Quapaw Nation to debut new short documentary

The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Dec. 4—MIAMI, Okla. — The Quapaw Nation will debut a new documentary, "Regeneration of Land and Culture," on Monday at the historic Coleman Theatre.

The documentary, made by filmmaker Brooke Bierhaus in collaboration with the Quapaw Nation, spotlights the nation's efforts in regenerative agriculture, which emphasizes practices that manage the entire ecosystem rather than primarily focusing on crops with high production yields. As part of those efforts, the Quapaw Nation was the first tribe in Oklahoma to reintroduce bison to tribal lands, and the first tribe to have a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified processing plant and farmers market, Chairman Joseph Tali Byrd said.

"What we've created on the Quapaw Reservation has become a model for even nontribal communities and governments," Byrd said in a statement. "There's never been a better time to show the world how the Quapaw Nation is feeding our people responsibly, sustainably and in a way that also addresses the climate crisis."

Bierhaus, based in Northwest Arkansas, focused her film on the Quapaw Nation's ancestral food practices, food as a primary component of tribal sovereignty and the agricultural impact of bison.

"When I moved to Northwest Arkansas two years ago, I began seeing the work the Quapaws were doing, specifically around the reintroduction of the buffalo," she said in a statement. "It's a wonderful reminder that our Native brothers and sisters are the first caretakers and first protectors of this land, and their knowledge is something we all need to listen to."

"Regeneration of Land and Culture" will be screened at 7 p.m. Monday at the historic Coleman Theatre, 103 N. Main St. in Miami, followed by a question-and-answer session with Byrd and Bierhaus. A reception with light appetizers and refreshments will take place afterward in the Coleman Ballroom. The documentary will be preceded at 6 p.m. with another short film that features Quapaw Nation citizens and Vietnam veterans Henry Ellick and Bill Griffin.

Admission is free and open to the public. Donations for the Quapaw Nation Blessing Tree, which provides holiday assistance to families in need, will be accepted.

RSVP to John Rodgers at jrodgers@downstream casino.com or 918-919-6054.