Gather

"Gather" is a 2020 documentary that delves into the heart of the complex and multifaceted issue of Native American sovereignty, as seen through their intrinsic relationship with food systems. The film, directed by Sanjay Rawal, stars Kris Bergen, Chucky Carpenter, and Twila Cassadore among others who showcase an in-depth exploration of the ongoing renaissance of Native Foodways, while highlighting the communal strife within American Indian Tribal Nations to reclaim their food identities.

Gather is not just a movie, it is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political, and cultural identities through food sovereignty. This poetic and stirring narrative offers an egalitarian platform to indigenous voices across the United States.

The exploration begins with the story of Nephi Craig, a chef from the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona), who is an gastronomic alchemist, transforming foraged ingredients into edible art in an effort to introduce Apache youth to their ancestral diet. He is one of many voices in the Native American world seeking to reconnect with traditional food sources and practices in order to combat the ingrained health and economic issues that plague their communities.

From the serene and dignified contours of the Apache territory, the narrative takes us to the lush grasslands of South Dakota, where we meet Elsie DuBray, a teenage scientist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation, probing the nutritional value of buffalo meat. Her efforts, as shown in the movie, form an integral part of her tribe's efforts to accommodate their diet and health based on their traditional knowledge and wisdom, creating an impactful story of resilience and aspiration.

In the Yurok tribes along the Klamath River in Northern California, we find Sammy Gensaw III, a young man organizing his community around a dying salmon species, which has a significant sociocultural impact on his tribe. His fight to revive the environment echoes the larger struggle of the Yurok people, representing the intersection of heritage, environmental justice, and food sovereignty.

The narrative also includes the expertise of Twila Cassadore of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, who is part of the effort to catalogue the uses of indigenous plants and animal species, for both culinary and medicinal purposes, clearly highlighting the film's focus on the revival of tribal food cultures that have been nearly erased due to colonization and forced assimilation. At several points, the movie brilliantly portrays the dichotomy between the modern consumerist society and the sustainable practices that were once second nature to native tribes.

Rawal expertly uses the medium of film to shed light on the ongoing struggle of Native American tribes against the historical trauma, displacement, and marginalization forced upon them, aiming for a revival of their traditions and food systems to help restore their health and identity.

Kris Bergen serves as an executive producer and also appears in the movie, bringing his expertise on sustainable agriculture to the fore while introducing us to other important figures in the movement, including health experts, agricultural scientists, and tribal elders. Chucky Carpenter, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, has key involvement in the documentary and shares his insightful perspective on the efforts that are being made to revitalize the food systems.

The complex layers of the documentary are further accentuated by spectacular cinematography that adeptly captures the raw beauty and sacredness of Native American landscapes, raising a profound appreciation for the land we live on.

"Gather" is a culinary journey, a political assertion, and a spiritual war cry of indigenous people to recover what has been stripped from them. It tells historical narratives not as mere stories of survival, but as inspiring sagas of resistance and resilience, beautifully interwoven with grit, determination, and courage combined with an unbreakable bond with Mother Nature. The film is a stark contrast to the mainstream narratives about Native Americans, pushing audiences to not only acknowledge but also respect their sustained struggle for autonomy, dignity, and identity, as manifested in the crucial and inalienable right to food.