Just as Indigenous Peoples’ Day has been marked as a day of recognition of the many contributions of Native peoples, November offers the opportunity for a month-long celebration of Native traditions, cultures, languages and stories.
This November on WORLD, two feature-length documentaries premiering on Local, USA explore how the people of the Lummi and Yurok tribes stay committed to their respective heritage and traditions today for future generations: Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life (November 4) follows the innate ritual of salmon fishing for the Lummi, while in Firelighters: Fire Is Medicine (November 18), Yurok women bring cultural burning back to their land in California.
Also new this month is Reckoning and Repair from Stories from the Stage: Three storytellers, featuring one with Native roots, share how confronting a hurtful past borne from pivotal moments in American history – like the Indian Boarding School era – can open the door to healing and justice.
Explore how Native American heritage brings strength and connection to communities with these new films and streaming favorites.
WATCH LIVE
NEW Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life | Local, USA
November 4 on TV, online, the PBS app & on YouTube
Despite wildfire smoke and a depleting fishery, Lummi families fish for sockeye salmon. The film, which explores the deep spiritual and cultural connection between the Lummi and salmon, lifts values of respect, gratitude and sharing as they are passed on to the next generation. Through the Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw, the "Salmon People," we learn that protecting salmon and this lifeway is a full-time job.
Kid Candidate | America ReFramed
November 7 on TV, online & on the PBS app
A viral joke video catapults Hayden Pedigo – a 24-year-old artist and musician in Amarillo, TX – into the spotlight and prompts him to make a surprise bid for city council. Follows Pedigo’s unorthodox campaign as he works toward his goal of upending the status quo and ousting corrupt incumbent politicians while unpacking issues of race, income inequality and gentrification in small-town America.
Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen | Independent Lens
November 13 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Riddled with survivor's guilt after his unit lost 17 men during "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan, Marine veteran Anthony Marquez makes it his mission to reconnect with the Gold Star families of the fallen. By carving and hand-delivering a battlefield cross for each of the families affected by loss, Anthony finds the path to heal himself.
Daughter of a Lost Bird | America ReFramed
November 14 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Kendra, a Native adoptee, grew up assimilated in a loving, white family with little connection to her heritage. Now, as an adult with a family of her own, Kendra embarks on a seven year journey to find her biological mother, April, and return to her Lummi homeland. Together, Kendra and April, also a Native adoptee, navigate what it means to be Native and to belong to a tribe from the outside.
American Coup: Wilmington 1898 | American Experience
November 15 on TV, online & on the PBS app
The little-known story of a deadly race massacre and insurrection in North Carolina’s largest city – the only coup d’état in the U.S. Stoking fears of “Negro Rule,” white supremacists used intimidation and violence to destroy Black political and economic power and overthrow Wilmington’s multi-racial government. The story of what happened was suppressed for decades until descendants and scholars began to investigate.
NEW Firelighters: Fire Is Medicine | Local, USA
November 18 on TV, online, the PBS app & on YouTube
For centuries, most landscapes in North America were shaped by fire between lightning strikes and Indigenous burns. Indigenous people had deep knowledge of the art of using fire, and still do today. Follow the work of women leaders from the Yurok and Karuk Tribes who are building resources to share indigenous practices and create policies to take back indigenous burning rights.
Generations Stolen | Local, USA
November 18 on TV, online & on the PBS app
At a time when many Americans question democratic institutions, One Person, One Vote? unveils the complexities of the Electoral College, the uniquely American and often misunderstood mechanism for electing a president. The documentary follows four presidential electors representing different parties in Colorado during the intense 2020 election.
NEW Reckoning and Repair | Stories from the Stage
November 18 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Confronting the past can bring hope, healing, and a path toward justice. Anneliese uncovers her great-grandmother’s account of the Tulsa Race Massacre; Paul reflects on his mother’s resilience following Japanese American internment; and Larry reconnects with his roots by channeling his grandfather's strength.
