“Groundworks” introduces viewers to four diverse Native performers who come together in a collaborative performance on Alcatraz Island, on San Francisco’s first official Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The collaborators bring to life the history of Indigenous people’s connection to the land, as well as the contemporary outcry for restoration of Native people’s rights and relationship to land. Through moving oral history and stunning traditional dance, the film documents how Native groups and traditions relate to each other geographically and culturally as they collaborate on land reclamation advocacy.
IAN GARRETT is a designer, producer, educator, and researcher in the field of sustainability in arts and culture. He is the director of the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Associate Professor of Ecological Design for Performance at York University, where he is Graduate Program Director for Theatre and Performance Studies. He is also producer for Toasterlab, a mixed reality performance collective. He maintains a design practice focused on ecology, accessible technologies, and scenography. He is a graduate of Rice University and CalArts.
Walt is Oglala Lakota and created the logo for Urban Rez. He is Creative Director, owner of Nakota Designs Advertising Designs and Graphics. Executive Director of the Stronghold Society nonprofit dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.