Chishkale: Blessing Of The Acorn Screening

Online screening and panel discussion.

Tuesday, September 8
5-6pm PDT . 8-9pm EDT

Join us for a free screening of the dance short, Chiskale: The Blessing of the Acorn, followed by a panel discussion with those who worked on the film.

Bernadette Smith, from the Manchester band of Pomo Indians, weaves the story of her Tan Oak conservation efforts in Northern California into a contemporary Indigenous dance piece created to honor the sacred, traditional food of California Natives. The "Acorn Dance" is performed on Sogorea Te' Land Trust in Huichin on Ohlone Territory (Albany, CA).

Chiskale: The Blessing of the Acorn is the third installment of The Acorn Project, a year-long collaboration between Dance Mission Theater and Costanoan Indian Research Inc, in partnership with Dancing Earth and Native One.

Panelists include dancer and activist Bernadette Smith, cultural bearer Kanyon Sayers-Roods, land steward Vitoria Montaño, choreographer Rulan Tangen, composer Esme Olivia, and others.

After the screening we will speak about sudden Oak death, the toxic use of “slash and spray” agriculture, land sovereignty, indigenous knowledge, living traditions, art as activism, and more.

To attend the event on Zoom, register in advance here.

Chiskale: The Blessing of the Acorn is a film by Hover Pictures and Produced by Dance Mission Theater in collaboration with Costanoan Indian Research Inc and Native One.

For more information visit DanceMissionTheater.org.