For many people a powwow is something they have heard about but never experienced. Questions about what it is, what the dances represent and whether everyone is welcome can leave people curious but hesitant to attend.
Those are exactly the questions indigenous writer, director and producer Sinte Nupa hopes to answer through Wacipi, a new Pioneer PBS documentary that offers viewers an introduction to the beauty, traditions and welcoming spirit of powwow.
For Sinte Nupa the film is both deeply personal and intentionally inviting, encouraging viewers of all backgrounds to experience a tradition rooted in community, culture and connection. “I hope it encourages people to take part or be curious enough to go check it out,” he says. The project grew naturally from an earlier collaboration with Pioneer PBS. After producing Šine Koze, a short film exploring the origins of the Native American Fancy Shawl Dance, Sinte Nupa found himself wanting to tell a broader story.
His interest in filmmaking began while he was attending college when a documentary crew filming his grandmother introduced him to the filmmaking process by asking him to create a trailer order to help secure grant funding for the documentary. Learning to film and edit opened the door to a new creative path. “There’s plenty of stories, especially indigenous stories, that still need to be told,” he says.
Although the idea stayed with him for years, he didn’t fully commit to filmmaking until later in life. “When I was coming up on my 40th birthday I decided I either need to do this or stop talking about it,” he says. He stepped away from his day job for several months to begin building what would become his production company, Hostile Territory Productions. Encouragement from friends helped launch his filmmaking career, but the work itself quickly revealed just how much there was to learn.
As he developed Wacipi, his original vision continued to evolve. What began as a single documentary became an exploration of just how much knowledge exists within every aspect of a powwow. Like many artists, Sinte Nupa found himself comparing the finished film with the one he had imagined. Yet even in moments of frustration, he found reassurance that he was exactly where he wanted to be. “This is the stuff I want to be frustrated about,” he describes. “I’d rather be frustrated with trying to tell a better story visually and culturally rather than doing any other job I’ve been doing.”
The documentary also reflects his belief that film can help people connect across cultures. “I think it’s one of the best avenues people have to travel the world,” he says. Because film is such a visual medium, he hopes audiences will experience not only the story shared throughout Wacipi, but the beauty of the regalia, the movement and the traditions that have been carried forward through generations. “Seeing the beauty with your own eyes through film can spark people’s interest in things,” he says.
Ultimately his greatest hope reaches beyond the screen. “I think the main thing I want people to take away from this film is the beauty of indigenous cultures, for one, but two, to come check it out,” he says. At a time when differences can often seem more visible than common ground, Sinte Nupa believes gathering together still has the power to heal. “Just coming together and sharing food and music is healing in any culture,” he says.
Wacipi premiers on Pioneer PBS on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Encore broadcasts will air on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., and Monday, September 21 at 1:30 p.m.
How to Watch
Viewers within the viewing area can watch the live program on 10-1, 20-1, 8-1, Dish, DirecTV andMediacom.
In addition to station broadcasts, viewers in Pioneer PBS’s viewing area can also stream the premiere live at pioneer.org/live, on YouTube TV, Prime Video, Hulu Live,] or via the “Live TV” button on the PBS app and pbs.org.
All specials are also available for on-demand viewing at pioneer.org/specials, the PBS app, Pioneer PBS’s YouTube channel (organized in a curated specials playlist) and on pbs.org/show/pioneer-ptv-specials.
To see more stories from your community, find curated playlists on pioneer.org/pioneer-pbs-playlists.
Support
Due to recent funding cuts to Pioneer PBS and other PBS stations across the nation, shows, particularly the local programming you love, are in jeopardy. Consider becoming a member of Pioneer PBS to support the shows you love. For more information, including how to support Pioneer PBS, visit pioneer.org.
About Pioneer PBS Specials
These programs are made possible by contributions from the voters of Minnesota through a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing stories from rural Minnesota with the world. For nearly 60 years, Pioneer PBS has amplified local voices and reflected the people, places and issues that matter most to our region.
Headquartered in Granite Falls, Minnesota, with towers in Appleton, Worthington and Fergus Falls, Pioneer PBS reaches more than one-million viewers across western Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas and northern Iowa. Our reach extends far beyond our broadcast area. Viewers can stream Pioneer PBS programming anytime, anywhere through our website and the free PBS app, making local stories and programs accessible to audiences across the country and around the world. We are honored to be your television station—the only station in western Minnesota telling your stories. As we celebrate 60 years of storytelling, we invite you to help ensure these stories continue for the next 60 years and beyond.
Learn more at pioneer.org or call 800-726-3178.
