Download a photo of The Horse Relative flyer.
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. —The Horse Relative is a new hour-long documentary about the historic art of horse regalia and how it is being revived and reinterpreted by Dakota communities for a new generation. The premiere of the documentary is set to air on Sunday, May 17, 2020 at 6 p.m. on Pioneer PBS.
Artists James Star Comes Out and Keith Braveheart of the Oglala Lakota tribe of South Dakota collaborated with Pioneer PBS and Dakota Wicohan of Morton to create this documentary which shares stories of Native lives with the sacred horse and the centuries-old tradition of dressing horses for ceremonies and celebrations.
Star Comes Out has made a commitment to transferring knowledge about horse regalia to tribal youth throughout the Upper Midwest. Videographer Issac Larsen collaborated with Pioneer PBS videographers Kristofor Gieske, Ben Dempcy and Dylan Curfman to capture the colorful images from events and interviews that are featured in the story. Pioneer PBS producer Dana Conroy worked closely with Star Comes Out and Braveheart to guide the development of the documentary which is edited by Kevin Russell.
Several Native Americans from both Minnesota and the Dakotas are interviewed in the film, including Eileen O’Keefe, executive director of Dakota Wicohan -- who invited Star Comes Out to share his art form with the community. The documentary is a story of migration following the difficult path Native people and their horse relatives traversed as foreigners settled the surrounding lands and how the Dakota people of Minnesota are working to keep their cultural identity thriving.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit: www.pioneer.org
