On the Road with AIFI’s Tribal Touring Program:
Empowering and Educating Native Youth through Film

San Francisco, CA – The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) is proud to announce the summer dates for the
2011 Tribal Touring Program. The Tribal Touring Program is designed to expand AIFI’s media services to
tribal and rural communities across the United States. The Tribal Touring Program, presented in the summer,
uses media as a tool for cultural and economic development. It is structured around media empowerment &
literacy, digital training workshops, community film festival and, months later, youth-to-media maker
dialogue at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco.

“The Tribal Touring Program is a bridge to our communities––especially bringing media technology to
our reservation/rancheria youth. Our youth retain their tribal stories––by placing digital video cameras,
sound, lighting equipment and computers/Final Cut 5 in their hands––we empower youth to embrace
media and continue to create a wider perspective, content, and marketplace for shaping and defining
our contemporary Indian lifeways." AIFI Founder/ Director Michael Smith.

AIFI Host-Partners during the Tribal Touring Program’s 2001-2002 pilot phase included Robinson Rancheria,
Santa Rosa Rancheria, Sycuan Reservation, Soboba Reservation and Bishop Paiute Tribe in California,
and the Yakama Nation in Washington. Among the Host-Partners for programs in Summer 2003 were Soboba
Reservation, Susanville Rancheria, and Hoopa Reservation; Host-Partners in 2004:Hoopa Reservation, CA,
Morongo Band of Mission Indians, CA, and Quechan Reservation, AZ; Host-Partners in 2005: United
Auburn Indian Community, CA and Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, NV. Host tribes for Summer
2006: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, AZ; Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation,CT;
Washoe Native TANF Program, CA; Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, NV; and United Auburn
Indian Community, CA. Host-partners in 2007: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, AZ; Hoopa
Tribe, CA; and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, CA. More recently, Host-partners in 2008:
Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, CA; Stop the Violence Coalition, CA; Federated Indians of Graton
Rancheria, CA; Host-partners in 2009: Stop the Violence Coalition, Hoopa, CA, Yocha Dehe Wintun
Nation, Brooks, CA, United Auburn Indian Community,Auburn, CA; Host-partners in 2010: Yocha Dehe
Band of Wintun Nation, Brooks,CA; Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Rohert Park, CA;
Nisqually IndianTribe, Olympia, WA.

The Tribal Touring Program has traveled to California, Arizona, Connecticut, Washington, and Nevada
reservations offering Native youths, ages 13-20, the opportunity to participate in this intensive 10 –day media
academy.

The 2011 Tribal Touring Program will be traveling to three communities, including: Yocha Dehe
Wintun Nation, Brooks, CA; Nisqually Indian Tribe,Olympia,WA; and Lummi Nation,
Bellingham,WA. Three tour dates are available for this summer program. If interested please contact
the American Indian Film Institute.

AIFI TRIBAL TOURING PROGRAM PROPOSED DATES - SUMMER 2011

• June 9 - June 18: Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, Brooks, CA
• June 23 - July 2: Open TTP dates
• July 7 - July 16: Open TTP dates
• July 21 - July 30: Nisqually Indian Tribe,Olympia,WA
• August 4 - August 13: Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Tacoma, Washington
• August 18 - August 27: Lummi Nation, Bellingham,WA

The 2011 Tribal Touring Program promises to be an educational, fun, and career-directed experience for all
Native youth participants who are taught by award- winning Indian media professionals experienced in digital
video production. At each tour-stop, 4-6 short films (5 – 10 minutes each) are scripted, shot, edited, and
premiered at each tribal host site. A 3-Nite “Best of the American Indian Film Festival” precedes the premiere
of youth films. All youth films created at each Tribal Touring Program community will also be screened in a
special program at the 2011 – 36th annual American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco.
For further information regarding AIFI’s Tribal Touring Program or annual Film Festival please contact the
American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) at 415-554-0525, or email: mls@aifisf.com

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The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) is a non-profit media arts center founded in 1979 to foster understanding of the culture, traditions and issues of contemporary Native Americans. The American Indian Film Festival is produced by the American Indian Film Institute with the generous support of our sponsors.