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Native Cinema 2023 - Groundworks
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Lifting Up Cultural Leaders
Native Cinema is in its second season to uplift Native Cultural Leaders and bring visibility, acknowledgment, and responsibility to the Mendocino Coast. In partnership with local Northern Pomo cultural leaders, and Xa Kako Dile, Thanksgiving Coffee supports the work of our first nations leaders who share valuable wisdom for regenerative ways to shape our shared future.
Coastal Pomo Dancers in traditional regalia.
This year's Native Cinema program opens with the Coastal Pomo Dancers who will offer place-based ancestral song and dance to honor the land. The Dancers feature: Bernadette Smith (Board Chair of Xa Kako Dile: one of the first Indigenous women-led farms on the Mendocino Coast), Clarence Carrillo, Natalie Smith, and Shayne McCloud.
"Land acknowledgments go beyond words to recognize and honor Indigenous peoples as the original land stewards. They are a crucial step in correcting historical erasure and marginalization. Rather than rushing through acknowledgment, it should be approached with intention and followed by meaningful action. Tailoring acknowledgments to specific Indigenous groups and engaging directly with them fosters accuracy and respect. Acknowledging ongoing colonization and its impact is vital for reconciliation. Land acknowledgment should be accompanied by building relationships and informed action. It can spark conversations and contribute to broader decolonization efforts. Research and genuine engagement with Indigenous communities are essential. Land acknowledgments invite us to learn, understand, and act toward reconciliation today." Kanyon Sayors-Roods
Language Vitalization in Song
This special short will play before the film feature with music composed and performed by Esme Olivia. Esme grew up in traditional Tiwa lands known as Albuquerque, NM. Hers is a weaving of lineages from Mexico, Holland, the Jewish diaspora, & the Great Mystery. She is a movement, theatre, music & teaching artist with Dancing Earth Creations & independent projects. Esme is especially keen on vocal harmonies, & how music, dance & storytelling may seed new culture & offer fresh water for the thirsty. EsmeOlivia.com
Esme Olivia
Groundworks - Feature Film
Filmmaker: Ian Garrett, Director, Producer, Writer, Camera
Groundworks is a documentary that shares stories of California Indigenous Artists. On San Francisco’s first official Indigenous People’s Day, a group of Native artists contributed a dance performance, Groundworks, to the annual Sunrise Ceremony on Alcatraz—nearly 50 years after the Indians of All Tribes occupied the island and brought attention to Native American rights. These artists, through their contemporary creative practices and activism, are working towards the reclamation of Native lands while restoring traditional ways of knowing and making.
Native Cinema Presents
Groundworks
June 4th, 2023
3:00pm PT
Mendocino Film Festival
A Panel Discussion with the Artist will follow the film.
L. Frank
L. Frank
Tongva-Acjachemen artist, writer, tribal scholar, cartoonist, and Indigenous language activist. She is an important keeper of knowledge related to Indigenous craft, building techniques, traditional foods, agriculture, and land management. In addition to activism to reclaim language, L. Frank has led the building of Tongva canoes through traditional means.
Bernadette Antoinette Smith
Bernadette Antoinette Smith
Coastal Pomo from the Manchester/Point Arena Band. She has dedicated her life to the restoration and revitalization of the Chichkale, the Kashia word for the Tan Oak. She supports youth to stay connected to the land, sacred sites and to celebrate the acorn. She uses contemporary dance and music to breathe new life into their beautiful Pomo language and tell the stories of the Acorn from the beginning to the destruction that we see today. As an environmental justice activist, she protects against the use of harmful herbicides in the forest of the beautiful Mendocino coast.
Ras K'dee
Ras K’Dee
Pomo, with ties to multiple bands in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Ras is an accomplished musician and producer. He fronts Audiopharmacy, an internationally touring musical group that defies styles. He is also the editor for Snag Magazine and is building The Nest, an arts and community facility in Forestville, California which will be dedicated to having half of all collaborators be Indigenous. Audiopharmacy.com
Kanyon Sayers-Roods
Kanyon Sayers-Roods
Ohlone Mutsun and Chumash Native American Kanyon Coyote Woman Sayers-Roods art is a sincere expression of her Native heritage. Kanyon’s visual descriptions are always based on nature and the natural world. Dedicated and active in the Native Community, Kanyon provides leadership, serving as an artist, poet, activist, student and teacher for up and coming scholars ready to challenge their creative paths and remind people what it means to decolonized. Kanyon’s lifelong artistic vision is to convey principal ideas of Native culture through visual means. Offering her voice and her art to remind our community that Indigenous perspectives and cultural continuity is ever present and prevalent. CEO of Kanyon Konsulting and caretaker of Indian Canyon "Federally recognized Indian Country" in the south Bay between San Francisco and Monterey. Kanyon Konsulting Is dedicated to preaching the gap between indigenous and contemporary value systems. Kanyonkonsulting.com
Panel Facilitators and Co-Producers:
U’ilani Wesley is a Kanaka Oiwi (Native Hawaiian) originally from Honolulu, Hawaii. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Xa Kako Dile: one of the first Indigenous and woman-led non-profits here in Northern California. She is an educator, activist, singer, speaker, mentor, and proud Mama. Positive change starts with ourselves, Imua Kakou (moving forward together).
