''Our Fires Still Burn'' is a one-hour documentary produced by

Audrey Geyer Audrey Geyer (born January 7, 1966) is an American documentary filmmaker, Video Producer, video producer and Film director, director based in Michigan. Geyer acts as the founder and executive director of a Nonprofit organization, non-profit 501(c ...

that explores the experiences of contemporary Native Americans through a compilation of first-person narratives ranging from

midwestern The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

Native Americans in "Indian

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

s" where children were forced for assimilation. The documentary depicts the personal stories of Native American role models from all walks of life, including a successful businessman, journalist, artist, and

youth advocate A youth advocate is a person who acts in the best interests of the youth that they are working with. The overall purpose of a youth advocate is to ensure that youth maintain their human rights while aiding in skill development in all areas of l ...

, as well as tribal and spiritual leaders. The documentary still continues to be run by the Public Broadcast System (PBS).

Response

The ''Tribal College Review''’s Ryan Winn called the film "part historical record, part rallying cry" and said that "the film's potency derives from those stories in which years of adversity have given way to times of cultural pride and preservation." Constance Bailey of the ''

Journal of American Folklore The ''Journal of American Folklore'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the American Folklore Society. Since 2003, this has been done on its behalf by the University of Illinois Press. The journal has been published since the society' ...

'' said, "Geyer masterfully frames the relationship between language and culture that she weaves throughout the production."

References

{{reflist American documentary television films Documentary films about Native Americans PBS original programming Native American topics Assimilation of indigenous peoples of North America Boarding schools Native American boarding schools United States federal Indian policy Native American genocide 2010s American films