Symposium on the American Indian features film series

(Tahlequah, Oklahoma) -- Northeastern State Universitys Center for Tribal Studies marks its 45th Annual Symposium on the American Indian this year. The symposium will take place on Tahlequahs campus beginning April 10 and concluding April 15. This years theme is Indian Givers: Indigenous Inspirations and per tradition the week of activities includes a film series.

On April 10, Violet will be presented by its creator Mark Williams in the Webb Auditorium at 6 p.m.

Williams is an independent Choctaw filmmaker who creates feature films that deal with the paranormal. He recently premiered Our Church, the fifth documentary in his paranormal project series that deals with Native American-related sites of activity.

Violet is Williams 12th project. He describes the film as being a psychological thriller with an entirely Native American production team and cast. Starring Delno Ebie and Happy Frejo, the film begins with an escaped mental patient who dies under mysterious circumstances. The story continues 30 years later as a newlywed couple starts a life together in a new home and stumbles upon a mysterious package that was never meant to resurface.

On April, 11, Medicine Woman will be presented in the Webb Auditorium at 6 p.m.

This PBS documentary interweaves the lives of three women who are modern Native healers with that of the first Native American doctor, Susan La Flesche Picot.

Producers Christine Lesiak and Princella RedCorn (Omaha), actress Irene Bedard (Inupiat/Metis) and poet and musician Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) work together to share the story of Picotte, who graduated first in her Philadelphia class and returned home to a shattered world. She spent the rest of her life working to help her people become whole again. Like Picotte, modern day medicine women hope to mend wounds of the body and spirit that history has helped create.

All Symposium activities are free and the public is encouraged to attend.