White Shamans at film fest

Rochester Native American Film Festival

Documentaries address Native issues"An Evening of Short Documentaries" promoted a series of long conversations between local filmmaker Torry Mendoza, Mescalero Apache, and audience members at St. John Fisher College March 28. The event was part of the Rochester Native American Film Festival and featured a screening of five documentaries, including "Plastic Warriors" by Amy Tall Chief, "The Border Crossed Us" by Rachael J. Nez, and "White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men" by Terry Macy and Don Hart.More on "White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men":"White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men" addresses the commercialization of Native traditions in non-Native society. The film was edited to present the interviews in a conversational nature. For example, Natives and non-Natives discussed the idea of receiving a Native name. A non-Native's answer was immediately followed by a Native's answer. Although the two were filmed separately, it looked like they were speaking directly to each other. This method highlighted the differences in beliefs in a humorous manner.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Indian Wannabes and "Funny" Indian Names.