We Will Speak
With fewer than 1,500 fluent speakers left, a small group of Cherokee activists race to save their language from disappearing.
94 mins
The Cherokee language is deeply tied to Cherokee identity; yet generations of assimilation efforts by the U.S. government and anti-Indigenous stigmas have forced the Tri-Council of Cherokee tribes to declare a State of Emergency for the language in 2019. While there are 430,000 Cherokee citizens in the three federally recognized tribes, fewer than an estimated 2,000 fluent speakers remain—the majority of whom are elderly. The covid pandemic has unfortunately hastened the course. Language activists, artists, and the youth must now lead the charge of urgent radical revitalization efforts to help save the language from the brink of extinction.
Keli Gonzales
Self
Carolyn Swepston
Self
Marion Scraper
Self
Eda Scraper
Self
Durbin Feeling
Self
Clifton Petit
Self
Weynema Smith
Self
David Crawler
Self
Betty Frogg
Self
Clara Proctor
Self
Cora Flute
Self
Gil Jackson
Self
Oleta Pritchett
Self
Bo Lossiah
Self
Marlene Ballard
Self
Ann Arneach
Self
Gary Wayne Vann
Self
Howard Paden
Self
Colby Luper
Self
Ernestine Berry
Self
Ryan Mackey
Self
Krystan Moser
Self
Ashlyn Fullerton
Self
Agalisiga Mackey
Self
Olivia Wildcat
Self
TJ Holland
Self
JP Johnson
Self
Lukas Swepston
Self
Dakota Brown
Self
Carney Duncan
Self
Andrew Swepston
Self
Katherine Harper
Executive Producer
Matt Miller
Music
Kyungchan Min
Colorist
Mark Shlomchik
Executive Producer
Jacob Koestler
Editor
Michael McDermit
Producer
Jacob Koestler
Producer
Diana Baldovino
Executive Producer
Derek Boonstra
Associate Producer
Michael Mahaffie
Associate Producer
John Helgeland
Associate Producer
Natalia Tararova
Associate Producer
Dick Anderson
Associate Producer
Carol Anderson
Associate Producer
Leah Trznadel
Assistant Production Coordinator
Rory Crittenden
Second Unit Cinematographer
Jacob Koestler
Post-Production Manager
Michael McDermit
Director
Jacob Koestler
Cinematography
Keli Gonzales
Producer
Laura Heberton
Producer
Gill Holland
Executive Producer
Rory Crittenden
Associate Producer
Ben Speiser
Executive Producer
