Spirit Of the Dawn

Brief, sweet, and affirming, this film looks at trends in Native American education, with an emphasis on language as an expression of identity. The camera follows two preteens from a Crow reservation in Montana who have written and prepared some poems for presentation. Their journey toward pride in their ideas and verbal power are set against the pain of history--when Indians in boarding schools were beaten for speaking native languages. Native and non-Native educators are interviewed about their philosophies of using history, myth, and literature to renew the students' sense of dignity, in contrast to the historic use of "education" as whitewashing. The educators comment on the value of biculturalism and bilingualism, reversing the notion that Native Americans need to be "made over" to be accepted in a white world. While the film is not as emotionally arresting as others on the subject, its quiet message is of value to students of education and cultural diversity. Recommended for larger collections. (A. Laker)