July 2023 | oleantimesherald.com
GOWANDA — The premiere of “Tradition, Trauma, & Tenderness,” a documentary featuring Seneca Nation members and families, premiered at the historic Hollywood Theater.
This was a free public showing with a reception to follow. Presented by the CREATE Project, the film shows how tender traditions help families and communities survive and thrive.
In addition to the Western New York residents who took part in the documentary, professionals from psychology and neuroscience describe a wide variety of trauma and the therapeutic value traditions can offer.
The film features local Seneca and Indigenous tradition-bearers Bill Crouse, Sandy Dowdy, Penny Minner, Kari Kennedy, Hunter Skye, Rhylee Hoag, Peter Jones and Mike Jones.
A montage of images, sounds and songs show time-honored practices from around the world as first-person accounts portray traumatic episodes in the lives of children, adults and seniors.
Told through intimate stories including those of a potter and his son, loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, an elder reflecting on her youth and the effects of forced relocation, the theme of the “Tradition, Trauma, & Tenderness” emerges as the importance of their traditions and tenderness is revealed in each story.
Dr. Darryl Tonemah, a psychologist, discusses how individuals relate to and acquire “identity,” pondering how certain traits may be inherited through DNA and epigenetics. He calls for understanding to help children handle stress and trauma. Tomemah highlights the role of traditions in helping families and individuals cope, saying tenderness and empathy are essential for optimal family and community functioning.
Neuroscientist Dr. Audrey Hager reveals simple but effective strategies for individuals to cope with stress as well as how the brain and body respond to stress. Hager says the repetition of tender family traditions — and creative or sensory experiences — can help heal and prevent the impact of trauma. Music, dance and the arts, shared in tender settings, can help heal and prevent trauma in the brain and body, she said.
Executive producer Valerie Walawender co-directed the film with cinematographer Alex Simmons. Simmons is also responsible for primary videography, narration, sound and editing. The documentary explores traditions and the universal experience of trauma felt by people and cultures from across the globe.
The “Tradition, Trauma, & Tenderness” film was created with support from Arts Services, Inc. and Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation.
The CREATE Project board of directors acknowledges a multitude of volunteers, agencies and others who contributed to the making of this film, including the City of Dunkirk, Faithkeepers Montessori Language Nest, Warrior Flight Team, Photographer Brandon Rivera, Clymer Central School, Native American Consortium, Chautauqua County Department of Mental Health Tapestry Program, Lori DeCarlo (Restorative Circles), Dunkirk Public Library and others.
For more information, visit www.create-project.com\.
