FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2026
EXPERIENCE INDIGENOUS STORIES ON FILM, NATIVE POP MUSIC HISTORY AT THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD
Free event spotlights short films from emerging directors, Indigenous music preservation
Contact: Anna Chandler, Senior Manager of
Public Relations, anna.chandler@motcp.org,
864.230.7873
CHEROKEE, NC: Museum of the Cherokee People has announced the lineup for its annual Indigenous pop culture event The Way We See the World, held in the Council Fire Ballroom
at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort on Friday, August 7 from 5pm-8:30pm.
Now in its fifth year, Museum of the Cherokee People’s signature summer event showcases contemporary perspectives for Cherokee people, primarily by Cherokee people. This community-centered celebration puts Native self-representation in the spotlight, uplifting creative work that explores identity through film, music, and visual art. 2026’s event invites
audiences to be inspired and laugh out loud with two short documentaries, a short romantic comedy, a live DJ set, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and art market.
“It’s hard to believe we have been hosting this event for five years,” remarks Executive Director Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians). “This has grown into a fun evening that our community looks forward to, as do we! Celebrating and sharing our Native self-representation is incredibly powerful.”
Free tickets can be reserved via Eventbrite. The Way We See the World events are offered at no cost thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
Management Resource Associates, The Center for Native Health, and Two Dots Studio. Sponsorship packages are available.
SHORT FILMS
ᎠᏲᎧ (Ahyoka)
ᎠᏲᎧ is a portrait of Ahyoka Youngdeer, Cherokee culture bearer, teacher, and two-spirit activist. Through her own life story, woven together with a traditional Cherokee story about crooked-faced children left in the woods and their return to community, Ahyoka traces how exclusion from school, family, and her own people, was never written into Cherokee values. It was imported. An elder’s story reveals what was always true: she was never the problem. Through her journey, ᎠᏲᎧ reminds Cherokee people that Keetoowah is a lifeway. And we must live it.
Director: ᎤᎶᎩᎳ Schon Duncan (United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cinematography: Rory Crittenden (Cherokee Nation)
Editing & Sound Design: Rory Crittenden (Cherokee Nation)
Producer: Rory Crittenden (Cherokee Nation), Travis Sawney (Cherokee Nation)
Julie Takes a Walk (2026) | Trailer
Julie’s life choices have been dictated by her family—but that all changes when she is told big news moments before walking down the aisle at her own wedding. Confused and shocked, she
runs away and ends up in a small town in rural Oklahoma. That’s where Julie meets the stoic yet secretly sweet Cass, a bartender who would rather be reading than in any sort of social setting. They both can feel the instant chemistry which only furthers the identity crisis Julie is having.
Directed by Frankie Pedersen (Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation) and Shea Vassar (Cherokee Nation)
Written by Shea Vassar (Cherokee Nation)
Women of the Stony Shore: Shinnecock Kelp Farmers (2026) | Trailer
A group of Indigenous women from the Shinnecock Nation fight for environmental restoration in the waters of their homeland through kelp farming. Traditional ecological knowledge intersects with their struggle for sovereignty as these farmers protect lifeways and cultural practices for their tribe along the Long Island shore.
Director, Editor and Producer: Nathaniel Cummings-Lambert (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Additional Camera and Sound: Anthony Sneed (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
MUSIC
Justis Brokenrope (Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta), Wathéča Records
Wathéča Records is a North American Indigenous music archival project founded by Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta musician and educator, Justis Brokenrope. Brokenrope seeks to ensure the preservation and accessibility of overlooked American Indian and First Nations artists in the histories of rock, folk, and country music. He is the host of Wathéča Radio on NTS, an author of the recently published Wathéča Records Sourcebook (Era Editions, 2026), and currently resides in Bdé Óta Othúŋwe, Mní Sóta (Minneapolis, Minnesota).
ART MARKET
Shop Indigenous! The Way We See the World Art Market features handmade items and unique art from Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians artists and makers.
- Katt Neff (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) – Pottery
- Cleto Montelongo (EBCI) – Honeysuckle Baskets
- Alica Wildcatt (EBCI), Greybeard Metalsmithing – Copper & Sterling Silver Jewelry
- Mona Taylor (EBCI) – Beadwork, Shellwork, & Jewelry
- Jakeli Swimmer (EBCI), Around the Boundary – Posters & Stickers
- Amy Postoak (EBCI), Three Sisters Design & Supply – Jewelry, Textiles, & Woodcarving
- Freida Saylor (EBCI) – Pottery, Ribbon Skirts
About Museum of the Cherokee People
Since 1948, the Museum of the Cherokee People has served its community and visitors as the tribal museum of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Cherokee, North Carolina on the Qualla Boundary, the sovereign land of the EBCI and ancestral homelands of all Cherokees, the Museum shares the history, culture, and stories of the Cherokee people through its exhibitions, collections, and programs. Learn more at MotCP.org.
