Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone, seen in Martin Scorsese’s latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon”) has been taking care of her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. She devotes all her free time to searching for her sister, while helping Roki prepare for an upcoming pow-wow. No, we’re not talking about the famous 1990s music group, but rather a gathering of Native Americans.
In the past, it was traditionally a celebratory event to get closer to the core of the community and to exchange with family and friends annually after long periods of absence or during celebrations of warlike exploits.
Since then, powwows have become local celebrations centered around the cultural heritage of the Aboriginal people.
Complexities and contradictions of indigenous women
At the risk of seeing Jax lose custody to Roki’s grandfather, Frank (Shea Whigham, “Perry Mason”, “Waco”, “Fargo”, “Boardwalk Empire”), the duo hits the road and travels the backcountry to find Roki’s mother in time for the powwow.
What begins as a family search gradually evolves into a much deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of indigenous women navigating a colonized world while finding themselves at the mercy of a failing justice system. A film that allows us to better understand the DNA of Native Americans while measuring the impact of their culture.
“Fancy Dance,” available on Apple TV+.
