A video documentary exploring the key issues at the center of controversy surrounding CU-Boulder professor Ward Churchill - free speech, and American Indian identity and sovereignty is underway in the Boulder area. The film is being produced by Walking Eagle Productions, a newly formed documentary group and division of Grantastic Designs, dedicated to covering issues impacting freedom of speech, as well as Native Americans.
Boulder, CO, USA, June 11, 2005 -- A video documentary
exploring the key issues at the center of controversy surrounding CU-Boulder
professor Ward Churchill—free speech, and American Indian identity and
sovereignty—is underway in the Boulder area. The film is being produced by
Walking Eagle Productions, a newly formed documentary group and division of
Grantastic Designs, dedicated to covering issues impacting freedom of speech, as
well as Native Americans.
Churchill gained notoriety in January when a three-year old essay of his
surfaced arguing that the Sept. 11 attacks were retaliation for America’s unjust
foreign policy. In it, he referred to the people killed at the World Trade
Towers as “little Eichmans” (a reference to one of Nazi Germany’s most notorious
war criminals, Adolf Eichman, who was personally responsible for the killing of
millions of Jews). He contends that subsequent reactions by public officials
infringes on his rights to free speech as a federal employee.
“Mr. Churchill and his supporters have a long history of demanding free speech
just for themselves, while at the same time demanding government censorship and
persecution of others they deem “politically incorrect,” said Grant Crowell, one
of the documentary’s co-producers. “We want to use this issue to educate the
public on the history of the First Amendment and its ties to Native American
culture, along with the injustices that can be perpetuated from the misuse and
false interpretations of freedom of speech.”
Crowell touts that this will be an inclusive documentary of all sides and
opinions — including those of Mr. Churchill and his supporters — with everyone’s
coverage in unedited format on the internet for downloading and display. “A Web
Site is a perfect tool for a documentary not only to show complete coverage of
everyone, but for our work in progress to be viewed by the public on an ongoing
basis and to take their suggestions before its final production.” Says Crowell.
Additionally, as a tenured professor of ethnic studies and author of several
books on various Native American issues, Churchill is under investigation for
falsifying historical facts, plagiarism and misrepresenting himself as an
American Indian. “Mr. Churchill misleads people to believe that he’s an enrolled
member of the UKB and that the UKB tribal community supports him. He
appropriated an honorary membership for personal gain,” said Heidi McCann, the
documentary’s other co-producer and also an enrolled member of the
Yavapai-Apache Nation who works as an American Indian Culture Preservationist in
the Boulder-area. “By examining Churchill’s claims to Native American ancestry,
this documentary will illustrate how federally recognized tribes determine
tribal membership, as well as articulate the federal law that supports sovereign
powers tribes have over members.”
While Churchill has not returned the group’s phone calls or e-mails personally
inviting him to be a part of this film, the following noted scholars have
already agreed to be interviewed for this documentary:
• Rick Williams, CEO of the American Indian College Fund;
• Vine Deloria, former Executive Director of the National Congress of American
Indians and retired Professor Emeritus of history at CU-Boulder;
• Judd Golden, Chair, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – Boulder, Colorado
• Robert Nagel, Professor, School of Law, CU-Boulder
Crowell and McCann will also be holding an open call on the CU-Boulder campus to
film other Boulder-area residents interested in sharing their opinions and
experiences. Anyone interested in being interviewed can show up between the
hours of 10 am to 4 pm on Tuesday, June 14 in Room Ketchum 303. (The room is
being sponsored by the College Democrats.)
Crowell and McCann are aiming to finish the documentary by late summer, The film
will be marketed to television stations in the Boulder-area (Just in the Boulder
area or other places, too?) and larger media outlets from during that time to
the early fall, for a planned release of late 2005. Those who wish to see clips
of their progress will be able to watch raw footage on the web – starting in
August – at www.walkingeagle.org.
For more information about the documentary and how to participate as an
interviewee, call 847.488.9300 or e-mail e-mail protected from spam bots.
Contact:
Grant Crowell
Grantastic Designs, Inc.
847-638-3038
News Source: PRWEB
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