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TENDING NATURE Returns With New Special 'Indigenous Land Stewardship' Highlighting Cultural Preservation of Traditional Practices Timed to Native American Heritage Month This November

Robust lineup of Native American Heritage Month programming announced for KCET, PBS SoCal and Link TV explores Native peoples in California and beyond; plus, science standards aligned curriculum initiative developed in partnership with the Autry Museum of the American West
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Pictured Left to Right: Jhane Myers and Severin Fowles in NATIVE AMERICA "New World Rising” (Image courtesy of PBS), TENDING NATURE “Indigenous Land Stewardship” (image courtesy of KCET), and INDEPENDENT LENS “Home from School: The Children of Carlisle” (Image courtesy of PBS). Download

kcet.org/tendingnature

kcet.org/nativeamerican and pbssocal.org/nativeamerican

Los Angeles, Calif. – October 7, 2021 – PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations as well as the home for award-winning, original local content, as well as Link TV, the national independent non-commercial satellite television network, announced today the debut of a new programming slate in November timed to Native American Heritage Month including the return of KCET Original series TENDING NATURE with a standalone special “Indigenous Land Stewardship,” produced in partnership with the Autry Museum of the American West. After three seasons of the series that shines a light on the importance of preserving environmental knowledge and ecological practices of Indigenous peoples across California, KCET will premiere the TENDING NATURE special on Sun., Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. in Southern California, in addition to streaming it online at kcet.org/tendingnature one week after all four episodes of the last season of the series airs on Sun., Nov. 7 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. PT.

TENDING NATURE “Indigenous Land Stewardship” will also air on PBS SoCal on Wed., Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. PT and for audiences nationwide on Link TV (DirecTV 375 and DISH Network 9410) on Wed., Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. ET/PT as well.

An epilogue to the KCET Original series TENDING NATURE, “Indigenous Land Stewardship” is an hour-long special that continues honoring Indigenous knowledge in a broader context: as a way of life centering around resilience, revival and renewal. The documentary features multiple perspectives and voices from Indigenous communities across California striving to keep the practices of their heritage alive.

From coming-of-age rituals, seasonal food harvests and handmade artistry like basket weaving and jewelry making, the special takes viewers across the state to hear first-hand from Native communities how traditional practices can be protected and maintained as a way of life for future generations.

Also, in partnership with the Autry is a Digital Curriculum for TENDING NATURE. Developed for educators to integrate Native peoples beyond the social studies classroom, the curriculum focuses on the series theme: nature tends to humans and humans (Native peoples) tend to nature. The Next Generation Science Standards-aligned curriculum includes 2-5-minute video clips of a Tending Nature episode with accompanying science or environmental studies classroom lessons and additional interdisciplinary art and history activities. The first TENDING NATURE Digital Curriculum complements the previously produced TENDING NATURE episode “Restoring the River with the Yurok, Karuk and Hupa” to bring awareness to the special relationship between the Klamath Basin Rivers, the salmon and local Yurok and Karuk peoples.

The TENDING NATURE interactive curriculum provides opportunities for multi-modality learning. In independent or collaborative group Video Activities, students use 21st century skills to analyze, interpret, discuss and evaluate graphics, video clips, and readings and make connections across content. The Digging Deeper Activities allow students to explore art, history, conduct experiments and more. The curriculum is designed as both stand alone or a lesson series with a step-by-step teacher guide and teaching tips. The curriculum was developed in collaboration with local Tribes as well as government agencies and non-profit organizations and groups. Lesson one is now available at: https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/tending-nature/

The Burbank Public Library is also hosting a virtual screening and discussion event on Thurs., Oct. 14 from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. as part of the Burbank Reads 2021 series called “Seeing Through The Trees – California Wildfires: A Native American Perspective” which will include clips from TENDING THE WILD (the documentary film that the series TENDING NATURE was based on) with participants that include Gamble Associate Curator at the Autry Josh Garrett-Davis, culture bearer of the Ajachemen and Mutsun Ohlone Tribes Heidi Harper Lucero and lead investigator and research associate with The West On Fire research and education initiative of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West Jared Dahl Aldern. For more information and to register for the event visit here.

TENDING NATURE is part of a programming lineup in November where KCET, PBS SoCal and Link TV pay homage to the rich culture and heritage of America’s Indigenous people. A month-long line up of exclusive programs and digital content has been created at kcet.org/nativeamerican and pbssocal.org/nativeameerican to celebrate the Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian who have deeply enriched the quality and character of our region. According to Los Angeles County, California is home to more Native Americans than any other state in the United States. The City of Los Angeles holds the second largest percentage of Native Americans, and is home to three Native American Indian tribes that predate the establishment of California Missions.

With both national and locally-produced content as well as online editorial content, 2021 heritage month programming on Southern California’s flagship PBS stations include four episodes of NATIVE AMERICA, and broadcasts of SEARCHING FOR SEQUOYAH, CHASING VOICES and ALMOST AN ISLAND as well as films from independent documentary series INDEPENDENT LENS that include “Home from School: The Children of Carlisle.”

