Academy Award® Nominee Lily Gladstone Narrates New PBS Special ‘BRING THEM HOME’ as PBS SoCal Celebrates Native American Heritage Month Featuring Indigenous Voices, Art and Cultural Champions
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Los Angeles, CA – October 16, 2025 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS organization, announced today a lineup of several programs to honor the diverse narratives of Indigenous peoples across the country for Native American Heritage Month. Leading this month’s lineup is the PBS debut of a film that spotlights ecological conservation and cultural preservation in BRING THEM HOME which follows the Blackfeet Nation’s decades-long effort to return wild buffalo to tribal lands after a century-long absence. The new feature documentary is narrated and executive produced by Academy Award® nominee Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), and chronicles the Blackfoot Confederacy’s work to restore a thriving wild buffalo population to reconnect the community to a central part of their heritage, spirituality and identity, while creating opportunities for a prosperous future. BRING THEM HOME premieres on Mon., Nov. 24 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Throughout November, several programs across the PBS SoCal schedule will highlight Indigenous voices across generations featuring stories of resilience, renewal and reclaiming of cultural practices. Regional stories kick off the month starting on Sun, Nov. 2 on PBS SoCal Plus with PBS SoCal’s locally produced Original Emmy® award-winning documentary series TENDING NATURE with two, 30-minute, back-to-back episodes every Sunday at 6 p.m. in November.
KANENON:WE – Original Seeds KANENON:WE – Original Seeds premiering Sun., Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal, follows Indigenous women protecting endangered heirloom seeds using modern sustainability practices rooted in ancestral knowledge. While the documentary STORY POLE on Sun., Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal explores the impact of Indigenous art on a personal journey of healing and community. Viewers will also get a chance to explore the cross-cultural connection that bridged Native and non-Native worlds in AWAKENING IN TAOS: THE MABEL DODGE LUHAN STORY premiering on Wed., Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
Southern Californians can also enjoy NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER: “Embracing Duality: Modern Indigenous Culture” on Wed, Nov. 19 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and watch how the Kennedy Center explores the impact of contemporary artists who redefine performance and identity in a vibrant concert special featuring performances and interviews with The Halluci Nation, Martha Redbone and Ty Defoe.
The month-long lineup of Indigenous content also offers a relevant episode of the beloved PBS series FINDING YOUR ROOTS on Sat, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal called “Fathers and Sons” that features Native American actor, film producer and activist Wes Studi (“Dances with Wolves,” “The Last of the Mohicans”) of the Cherokee Nation, as he learns more about his estranged father and family history.
Viewers can also honor Veterans Day and U.S. servicemembers on PBS SoCal in November with SALUTE TO SERVICE 2025: A VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION on Mon., Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. Hosted by country music legend Trace Adkins, the celebration alongside the U.S. Army Field Band will feature artists commemorating all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces with poignant performances by opera superstar Angel Blue, jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and Trace Adkins himself. Later in the evening at 10 p.m., THE LAST 600 METERS tells the stories of two of the biggest battles of the Iraq War, Najaf and Fallujah, through the first-hand testimony of those who fought them. Rounding out the lineup on the following day, Tues., Nov. 11 at 8 p.m., PBS SoCal will host AMERICAN HEART IN WWII: A CARNEGIE HALL TRIBUTE, a recording of the live theatrical event, created and narrated by historian John Monsky that brings America's World War I story to life through a dynamic fusion of powerful storytelling.
Included in the lineup for Native American Heritage Month, are the following series, specials and documentaries that will be telecast as follows (*subject to change*):
TENDING NATURE: “Protecting the Coast with the Tolowa Dee-ni’” – Sun, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
This episode journeys to the Smith River near the Oregon border to discover how the Tolowa Dee-ni’ are reviving traditional harvesting of shellfish while working with state agencies to monitor toxicity levels.
TENDING NATURE: “Decolonizing Cuisine with Mak-‘amham” – Sun, Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Scientists and doctors are embracing alternative concepts that Indigenous peoples have practiced for thousands of years, by using medicinal plant knowledge.
TENDING NATURE: “Tribal Hunting with the Pit River Peoples” – Sun, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
This episode explores how members of the Pit River Tribe in Northeast California are reviving traditional hunting practices and embracing Community Science initiatives to preserve and monitor wild elk and deer populations.
