and they don't teach us that in school," she says. "These Indigenous languages need to be preserved somehow."
Tomlinson says that, without language, cultures and traditions can't be passed on — which makes for an uncertain future.
She says the aim of the documentary is to educate and inspire people of all backgrounds about the importance of preserving the language and traditions of Indigenous cultures.
The idea for the project was born in 2017 and principal photography started a year later.
Tomlinson says she traveled to San Ildefonso Pueblo, where only about a dozen elders still live. They were taught the Tewa language as their first tongue and know the pure version of it.
"If their knowledge and wisdom isn't preserved, the pueblo will suffer an unimaginable loss as they pass away," Tomlinson says. "Stories, histories (and) wisdom, all of it will be scattered to the winds, never to be retrieved."
Tomlinson says this has a ripple effect that can be felt in large and small ways around the world.
Native communities suffer from extraordinarily high rates of addiction and suicide as they grapple to belong in a world that doesn't see them.
Even within some Native communities themselves, there are factions that advocate letting their ways die, even at the expense of their spirits.
"I want to engage the youth to learn their language and have the elders be able to pass it along," she says. "I also want non-Natives to see this and realize what it means when a people lose their entire language. I can't fathom what that would be like."
Tomlinson and her team are working on a new cut of the film and she will be filming more footage in the coming weeks.
She's been enjoying the interview process because additional stories continue to pop up.
"The challenge is making sure you are telling things accurately and with integrity," she says. "This is an important issue and I want to help bring awareness to it."
Tomlinson has been working with James Mountain who is from San Ildefonso.
"James opened the door to us getting with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center," she says. "They allowed us to shoot over there. We filmed dancers from Ohkay Owingeh. We've been able to shoot in Zuni Pueblo. Each person that I've met is beautiful and has something to add to this story."
The production also teamed up with the New Mexico Film Foundation at nmfilmfoundation.org, which is helping to raise money to finish the project.
"We're hoping to have this wrapped up in time for film festival season this fall," Tomlinson says.
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