Navajo Nation film office being proposed

By Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — In its search for ways to establish new jobs, the Navajo Nation may seek to establish an office to assist the movie industry with aspiring Diné actors, technicians and producers.

Friday Vice President Frank Dayish Jr. conducted telephone conference calls with Navajo producer Elsa Johnson, Navajo actor Dyron C. Thompson and actor-director Rick Schroeder.

The vice president wants to establish the office using a bank of data about not only locations, but of which Navajos have which skills to assist Hollywood when inquiries come to the president's office.

"We want to help more Navajos find high-paying jobs, not just as actors, but as technicians, trainers. But it will take incentives and aggressive recruiting. They are crucial to have a work force to handle film projects," he explained.

Dayish said that while mining, manufacturing and agriculture are the big three segments of economic development, there are also industries which do not fit into those three categories, such as making movies and commercials. He notes that with each job started by one of the big three, another three service jobs are established.

In recent years, he said producers have repeatedly said they love to come to Navajoland, but there aren't enough qualified people.

Elsa Johnson's thoughts
Johnson called establishing such an office "an excellent idea. If you put together a comprehensive work force program, it would be so much easier" for producers. She also called the Navajo Reservation "film friendly."

She thinks actors and producers would be willing to volunteer or accept a small stipend to put on workshops for aspiring Navajo actors and technicians. "It's fine time we do this," she urged. "People everywhere always say you can tell a Navajo (on screen). They possess these mannerisms. Our accent is unique, with certain nuances and idiosyncrasies we possess that can only be captured by a Navajo," she said.

Johnson indicated an increasing interest in North American Indian participation in the industry.

"We need to get out of the old 1950s stigma, to work to undo that. This can be part of the force that unravels the stigma of the screaming Indian on horseback portrayed by a Hispanic actor. There is so much Native American talent that is untapped," she said.

Travis Hamilton of the documentary and narrative film-making company Holt Hamilton Productions in Mesa, Ariz., added, "She said it all. I know there is talent out there. It might be rough on the edges. But I know Navajos need to play Navajos."

Johnson followed up on that saying, "Even unseasoned actors sometimes are the best. Sometimes it helps to get people as they are; they are in their realm."

Dyron Thompson's thoughts
In summary, Thompson urged the Navajo government to become more active in advance, rather than scrambling around to find answers.

Thompson, who is half Navajo and half Muskogee Creek, has a part in Friday's upcoming debut of "The Longest Yard," a remake of a picture that starred Burt Reynolds as a convict who leads the prisoners to a football game victory over the guards. Reynolds is in the new version which features Adam Sandler.

Speaking from Albuquerque, Thompson said the Navajo effort tying into New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's film production promotion effort would end up "harnessing a lot of Navajo talent. It's awesome. It's about time. It's way overdue."

Being on the set of two filmings of Tony Hillerman novels, Thompson said, "I found I was the only Navajo on the set!" He pointed out the producers brought in a lot of First American actors from Canada, even though "there is a lot of talent on Navajo."

Later Dayish got Schroder on the speaker phone and he agreed with the effort.

"It would be wonderful to organize native and Navajo talent pools. When we came to do 'Black Cloud' we found a lot of enthusiasm and support, but no organized database from which to draw talent. Navajo is a great place to film, with incredible scenery. It's beautiful and the people are very warm and embraced us. They were very game, even though they had limited experience with the necessary skills," Schroeder said.

He added that it is important, with the governor's film industry assistance program, that areas other than Albuquerque get the benefits.