Programs for Native American Heritage Month will be telecast as follows (subject to change):

NATIVE AMERICA: “From Caves to Cosmos” – Sat., Nov. 6 at 12 p.m. on KCET, Mon., Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal

Learn the deep roots of Native America from Hopi Elders on pilgrimage at sacred Chaco Canyon in the New Mexico desert. Also, scientists examine ancient cave paintings in the Amazon jungle, Chumash boat builders explore their Tribe’s ancient migration legacy off California’s coast and an archaeologist digs deep below a towering pyramid near Mexico City.

NATIVE AMERICA: “Nature to Nations” – Sat., Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. on KCET, Mon., Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal

Explore the rise of great American nations, from dynastic monarchies to participatory democracies. Also, archaeologists excavate America’s oldest temple in the Peruvian Andes, a tribe initiates a new chief at a ceremony surrounded by cedar totem poles in the Pacific Northwest, an expert reading ancient hieroglyphs from a sarcophagus tells a forgotten history of Maya kings and an ancient shell wampum belt returns to the birthplace of democracy near Syracuse, New York.

NATIVE AMERICA: “Cities of the Sky” – Sat., Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. on KCET, Mon., Nov. 15 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” – Sat., Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. on KCET, Mon., Nov. 15 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.

CHASING VOICES – Sun., Nov. 7 at 4 p.m. on KCET, Wed., Nov. 17 at 4 a.m. on PBS SoCal

From 1907 until his death more than 50 years later, ethnologist John Peabody Harrington crisscrossed the U.S., chasing the voices of the last speakers of Native America's dying languages. Moving from one tribal community to the next, he collaborated with the last speakers to document every finite detail before their languages were lost forever.

TENDING NATURE Season 3 “Guarding Ancestral Grounds with the Wiyot” – Sun., Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. on KCET and Wed., Nov. 3 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV nationwide

The Wiyot Tribe from present-day Humboldt County have 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 Season 3 “Preserving the Desert with NALC” - Sun., Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. on KCET and Wed., Nov. 3 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV nationwide

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 Season 3 “Reclaiming Agriculture with the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation” - Sun., Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. on KCET, Mon., Nov. 10 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV nationwide

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 Season 3 “Cultivating Native Foodways with the Cultural Conservancy” - Sun., Nov. 7 at 8:30 p.m. on KCET, Mon., Nov. 10 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV nationwide

The commodification of food has led to a bottom-line approach that has disconnected people from their food sources entirely, as modern, genetically modified foods put seed diversity at great risk.

SEARCHING FOR SEQUOYAH – Sun., Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. on KCET

The film chronicles the legacy of legendary 19th century Cherokee syllabary inventor Sequoyah through the oral stories of 5 modern day descendants by retracing his final journey to Mexico and his mysterious death.

TENDING NATURE: “Indigenous Land Stewardship” – Sun., Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. on KCET, Wed., Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal, Wed., Nov. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV nationwide – ALL NEW!

The special honors the Indigenous knowledge in a broader context: as a way of life. This way of life centers around resilience, revival, renewal.

ALMOST AN ISLAND – Sun., Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. on KCET, Wed., Nov. 24 at 4 a.m. on PBS SoCal

Through observing three generations of one family over the course of four years, the film explores what it means to be Indigenous in the dramatically changing Arctic.

INDEPENDENT LENS: “Home from School: The Children of Carlisle” – Tues., Nov. 23 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Sat., Nov. 27 at 11 p.m. on KCET

Northern Arapaho tribal members travel from Wyoming to Pennsylvania to retrieve the remains of three children who died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the 1880s.

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About KCET
KCET is part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California, which was formed by the merger of PBS SoCal and KCETLink Media Group. As one of Southern California’s two flagship PBS stations, KCET is on-air, online as well as in the community, and plays a vital role in the cultural enrichment of Southern California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 55-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions and its website, kcet.org. For additional information about KCET’s original productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.

About PBS SoCal
PBS SoCal is a donor-supported community institution that is a part of Public Media Group of Southern California, the flagship PBS station formed by the merger of PBS SoCal and KCETLink Media Group. PBS SoCal delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and entertain – over the air, online, in the community and in the classroom. We offer the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, Independent Lens, a broad library of documentary films including works from Ken Burns; and educational PBS KIDS programs including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Curious George. PBS programming is available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. PBS SoCal is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.

About Link TV
Founded in 1999, Link TV is an independent viewer-supported media organization dedicated to providing programs that engage and inform its audiences with unique perspectives, and empower them to become involved in the world. Reaching more than 21 million U.S. satellite households nationally (DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410), Link TV connects American viewers with people at the heart of breaking events, organizations at the forefront of social change and the vibrant cultures of an increasingly global community. Select programming from Link TV is also available for streaming on Apple TV, YouTube and Roku platforms. For additional information about Link TV productions, web-exclusive content and program schedules, please visit linktv.org.

About The Autry Museum of the American West Located in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, the Autry is a museum dedicated to exploring and sharing the stories, experiences, and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West, connecting the past to the present to inspire our shared future. The museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs—including lectures, film, theatre, festivals, family events, and music—and performs scholarship, research, and educational outreach. The Autry’s collection of more than 600,000 pieces of art and artifacts includes the Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection, one of the largest and most significant of Native American materials in the United States. For more information, visit TheAutry.org.

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