Fighting Indians (2022)
On May 16th, 2019, the State of Maine made history by passing LD 944 An Act to Ban Native American Mascots in All Public Schools, the first legislation of its kind in the country. For Maine's tribal nations, the landmark legislation marked an end to a decades long struggle to educate the public of the harms of Native American mascotry. Fighting Indians chronicles the last and most contentious holdout in that struggle, the homogeneously white Skowhegan High School, known for decades as "The Home of the Indians". This is the story of a small New England community forced to reckon with its identity, its sordid history, and future relationship with its indigenous neighbors. It is a story of a small town divided against the backdrop of a nation divided where the "mascot debate" exposes centuries old abuses while asking if reconciliation is possible.
Directors: Derek Ellis, Mark Cooley.
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Maulian Dana as Self - Penobscot Nation Ambassador |
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Barry Dana as Self - Former Chief, Penobscot Nation |
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James Eric Francis as Self - Penobscot Tribal Historian |
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Dwayne Tomah as Self - Passamaquoddy Nation |
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John Bear Mitchell as Self - Penobscot, Professor |
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Dawn Neptune Adams as Self - Penobscot Filmmaker |
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Dena Rose Joseph as Self - Aroostook Band of Micmacs |
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Mike Wise as Self - Sports Journalist |
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Dave McKenna as Self - Sports Journalist |
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Jesse Seinfeldt as Self - Sports Psychologist |
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Al Carroll as Self - Historian, Professor |
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Jeffery Powers-Beck as Self - Literary Historian |
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Zach Heiden as Self - Chief Counsel ACLU, Maine |
| Directing | Derek Ellis | Director |
| Directing | Mark Cooley | Director |
| Art | Ryan Griffis | Art Direction |
| Sound | Stephen Balgooyen | Original Music Composer |
| Editing | Ryan Griffis | Editor |
| Art | Mark Cooley | Art Direction |
| Writing | Ryan Griffis | Writer |
| Editing | Mark Cooley | Editor |
| Sound | Mark Cooley | Original Music Composer |
| Writing | Derek Ellis | Writer |
| Sound | Mark Cooley | Sound Designer |
| Writing | Mark Cooley | Writer |
