The documentary film Tuniyay: To Tell the Story screened once more at the Community Building in Ft. Duchesne last Wednesday. Produced and directed by diocesan Communications Manager Craig Wirth, the film incorporated changes based on feedback from the Ute people at a preliminary screening earlier this year. The screening offered the local community a chance to see the final production, which premiered in Salt Lake City earlier this summer.
Many attendees shared their own experiences with the schools during a post-screening panel featuring the documentary’s creators. The production has been recognized as a first step in correcting revisionist history and in acknowledging the church’s role in the cultural erasure of the Ute people.
The revised film premiered in Salt Lake City this past July to an audience of 300+ locals and Indigenous Peoples from around the state. The city premiere enabled those who attended Indian Schools to connect with Indigenous nonprofit groups and the film’s creators.
Ute Elder Darrell Shavanaus shares memories of attending the Uintah Boarding School in the late 1940s. Ute Elder Forrest Cuch, a primary content advisor, listens to the stories.
Since the screening, viewers have been eager to share their or a loved one’s experiences with the Uintah Indian School in Whiterocks. One individual donated a notebook of childhood poetry from their time at the school; another donated a box of old photographs, including images related to the production.
Just before Indigenous Peoples’ Day, this screening reminds us that stereotypes, name-calling, and a lack of empathy reflect deeper, institutional racism. By producing and sharing this story, we stand against institutional racism and urge individuals to do the same in their daily lives and institutions.
