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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with WHY WE DANCE at The Main! MN Made: WHY WE DANCE
Tuesday, Nov 10 • 6pm Party in The Film Strip
7:15pm Screening + Q&A w/ Director Oogie Push
WHY WE DANCE traces the heartbeat of land through footwork, sound and circular movement, revealing how dance becomes a bridge between body and earth, self and community, and why reclaiming space matters.
On land marked by erasure and ignorance, a letter arrived in 1923 ordering hundreds of Tribal Nations to stop dancing. What officials called “unproductive gatherings” were in truth ceremonies of harvest, gratitude, and renewal — times when communities came together to thank the land, share food, and prepare for winter.
The Meskwaki people refused to be silenced. In response, they organized one of the largest powwows of their time, a four-day celebration that drew thousands from neighboring towns and Tribal Nations. The tradition itself became the resistance. One hundred years later, the Meskwaki Annual Powwow continues celebrating, gathering families, friends to dance, sing, and give, carrying forward a rhythm that could not be outlawed.
Filmed across the Rosebud Reservation, the Meskwaki Settlement, the Twin Cities, O'ahu, Hawaii and Mataxhi, Mexico, WHY WE DANCE is both document and celebration. A story of endurance, belonging and the movement that continues to bind communities across generations and geographies.
The MN Made series celebrates the dynamic range of films made by Minnesota filmmakers and artists. Presented with support from the McKnight Foundation and Minnesota State Arts Board.
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Event venue
The Main Cinema, 2321 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C9, Canada
Tickets
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