Native American Teens: Who We Are

With over 4.4 million Native Americans in 550 tribes spread across the United States, there is a definite need for materials that help Native American teens connect with their heritage as a means of gaining focus and motivation in their own lives. This installment of the long-running PBS series In the Mix is hosted by performer Litefoot, a Native American actor and rap artist, and features excerpts from a roundtable discussion with teens at a national leadership conference, where common misconceptions are addressed, as well as Native American under-representation in popular culture. In addition, two teens who excel in activities related to Native American traditions—a lacrosse champion and a Grammy-nominated flute player—are profiled within their communities, and the program includes footage from powwows, which are presented as a meeting place for teens to “be with their people.” The best segments of this somewhat scattershot program are actually the teen-produced short films from the Native Lens series: one titled “Res Life” doesn't fall back on poverty or a bad family situation as excuses for a wasted life; instead, the filmmaker asks himself the hard question, “What kind of man are you gonna be?”, and takes personal responsibility for the choices he makes. Recommended, overall. Aud: J, H, P. (E. Gieschen)