TENDING NATURE: “Healing the Body with United Indian Health Services” – Sun, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A new generation is jump-starting several food sovereignty programs across California.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS: “Fathers and Sons” – Tues., Nov. 4 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi—two men who grew up without their fathers. With few clues to guide him, Gates introduces them to ancestors they’ve never known—revealing connections to key moments in history.
THE VIETNAM WAR – Tues., Nov. 4 at 11:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, the immersive 360-degree narrative tells the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film featuring testimony from nearly 100 witnesses.
K’ETNIYI: THE LAND IS SPEAKING TO US – Sun., Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
In Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, salmon drive the rhythm of life—feeding bears, forests and people. Through the eyes of Dena’ina community members and park scientists, the film uncovers the deep connections that shape the land.
TENDING NATURE: “Indigenous Land Stewardship” – Sun, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The one-hour special honors the Indigenous knowledge in a broader context: as a way of life centering around resilience, revival and renewal.
TENDING NATURE: “Rethinking the Coast with the Ti’at Society” – Sun, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Climate change and urban development have significantly altered ocean conditions and our ability to access the coast, making it more and more difficult for the Tongva tribe to carry on their long-held seafaring traditions.
TENDING NATURE: “Holistic Healing with the Syuxtun Collective” – Sun, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Scientists and doctors are embracing alternative concepts that Indigenous peoples have practiced for thousands of years, by using medicinal plant knowledge that informed much of our pharmacopeia.
TENDING NATURE: “Restoring the River with the Yurok, Hupa and Karuk” – Sun, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The environmental costs of timber extraction and damming have reached a tipping point in the North Coast region of California.
TENDING NATURE: “Managing Groundwater with the Paiute” – Sun, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
California’s Native peoples have lived with drought cycles for millennia and today, the Paiute are shepherding conversations around access to water resources, raising key questions about how snowpack, streams and aquifers are used and maintained.
33 BLACK FROG: AN AMERICAN STORY – Mon., Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
The life of Eddie L. Ferguson, one of the first African American Navy Frogmen - precursor to the Navy SEALs. Overcoming systemic racism, Ferguson’s journey is one of resilience, courage and groundbreaking achievements and sheds light on his untold story.
SALUTE TO SERVICE 2025: A VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION – Mon., Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Tues., Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Country music legend Trace Adkins joins the U.S. Army Field Band to host an unforgettable performance by opera superstar Angel Blue, jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and Trace Adkins himself.
THE LAST 600 METERS – Mon., Nov. 10 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
The stories of the Battle of Najaf and the Battle of Fallujah through the words and deeds of those who fought during the Iraq War.
SHRAPNEL DOWN: MY KOREAN WAR STORY – Mon., Nov. 10 at 11:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Korean War veteran, Bill Rector, who served as a Gunner’s Mate on the USS Los Angeles brings his story to public television audiences using the 8mm war footage he recorded, which has been unseen by the public. Chapters covered in the documentary include the Blockade of Wonsan, the longest blockade in modern naval history and the Court of Neptune ritual.
BREAKING ENIGMA: A WORLD WAR II GAME CHANGER – Tues., Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Though the Enigma was deemed unbreakable, a British mathematician named Alan Turing spearheaded the initiative to achieve the impossible and succeeded unbeknownst to the German military. Narrated by Keith Morrison of Dateline, the film tells this heroic story in detail through a combination of interviews with historians, veterans and modern scientists.
AMERICAN HEART IN WWII: A CARNEGIE HALL TRIBUTE – Tues., Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Experience this electrifying live theatrical event, created and narrated by historian John Monsky, that brings America's World War I story to life through a dynamic fusion of breathtaking music, powerful storytelling, and unforgettable characters.
CARA ROMERO: FOLLOWING THE LIGHT – Wed., Nov. 12 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Contemporary fine art photographer Cara Romero's work captures Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural memory, collective history and lived experiences from a Native American female perspective. This documentary features interviews with Cara and those closest to her, shows behind-the-scenes footage of her shoots and looks at the rich California Indigenous history that informs her work.
