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| Oh yes, WE ARE |
This weekend, my family and I sat
together in a dark theater in Temecula, just miles from our ancestral home, to
watch You’re No Indian. Around us were other families like ours: people who
carry the same wound of disenrollment, the same fight to be seen, the same love
for who we are and where we come from. Through this community, we are all one
family.
For three nights in a row, the theaters
were full. Sold out. The energy was different—heavier, yes, but also full of
hope. The truth about “today’s” Indian Country corruption showed up right here
in Temecula. No filters. No fear.
When the film started, I felt the air
change. You could hear quiet gasps as stories we’ve lived were told out loud
and the stories of people stripped of their citizenship, our land, and our
voice. By the end, we were holding hands. Some cried. Others sat in silence,
just taking in what it meant to finally be seen.
My chance to talk with Producers SantanaRabang and Ryan Flynn led me to his essential phrase: “Put yourself on the record.” His call
to share our stories is rare in our community, and the open invitation to do so
allows us to revitalize our Indigenous cultures. So that’s what I’m here to do,
and encourage you to do the same. If we don't tell our stories, who will?
Ryan Flynn’s direction was powerful, but
what moved me most was seeing the generations of families sitting side by side
realizing they were not alone. At points, Santana Rabang and Che Jim spoke
beautifully during the Q&A, and Dina Gilio-Whitaker reminded everyone that
disenrollment isn’t just a tribal matter. It’s a human rights issue.
Earlier that day, many of us walked
through the Pechanga Pow Wow. The drumbeats carried the same rhythm that once
guided our ceremonies, our gatherings, and our stories. Being there not in
protest, but as a presence, empowered us. We are still here among our people.
We are still Pechanga.
I’ve said this before on this blog, and
it rings louder now than ever: disenrollment is the modern form of cultural
genocide. But what You’re No Indian showed us in Temecula was
something even deeper: storytelling is survival.
Temecula was just the beginning. The film
moves next to Fresno on January 24 and 25, in the shadow of Chukchansi, ahead of a national release in the
coming months. If you haven’t seen it yet, keep your eyes open. You’ll see
yourself, your family, and your people in it. And you’ll know what I mean when
I say:
We’re still here. We’ve always been here.
Respectfully,
Rick Cuevas
Descendant of Paulina Hunter Owner Original Pechanga's Blog
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Follow Original Pechanga on X for
ongoing updates and reflections. And you can find the blog on FACEBOOK
Learn more at youreNoIndian.com.
#YoureNoIndian #StopDisenrollment #IndigenousRights #TribalUnity
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