Sisters Rising | America ReFramed
November 21 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than all other American women, and 86% of the offenses are committed by non-Native men. Follow six women who refuse to let this pattern of violence continue in the shadows, their stories shining an unflinching light on righting injustice on both an individual and systemic level.
The Body Politic | POV
November 27 on TV, online & on the PBS app
A harbinger of hope in a country plagued by gun violence, Brandon Scott, an idealistic young leader with an ambitious plan to stop chronic violence, is elected mayor of Baltimore. Throughout his first year in office, we follow him as he fights powerful political forces to save lives in Baltimore and reveal a pathway toward healing for the nation. Co-presented with ITVS and Black Public Media.
China, the U.S. and the Rise of Xi Jinping | FRONTLINE
November 27 on TV, online & on the PBS app
FRONTLINE investigates the decline in U.S.-China relations, highlighting shifts from optimism to confrontation. Through interviews with key Chinese and American figures, the documentary explores pivotal moments that have led to the current tensions.
WATCH ONLINE
Youth Rising | Stories from the Stage
November 4 on TV | Available now online & on the PBS app
In the exuberance of youth lies the heartbeat of change. Beatriz grapples with being “too girly” in the rigorous world of STEM; Omar’s underdog mayoral race captures the essence of youthful idealism; and Sara shares the behind-the-scenes story of young, climate education activists.
All Connected | Stories from the Stage
November 11 on TV | Available now online & on the PBS app
When it comes to overcoming challenges and finding contentment, connections often play an essential role. Jose chases his dream of playing football and learns life is about relationships; Darcy adopts four children and begins a family; and Kyle shares the love and wisdom he received on the Navajo reservation.
Giving Thanks | Stories from the Stage
November 25 on TV | Available now online & on the PBS app
Favorite stories about Thanksgiving, the holiday that has us giving thanks. Lani's cooking mistake becomes a family secret; Melanée tests her adulthood through the ultimate challenge: the Thanksgiving turkey; and Matthew gathers his courage to stand up to his girlfriend’s tough as nails dad.
In Search of Bengali Harlem | America ReFramed
November 28 on TV | Available now online, the PBS app & on YouTube
As a teen, Alaudin Ullah was swept up by the energy of hip-hop and rebelled against his Bangladeshi roots. Now a playwright contending with post-9/11 Hollywood’s Islamophobia, he sets out to tell his parents’ stories. Track his quest from mid-20th-century Harlem to Bangladesh, unveiling intertwined histories of South Asian Muslims, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans.
On Sacred Ground | Stories from the Stage
Available now online & on the PBS app
For Indigenous Americans, the sacred is connected to the land and traditional ways of seeing. Kevin rallies to oppose housing development on tribal land; Colleen's relationship with her mother provides a view of the judgment heaped on traditional healing; and Valery takes us on a hike...interrupted by Bigfoot!
Sacred Circle | Stories from the Stage
Available now online & on the PBS app
As a symbol of life’s cyclical nature, the circle is important for Native Americans. Rebekka honors the keeper of the connection between her people and culture; Charlie, who has light skin and hair, works to be accepted by fellow tribe members; and Levelle finds a path to meaning, healing, and helping after prison.
Shelby Rowe | Decolonizing Mental Health
Available now online, the PBS app & on YouTube
Shelby Rowe was five when her grandmother asked her to hide her Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood. Like her, many Native youth grow up trying to pass as white which, as Rowe knows as a suicide prevention advocate, has adverse effects on their mental health. For trauma-informed mental healthcare to be effective, there has to be justice - something Native Americans have been denied systemically.
In Their Element | Local, USA
Available now on PBS Passport
Spotlighting Indigenous leaders rising up to meet the challenge of the climate crisis. The film features four communities across the United States, each working to protect a different natural resource: earth, air, fire, and water. For people whose existence is inseparable from their native land, climate change is not a tale of the future – it is the present.
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