Documentary explores Indigenous land restitution efforts

A documentary follows Indigenous nations working with non-Native allies to reclaim ancestral lands. It tells the stories of the Pawnee returning to Nebraska through a writer's land donation, the Wiyot people repatriating a sacred California island, and the Arapaho and Cheyenne working with Boulder Valley allies in Colorado. The film premieres Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV and streams on KPBS+.

"The film, directed by Boots Kennedye and produced by Kevin Abourezk, examines a grassroots restitution and reconciliation movement. It focuses on three efforts: Pawnee people returning to Nebraska after a writer donated land, Wiyot people reclaiming a sacred California island, and Arapaho and Cheyenne people partnering with Boulder Valley allies in Colorado.

The Pawnee segments feature the tribe's Seed Preservation Project, including director Deb Echo-Hawk and former Pawnee Nation president Walter Echo-Hawk. The project works with farmers on 19 corn gardens in Nebraska. Another scene shows Arapaho leader Fred Mosqueda at Boulder County's Haystack Mountain. The documentary premieres Oct. 12, 2026, at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV and streams on KPBS+."

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