OUR ROOTS
The Sacred Wisdom, Sacred Earth documentary was born from a collective vision shaped in deep dialogue with Indigenous elders and knowledge holders throughout the Great Lakes region from 2021 to 2024.
In August 2021, The Loka Initiative and the International Mayan League hosted Sacred Wisdom, Sacred Earth: Centering Indigenous Knowledge for Future Generations. This online convening brought together Indigenous speakers and moderators from a diversity of traditions and regions to share ecological and spiritual knowledge as essential sustenance for Indigenous peoples and all of humanity. The agenda was shaped by the wisdom of advisors including Gary Besaw, Aaron Bird Bear, Kristin Klingman, Juanita Cabrera Lopez, Dekila Chungyalpa, Mariaelena Huambachano, Elder Janice Rice, Eder Sammy Weru, and Kyle Powys Whyte. The event was further enriched by contributions from Indigenous artists Christi Belcourt, Thundervoice Eagle, Losang Gyatso, Sangre Indigena, Tenzin Tsering, and Jennifer Younger, whose works expressed the spirit and vision of the gathering.
Following that successful event, elders and knowledge holders from the Great Lakes area—including some who later served on this project's Advisory Committee and Creative Teams— expressed the need for a documentary that would preserve cultural, ecological, and spiritual knowledge and offer a pathway for Indigenous peoples of all generations and backgrounds to come home. In response, Dekila Chungyalpa, the director of the Loka Initiative, committed to executive produce Sacred Wisdom, Sacred Earth, a 60-minute documentary exploring how humans might live in harmony with Mother Earth through the richness of Indigenous ecological knowledge, especially that rooted in the tribal communities of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.
A Documentary Rooted in Indigenous Wisdom
Loka’s first step after making the commitment was to establish an Indigenous Advisory Council made up of primarily Native elders and knowledge holders from Wisconsin. Together, we came up with the following goals for what we hoped to create:
Create a pathway for Indigenous peoples to come home—in spirit, in community, and as part of the Earth.
Uplift and increase representation of Indigenous leadership, knowledge, and lifeways in the Great Lakes region.
Emphasize the core Indigenous values of kinship, reciprocity, and interconnectedness.
Galvanize support for Native-led projects and communities through storytelling.
In 2022, the creative team identified a filmmaker that aligned closely with our goals and values; Alejandro Miranda, co-founder and director at Bravebird, an Indigenous and female-owned production company based in Madison, Wisconsin. Alex brought deep relational sensitivity and a visionary lens through his practice of Cinema Dignité—a values-based filmmaking method rooted in dignity, equity, and co-creation. Alex, who has Wixárika and Taíno ancestry, has decades of experience in both narrative and documentary filmmaking and a strong commitment to uplifting Indigenous worldviews.
Soon after, we were fortunate to have Brian McInnes, Anishinaabe ceremonialist, author, and professor, join the team as Producer , who led story development and carried out the interviews with spiritual care and cultural fluency.
Throughout this process and over three years, we maintained multiple interconnected teams:
The Advisory Committee, composed of elders and community leaders, met monthly to give us guidance and to ensure we upheld the original vision and spiritual framework.
The Creative Team met weekly to develop narratives, identify community leaders to invite into the process, and reach out to tribal networks to ensure representation at all levels were accurate and met approval.
The Production Team included Bravebird team members and Loka Producer who went on site to film, and Loka team members who coordinated travel, honoraria, logistics, and ensured ethical engagement with all participants.
OUR VISION
This project is a living offering. As we (the Advisory and Creative Committee and the Production Team) continue to walk this path, guided by ceremony, kinship, and relational accountability, we hold the vision of this film as medicine—for Native peoples, for Indigenous youth, for non-Indigenous allies, and for the Earth herself.
The documentary is organized in 4 acts:
Act 1: Connection to Land
Act 2: Colonization, Identity Reclamation & Language Revitalization
Act 3: All Our Relations
Act 4: Vision for the Future & Call to Reconnect
The stories in the documentary are told by Native elders, knowledge holders, and leaders who speak to what must be remembered and passed on during this time of ecological and climate crisis and spiritual disconnection.
This is not just a documentary—it is a visual prayer, a meditation, a teaching, and a love song to the Earth and to the Indigenous youth who will carry this wisdom forward.
OUR VALUES: COMMUNITY-LED PROCESS
In keeping with our vision and commitment to everyone involved, the Production Team stopped editing the film at the 70% completion mark. We showed what we had to all of our featured culture keepers as well as advisors and collaborators in order to receive their feedback. We completed the film editing based on their recommendations. As a result, the documentary is much stronger with a clearer narrative and imperative.
So many people gave us advice. So many people fed us. So many people listened to our ideas and gave feedback. So many told us we were on the right track and even sometimes, the wrong one. We are grateful to everyone who cared enough to get involved. We could not have made this film without you. Thank you.
Special mentions:
Luke Besaw, Kimberly Blaeser, Casey Brown, Juanita Cabrera Lopez, Esie Leoso Corbine, Donald Dowd, Jon Greendeer, Michael Fish Jr., Ryan Greendeer, Shannon Holsey, Christine Jendrisak, Bryton Jennings, Gerald M. Kaquatosh, Emil' Keme, Lori Lemieux, Karen Martin, Karen Michel, Deejay Micik, Molli Pauliot, Omar Poler, Dan Powless, Therese Safford, Tara Tindall, Adrienne Thunder, Cherie Thunder, Bryant Waupoose.