U’ilani is honored to be a part of the fabric of Turtle Island to promote healing, awareness and share Aloha! XaKakoDile.com
Lavender Grace - is of Celtic and Nordic descent raised on the California Coast and works with Thanksgiving Coffee Company as a consultant. She is the co-creator of the Bee Bold Alliance, a world renewal project to restore biodiversity and support local food systems. In partnership with cultural community leaders she is creating contemporary indigenous storytelling programs for multicultural and multi-generational mentor-ship and sound health.
May our Legacy Live on in our Flowers and our Songs.
Bee Bold Coffee Supports Our Pollinators for Generations to Come
Learn More about our Work and our Journey in the World of Coffee
Recommended Reading
Back to the Blog-
![Native Cinema 2024]()
Native Cinema 2024
Thanksgiving Coffee Company had the privilege to co-sponsor the “Native Cinema” event along with Xa Kako Dile: in the main tent at the 2024 Mendocino Film Festival. The sold out audience was alerted at the introduction that the next two and a half hours could make them feel “uncomfortable” and the truths that were shared at this event were even more than that word conveyed.
Corine Pearce - Pomo Basket Weaver
There were beautiful short films on the artistry and teaching of the world-renowned Pomo basketry with Corine Pearce, and the resurgence and validation of the Yurok tribe’s forest management practices using fire which has been practiced in this region for millennia. These controlled burns have now been adopted by Cal Fire and other agencies as extremely effective in controlling dangerous undergrowth and revitalizing the land.
Margo Robbins of the Yurok Tribe bringing prescribed fire back in the film - Fire Tender
This led up to the most significant part of the event – a documentary on MMIW – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. It was horrifying to learn that we live in parts of the top 5 most dangerous parts of California for Indigenous Women, and also for other Indigenous people (MMIP) as well. Here is a snapshot of an all-too-horrific story: Missing of Murdered Indigenous People Fact Sheet
"The next 2 1/2 hours could make you uncomfortable"
Image from the documentary "We Ride For Her"
raising awareness of the heartbreaking realities
The film WE RIDE FOR HER (directed by Prairie Rose Seminole & Katrina Lillian Sorrentino) follows the birth of a group of motorcycle riding indigenous women who created this group to raise awareness of the heartbreaking realities and to aid in the search for their missing sisters and brothers. This documentary should be required education for all Californians.
History of Thanksgiving Coffee Company and Native Cinema:
Native Cinema 2024
read more -
![Coffee Center Opens at UC Davis]()
University of California Davis Coffee Center
The University of California – Davis opened a new $6 million dollar Coffee Center on May 3, 2024, with all appropriate ruffles and flourishes, and I was proud to attend.
Over the last 9 years their elective course, Introduction to Coffee, has soared its way to being the most popular elective course offered to undergraduate students, outpacing “Into to Beer” and “Human Sexuality” making a strong case that to the UC Davis student body – coffee is more important than alcohol and/or sex.
Ribbon Cutting for the UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
COFFEE RESEARCH
Fascinating work was showcased on a wide variety of coffee topics, including:
- Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee - What keeps To-Go Coffee Warmest? Study by undergrads.
(Spoiler alert… It’s the lid.) - Impacts of Total Immersion Brewing On Cold Coffee Flavor
- Climate Change Impacts on Coffee Growing Regions in Brazil
- A new mobile application for coffee bean grading and evaluation using color, size and defect analysis – all on a mobile phone.
Representative Raw Data -Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee
What does chemical Engineering have to do with coffee - source UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
SPEAKERS
Itenerary for UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
It was also fascinating that all these studies needed to be underwritten (in one way or another) by some type of sponsorship. The sponsorships ranged from in-kind sponsors who donated 100 cups, in 4 sizes, to Coffee roasters who donated services, to equipment suppliers who donated the funds necessary to do thousands of measurements to prove their thesis. Our higher education facilities are simply not able to fund all these kinds of projects without external financial aid, so they are very vocally appreciative for those who contribute sponsorships.
