Download In honor of Native American History Month, WXXI is please to

-Customizable releaseWORDS ON THE WIND SHARES THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF NATIVE
AMERICANS THROUGH POETRY
Premiering [AIR DATE] on [CALL LETTERS]
[CITY, STATE] – In honor of Native American Heritage Month, [STATION] is
pleased to present Morning Light Films’ Words on the Wind, a half-hour
documentary film that shares insight into the rhythms of Mother Earth, native
wisdom and spirituality. Featuring the book, “Blood of Our Earth,” written by
Ponca author Dan Jones, the film combines readings of contemporary Native
American poetry with original music, scenes of tribal lands and sounds from the
natural world. Words on the Wind premieres on [AIR DATE] on [CALL
LETTERS].
Native Americans have long considered themselves caretakers of the earth. This
reverence for, and deep sense of responsibility to, the natural world and all its
creatures is clearly evident in the eloquent verses penned by native poets. Words
of the Wind features the work of Dan Jones, whose Ponca tribal name is Sa Su
Weh. His poetry touches on the rhythms of the planet, Native wisdom and
spirituality, and the relationship between man and nature.
Jones’ poems featured in the program include: Remember Your Ways, Gentle
Warrior, Survival, Beautiful Dreamer’s Song, The Feather, When We Die,
Mornings Win, The Dream, and America. In addition to readings, Jones speaks
of the motive and intent behind his work, tribal history, ancient wisdom and more.
Jones is currently Vice Chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission
and the former Chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. Blood of
Our Earth, his first book of poetry, was published in 2005 by University of New
Mexico Press. Jones' television productions include producing The World of
American Indian Dance, which premiered on NBC in 2003. In 1993 he received
the Muse Award from the Association of American Museums for a work produced
by the new Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
The visual elements that accompany each of Jones’ poems are intended to
interpret his message and each piece of music was carefully selected or
composed to support the spoken word. The sounds of wind, water, and nature's
creatures also add to the dramatic interpretation. The full effect of these
combined elements delivers a powerful multi-media experience. Shot in a
combination of motion picture film and digital video, the program was filmed in
many locations around the United States, including Oklahoma, Wyoming, Florida,
New York and New Jersey.
Words on the Wind is produced by Lou Angora and directed by Thom Marini of
Morning Light Films. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Morning Light
Films is a film and video production company with broad experience in corporate
marketing & training, public affairs presentations, television commercials, and
documentary and feature film production. To learn more about Morning Light
Films, visit (morninglightfilms.com).
Words on the Wind is presented by WXXI Public Broadcasting in Rochester, New
York and distributed by American Public Television. This program is part of a
series that will feature prominent native authors from tribes around North
America.
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