STORY POLE – Sun., Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
From struggling on the streets, to teaching in the public school district, Jason LaClair's recovery from opioid addiction is remarkable. Jason receives the charge to complete the carving of a "Story Pole," as it reflects his own redemption.
KANENON:WE - Original Seeds – Sun., Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
Indigenous women preserve and revive traditional seed-keeping practices, blending ancient wisdom with modern methods to strengthen their community's food independence and cultural heritage.
TENDING NATURE: “Guarding Ancestral Grounds with the Wiyot” – Sun, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The Wiyot Tribe from present-day Humboldt County has fought a long and hard battle for recognition and restored access to their land, including regaining ownership of traditional ceremonial grounds on Tululwat, an island in Arcata Bay.
TENDING NATURE: “Preserving the Desert with NALC” – Sun, Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Native peoples have long lived in the desert and their understanding of the desert’s fragility has made them one of the region’s most outspoken protectors.
TENDING NATURE: “Reclaiming Agriculture with the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation” – Sun, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
For the Yocha Dehe people, who have lived in California’s Capay Valley for more than 15,000 years, local food production and deep knowledge of plant diversity sustained them for millennia
TENDING NATURE: “Native Foodways with the Cultural Conservancy” – Sun, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The Cultural Conservancy, an inter-tribal organization headquartered on Ohlone land in modern-day San Francisco, is revitalizing Indigenous knowledge by inviting us to re-engage with the land, honor heirloom seeds, grow clean food and medicines and decolonize our foodways.
AWAKENING IN TAOS: THE MABEL DODGE LUHAN STORY – Wed., Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Mabel Dodge Luhan was a trailblazing feminist 100 years ahead of her time. She was a wealthy writer and a champion for women and Native American rights. In 1917 she moved from Greenwich Village to Taos, New Mexico where she married Tony Lujan, a Tiwa Indian from Taos Pueblo. Mabel was responsible for bringing artists and writers that included Georgia O’Keeffe, Ansel Adams and DH Lawrence to Taos.
ARTBOUND: “The Art of Basketweaving” – Weds., Nov. 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Native American basketry has long been viewed as a community craft, yet the artistic quality and value of these baskets are on par with other fine art. Now Native peoples across the country are revitalizing basketry traditions and the country looks to California as a leader in basket weaving revitalization.
NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER: “Embracing Duality: Modern Indigenous Culture” – Wed, Nov. 19 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
In partnership with electronic music pioneers The Halluci Nation, R&B artist Martha Redbone, and performance artist Ty Defoe, The Kennedy Center explores the impact and evolution of indigenous performing arts cultures.
NATIVE AMERICA: “From Caves to Cosmos” – Fri., Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Ancient wisdom and modern science try to uncover the 15,000-year-old question of who were America's First Peoples. The answer hides in Amazonian cave paintings, Mexican burial chambers, New Mexico's Chaco Canyon and waves off California's coast.
NATIVE AMERICA: “Nature to Nations” – Fri., Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore the rise of great American nations. Investigate lost cities in Mexico, a temple in Peru, a potlatch ceremony in the Pacific Northwest and a tapestry of shell beads in upstate New York whose story inspired our own democracy.
NATIVE AMERICA: “Cities of the Sky” – Fri., Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore the creation of some of the ancient world’s largest and most splendid cities including American urban centers that bloomed from the Mexican jungle, a massive multi-cultural city in Central Mexico that is among the largest urban centers in history and the capital of South America’s greatest empire.
NATIVE AMERICA: “New World Rising” – Fri., Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Discover how resistance, survival and revival reveals Native American cultural continuity in the face of genocidal warfare and history’s worst demographic devastation. Native Americans tap 10,000 years of beliefs to fight and survive the forces of Conquest.
BRING THEM HOME – Mon., Nov. 24 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
An intimate documentary about the only indigenous tribal-led buffalo drive in North America. Along the way, the initiative faces challenges from ranchers who see the buffalo as a threat to the cattle ranches that dominate the land, serving as a reminder of tensions rooted in the history of colonization.
UNCOVERING BOARDING SCHOOLS: STORIES OF RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE – Weds., Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Follow the journey of Klamath Tribes member Gabriann “Abby” Hall as she uncovers the hidden stories of her family’s experiences in Native American boarding schools, stretching from the first generation forced onto a reservation to the present era.
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