Where to watch: The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation documentary “’A-t’i Xwee-ghayt-nish: Still, We Live On”

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation documentary “’A-t’i Xwee-ghayt-nish: Still, We Live On” screened free online at Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian website from Nov. 22-29, 2024 as part of American Indian Heritage Month. Filmed in entirely in Del Norte County, California, home of the ancestral land of several tribes including the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, this film beautifully highlights how important language is to a culture.

Watch the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation documentary “’A-t’i Xwee-ghayt-nish: Still, We Live On” film trailer here:

Language is the lifeline of a culture. As with most Indigenous nations in North America, our Nation has struggled with its loss since settler colonialism began erasing it in the late 1800s. However, significant work is being done by key members of our community to bring language back, and with it, our vibrant culture.

In 2021, the Tolowa language division partnered with Cal Poly Humboldt’s Sponsored Programs Foundation to produce a documentary to tell their important story. Directed by Art + Film Professor Dave Jannetta, and produced by Art + Film Lecturer Nicola Waugh, and Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Waatr’vslh’a~ (Language and Culture) Manager, Marva Sii~xuutesna Jones, ‘A-t’i Xwee-ghayt-nish: Still, We Live On tells the important story of Tolowa language resilience and revival for future generations.

“This is an incredible opportunity for national exposure for the film,” said producer Jones. “Our Tolowa Dee-ni’s language story is difficult, but hopeful, and we want other nations to be inspired by the resilience and progress our community has made.”

Loren Me’-lash-ne Bommelyn, the central subject of the film, is a prolific leader in our community. Working to rebuild the cultural devastation that his parents and grandparents faced, he dedicated his life to learning and teaching the Tolowa language and became the first credentialed Indian Language teacher in California in 1980.

The film also premiered at the 2023 Maoriland Film Festival in New Zealand, followed by the RiverRun International Film Festival in North Carolina, and the Native Spirit Film Festival in London. Following the Native Cinema Showcase, the film will be released for educational distribution by Collective Eye Films.

To donate to the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation language program, call +1 707-487-9255

For press and screening inquiries, please contact Nicola Waugh nsw33@humboldt.edu

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