August 05, 2011

Halbritter signs books, DVDs

Oneida Nation Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises Ray Halbritter signs books, DVDs at SavOn (videos)

By Caitlin TraynorJust a day after weighing in on economic development issues at the White House, Oneida Nation Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises Ray Halbritter sat beside the director and two lead actors of “Raccoon & Crawfish” signing books and DVDs at the Verona SavOn.

The book and DVD is based on a centuries-old Oneida legend that offers a lesson on lying and its consequences. The animated short film has received national and international attention and copies, along with the book, have been reordered several times since being released.

Halbritter said story-telling is the oldest and most concrete form of education. Particularly to Native American culture, story-telling plays a pivotal role in teaching lessons and passing along information. Technology now allows those stories and legends to be documented and Halbritter says the Nation is happy to share.

Four Directions Productions Director of Studio Operations Dale Rood, also a Turtle Clan representative, said the story of the raccoon and crawfish was selected as the first to be replicated in print and animation because it’s one of the shortest of the Oneida legends. It was set up originally as a test-run and now that it’s proven so popular, they plan to continue production with other stories.
Comment:  For more on the subject, see Oneida Nation Finances Feature Films and Four Directions Wins Awards.

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