Screenings for the Red Cloud Heritage Center’s “Our Community Story” film project took place at Red Cloud and Our Lady of Lourdes schools. Photo Courtesy Red Cloud School



'Our Community Story' Project Wraps On Pine Ridge

By Jim KentLakota Country Times Correspondent

PINE RIDGE --Fourth grade is about exploring basic geometry formulas, learning about the solar system and studying the state government structure. And if you’re a student at Red Cloud or Our Lady of Lourdes schools on the Pine Ridge Reservation, it’s also about filmmaking.

The Red Cloud Heritage Center has ended its “Our Community Story” project with screenings of students’ interviews with elders, artists and professionals from the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Students, teachers and family members gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School in Porcupine on a recent weekday morning for the screening of videos produced by a group of 4th graders. This was the final installment of work by students from OLL and the Red Cloud School for the “Our Community Story” project. Red Cloud School held its screening one week earlier.

“This was a documentary film project,” explained Jacobs. “The pilot year where the fourth graders told their own story about their community by interviewing various people of the community and then talking about what they learned.”

Jacobs noted that the fourth-grade students produced the videos with very little assistance from the schools’ staff.

“Our Community Story” project coordinator Audrey Jacobs (right) discusses the filmmaking process with students from Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School. Photo Courtesy Farrah Oliver



“Before we really got into the editing, I was worried that that would be very, very difficult,” Jacobs recalled. “It’s fourth graders. But they actually…like kids do…they took to it…the editing part…like fish to water. They just have a sixth sense about technology. Even stuff that they haven’t used before.”

The students decided when to place voice-overs in their films, what music to use and where to use it and all other aspects of their productions.

Farrah Oliver’s daughter, Kerra, interviewed the Lakota music-duo “Scatter Their Own” for her part of the project.

“For me it was a great experience because of public speaking and interviewing and being able to get someone‘s story out there and be part of that process,” Oliver said. “It was a great learning experience for her. So it was absolutely wonderful to watch that and watch what my daughter was a part of. It was fantastic.”

Fourth-grade students from Red Cloud and Our Lady of Lourdes schools had the opportunity to view their completed work for the “Our Community Story” film project with their teachers and parents present. Photo Courtesy Red Cloud School



Red Cloud 4th-grader Cetan Black Horn interviewed Lakota artist Don Montileaux for his “Our Community Story” video. His mother, Gayla, noted that Cetran was very enthusiastic about the process.

“He enjoyed the interview and sharing the story of our culture,” she added. Gayla Black Horn said she observed both enthusiasm and pride while attending the OLL screening with other parents and their children.

“They were very happy seeing themselves on the screen and to see themselves conducting the interviews with the elders or the artists,” Gayla recalled. “It seemed like they really had fun.”

As for her son’s involvement, “I felt very proud of him,” Gayla remarked. “He was learning something new and it was very exciting.”

Black Horn sees the “Our Community Story” project as a positive for the students. “They’re learning how to speak publicly and how to address another person and they’re doing that at a young age,” she observed. “So it helps with their confidence and teaches them about these life skills.”

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As for the kids, “It was kind of cool…because it gave us a chance to meet new people,” said Grace Eagle Elk.

“It meant a lot because everyone got to see my video and it was fun,” Cayne Pettigrew added.

“It was pretty fun,” Kerra Clifford agreed, “because I know how to make a film now.” The “Our Community Story” project will continue next year, Audrey Jacobs advised, at which time she plans to give the students even more freedom in the production process. And though she suggested the students might want to explore creating their own stories and putting them on film their overwhelming preference, said Jacobs, was to interview the elders.

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