What Was Ours

Documentary | Mat Hames

A young Arapaho journalist and a teenage powwow princess travel from the Wind River Indian Reservation with a wise Shoshone elder and Vietnam veteran, to explore artifacts removed from their people in the archives of a museum. The three uncover ancestral objects kept in boxes for many years, setting each on a journey to discover their true purpose. As the elder looks to the future, the young people look to the past to revive hope for their beloved home. A beautiful, haunting and positive portrait of a place often portrayed negatively in the media. 

57 minutes

Release: January 16, 2017

Expiration: January 16, 2021

Distributor: Independent Lens

About the Filmmaker

Mat Hames is an award-winning director and producer whose films have appeared on PBS and the Sundance Channel. Hames’s film. When I Rise captured the spirit of the civil rights fight in Texas by following the story of a young black music student, Barbara Smith Conrad, after she was removed as the lead in an opera at the University of Texas by none other than the Texas Legislature, before going on to become a world-famous opera singer. When I Rise premiered at SXSW, was an official selection of 11 film festivals and appeared on PBS’ Emmy winning series, Independent Lens. His film Fighting Goliath, produced by Robert Redford, was selected by 12 film festivals, then aired on the Sundance Channel.

Walt Pourier

Vice Chair

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.

lynn palmanteer-holder

Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, an Indigenous plateau woman of North Central Washington and member of eight of twelve Tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Lynn recently retired as inaugural Director of Tribal Government Affairs for Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the state’s oversight agency of 34 CTCs.  She is a highly accomplished professional that spans over 40 years. She is an experienced educator that has a demonstrated history across K12, post-secondary & higher education as a teacher, school counselor, superintendent, researcher, and professor. Also, she has diverse experience as an entrepreneur, Tribal leader and administrator. She is skilled in curriculum and program development, facilitating government to government relationships that led to formal partnerships between state institutions and Tribes developing custom programs. Lynn has served on many boards and has been recognized for various statewide, and national awards. She has several scholarly publications and has done various conference presentations and speaking engagements, at the local, national and international level. Lynn holds a Ph.C. (ABD) in Social Welfare Policy from University of Washington. She earned her M.Ed., with a concentration in counseling psychology from Washington State University and B.Ed., in K12 Education from Eastern Washington University. Lynn is a wife of 49 years, a mother of three adult professional children, granny of 10 and great granny to two. Lynn and her husband are high school sweethearts, and together enjoy time with their 15+ two-legged blessings.