Upper left, Doctoral Candidate Laudia Anoke-Bempah, upper right Dr. William Ristenpart, Center, Chancellor Gary May, lower left, Peter Giuliano SCA, lower right Richard L. Corsi
The Coffee Center Building
The building itself was repurposed from previously unrelated research purposes, but remodeled to allow for classrooms, cupping labs, roasting, testing, green coffee storage, and more.
Attendees at the opening of the Coffee Center at UC Davis
Interior of the new Coffee Center at UC Davis
We are excited for the future to see what this program will mean for the next wave of bright new minds in the coffee industry and for the deeper appreciation of coffee to thousands of students per year. Cheers!
UC Davis student roasted beans, from Royal Coffee, chocolate covered by students as well.
Coffee Center Opens at UC Davis
read more - Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee - What keeps To-Go Coffee Warmest? Study by undergrads.
Native Cinema 2024
Thanksgiving Coffee Company had the privilege to co-sponsor the “Native Cinema” event along with Xa Kako Dile: in the main tent at the 2024 Mendocino Film Festival. The sold out audience was alerted at the introduction that the next two and a half hours could make them feel “uncomfortable” and the truths that were shared at this event were even more than that word conveyed.
Corine Pearce - Pomo Basket Weaver
There were beautiful short films on the artistry and teaching of the world-renowned Pomo basketry with Corine Pearce, and the resurgence and validation of the Yurok tribe’s forest management practices using fire which has been practiced in this region for millennia. These controlled burns have now been adopted by Cal Fire and other agencies as extremely effective in controlling dangerous undergrowth and revitalizing the land.
Margo Robbins of the Yurok Tribe bringing prescribed fire back in the film - Fire Tender
This led up to the most significant part of the event – a documentary on MMIW – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. It was horrifying to learn that we live in parts of the top 5 most dangerous parts of California for Indigenous Women, and also for other Indigenous people (MMIP) as well. Here is a snapshot of an all-too-horrific story: Missing of Murdered Indigenous People Fact Sheet
"The next 2 1/2 hours could make you uncomfortable"
Image from the documentary "We Ride For Her"
raising awareness of the heartbreaking realities
The film WE RIDE FOR HER (directed by Prairie Rose Seminole & Katrina Lillian Sorrentino) follows the birth of a group of motorcycle riding indigenous women who created this group to raise awareness of the heartbreaking realities and to aid in the search for their missing sisters and brothers. This documentary should be required education for all Californians.
History of Thanksgiving Coffee Company and Native Cinema:
Native Cinema 2024
read more
University of California Davis Coffee Center
The University of California – Davis opened a new $6 million dollar Coffee Center on May 3, 2024, with all appropriate ruffles and flourishes, and I was proud to attend.
Over the last 9 years their elective course, Introduction to Coffee, has soared its way to being the most popular elective course offered to undergraduate students, outpacing “Into to Beer” and “Human Sexuality” making a strong case that to the UC Davis student body – coffee is more important than alcohol and/or sex.
Ribbon Cutting for the UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
COFFEE RESEARCH
Fascinating work was showcased on a wide variety of coffee topics, including:
- Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee - What keeps To-Go Coffee Warmest? Study by undergrads.
(Spoiler alert… It’s the lid.) - Impacts of Total Immersion Brewing On Cold Coffee Flavor
- Climate Change Impacts on Coffee Growing Regions in Brazil
- A new mobile application for coffee bean grading and evaluation using color, size and defect analysis – all on a mobile phone.
Representative Raw Data -Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee
What does chemical Engineering have to do with coffee - source UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
SPEAKERS
Itenerary for UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
It was also fascinating that all these studies needed to be underwritten (in one way or another) by some type of sponsorship. The sponsorships ranged from in-kind sponsors who donated 100 cups, in 4 sizes, to Coffee roasters who donated services, to equipment suppliers who donated the funds necessary to do thousands of measurements to prove their thesis. Our higher education facilities are simply not able to fund all these kinds of projects without external financial aid, so they are very vocally appreciative for those who contribute sponsorships.
Upper left, Doctoral Candidate Laudia Anoke-Bempah, upper right Dr. William Ristenpart, Center, Chancellor Gary May, lower left, Peter Giuliano SCA, lower right Richard L. Corsi
The Coffee Center Building
The building itself was repurposed from previously unrelated research purposes, but remodeled to allow for classrooms, cupping labs, roasting, testing, green coffee storage, and more.
Attendees at the opening of the Coffee Center at UC Davis
Interior of the new Coffee Center at UC Davis
We are excited for the future to see what this program will mean for the next wave of bright new minds in the coffee industry and for the deeper appreciation of coffee to thousands of students per year. Cheers!
UC Davis student roasted beans, from Royal Coffee, chocolate covered by students as well.