To Brooklyn and Back: A Mohawk Journey

“To Brooklyn and Back” told the story of Mohawk women and their role in sustaining a vibrant community in Brooklyn while Mohawk workers were helping build Manhattan’s iconic skyscrapers in the 1920s to 1960s.

Set decades later, “Bronx Llaktamanta” follows Segundo Angamarca from Ecuador, who operates a radio station, in Kichwa language,  two blocks from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
The screenings followed a discussion about indigenous peoples’ identity, cultural survival and contributions to the world’s cities – in celebration of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  The amazing fact was the power of the womenfolk who held the family together while the men worked!!

Reaghan Tarbell

As writer/director, Reaghan Tarbell,  stated, “Growing up in Kahnawake, we’ve always been proud of the men who worked high steel, but it was the women in my family—and my grandmother, Ida Meloche, in particular — who taught me the most about the Brooklyn community. I wanted to tell their story and to honor their vital role in our history and culture.” Read more

You can view a short clip here