de Young Film Screening and Discussion: “In the Land of My Ancestors”

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Join Kanyon Sayers-Roods for a film screening and discussion of In the Land of My Ancestors, a documentary that celebrates the legacy of beloved Ohlone elder Ann-Marie Sayers, who has devoted her life to preserving the stories and culture of her Indigenous ancestors. This documentary challenges viewers to consider the perilous impact of colonization on the Ohlone people in the Bay Area. It also follows Sayers as she provides a refuge in the sacred Indian Canyon for Indigenous people to reclaim their culture, spirituality, and heritage.
This program is the final installation of a three-part, Virtual Wednesdays series about Ohlone history, culture, and land presented in partnership with the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone and other Ohlone community leaders. Virtual Wednesdays is a weekly YouTube broadcast bringing you unique viewpoints exploring diversity, resilience, and creative spirit in the arts as we aim to reframe our exhibitions and collections. View upcoming Virtual Wednesdays programs.

About the Speaker
Kanyon Sayers-Roods is Costanoan Ohlone-Mutsun and Chumash; she also goes by her given Native name, “Coyote Woman.” She is proud of her heritage and her Native name (though it comes with its own back story), and is very active in the Native community. She is an artist, poet, published author, activist, student, and teacher. The daughter of Ann-Marie Sayers, she was raised in Indian Canyon, trust land of her family, which currently is one of the few spaces in Central California available for the Indigenous community for ceremony. Sayers-Roods’ art has been featured at the de Young museum, SOMArts, Gathering Tribes, Snag Magazine, and numerous powwows and Indigenous gatherings. She is a recent graduate of the Art Institute of California, Sunnyvale, obtaining her associate and bachelor of science degrees in web design and interactive media. She is motivated to learn, teach, start conversations around decolonization, re-Inidgenization, and permaculture, and to continue doing what she loves, art.

About the Director
Rucha Chitnis is a photojournalist, writer, and an emerging filmmaker. Her stories highlight the power and agency of women rising up and raising their voices against ecological chaos and economic inequities. Her work elevates a narrative of hope and resilience in opposition to the ethnocentric lens that often erases, dehumanizes, and victimizes women and communities of color. She is a fellow at the International Women’s Media Foundation.
Ticket Information
No registration is required. Free online event.

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Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.