The ninth entry in producer/director Jocelyn Riley's Her Own Words series takes a different tack from previous entries. The source material this time is not journals but five contemporary Winnebago Indian women: Irene Thundercloud, Naomi Russell, Rebecca Greendeer, Ruth Cloud, and Arvina Lowe Thayer. Utilizing the same slide/dissolve format as found in the other productions, Winnebago Women: Songs & Stories first introduces Naomi Russell, who recalls how her mother and grandmother would cut designs from grocery bags and create beautiful original garments. Rebecca Greendeer and Irene Thundercloud are both seen doing beadwork, and Irene Thundercloud sings on the soundtrack. Both Arvina Lowe Thayer and Ruth Cloud are expert basketmakers. Thayer recalls going to school as a kid and being allowed to speak her Native American language only between 4-5 p.m. each day. Winnebago Women: Songs & Stories offers a nice slice-of-life portrait of five women who produce lovely handiwork that also keeps a culture alive. Recommended. (Available from: Her Own Words, P.O. Box 5264, Madison, WI 53705; (608) 271-7083.)
Winnebago Women: Songs & Stories
(1992) 15 min. $95. Her Own Words. Public performance rights included. Vol. 7, Issue 8
Winnebago Women: Songs & Stories
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