Independent Lens
Without Arrows
Without Arrows chronicles three generations of a Lakota family as Delwin Fiddler Jr., an acclaimed dancer, returns home to the reservation in South Dakota to heal past wounds.
Holder of the Sky
Three Wisconsin tribal members confront promises broken and historic treaties ignored in this modern-day story of colonization, racism, and land-lust.
- Length
- 90 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Open Call
Producer/Director
Tsanavi Spoonhunter
Tsanavi Spoonhunter is a Northern Arapaho and Paiute nonfiction film director, producer, and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Master of Journalism degree from the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on documentary film. Her work has been supported by Sundance Institute and Firelight Media, to name a few.
We fund untold stories for public media.
Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.
The Film
The creation story of the Oneida tribe of Wisconsin begins with twins. Formed in what the Oneida refer to as the “Sky World,” the two compete over different ways of life. The right-handed twin seeks peace and harmony with all living things, while the left-handed twin plots destruction. When goodness ultimately prevails, the right-handed twin earns the title of “Holder of the Sky.”
The film follows three Wisconsin tribal members as they compete with left-handed, negative forces. Oneida tribe member Rebecca Webster, an attorney and farm owner, confronts a neighboring village’s plan to encroach upon Oneida treaty land; Ojibwe fisherman Greg Johnson faces anti-Indian sentiments; and Menominee tribe logger Dustin Peters battles to retain tribal members’ rights to forest timber. Holder of the Sky delves into the opposition met by each as they strive to honor their traditions and maintain their connection to the land.
Together, these stories display varying forces for peace or destruction as tribal members fight for land, rights, and resources.
