Reservation Redemption

NATIVE AMERICAN FILM SERIES
Followed bY A Q&A WITH Directors Brenda Fisher and Blake Pickens, moderated by Georgiana Lee.

Please Note: Reservation Redemption will show in August in place of The Land Returns.

At 17, Chief Marchand Rice, a Colville tribe member, was one juror’s vote away from the death penalty. Convicted of murder, he was sentenced to life without parole. Angry, disconnected from his identity, and carrying the weight of generational trauma, Chief could not imagine a future beyond concrete walls.

Then Francis Cullooyah, a Kalispel tribal spiritual leader, asked Chief a simple, unexpected question: “Who do you want to be when you grow up?” That question sparked a decades-long journey of reconnecting with his Indigenous identity, transforming Chief from an angry teenager into a respected mentor and cultural leader within prison walls.

This documentary follows Chief’s nearly 40-year path toward redemption while examining the disproportionate incarceration of Native Americans and a justice system that often punishes trauma without addressing its roots. Featuring intimate interviews with tribal leaders, attorneys, and those impacted by Chief’s mentorship, the film is both a critique of the American justice system and a celebration of Indigenous traditions of healing, accountability, and restoration.

BRENDA FISHER (Director/Producer)

Brenda Fisher is a Los Angeles-based director, executive producer, talent manager, and social justice advocate. As a Yakama Descendant growing up on the reservation has instilled in Brenda a deep appreciation for diversity, making her a staunch advocate for ensuring a varied client base. Her commitment to inclusivity and understanding of different cultural perspectives enriches her approach to talent management, fostering environments where everyone can thrive.  Brenda also prides herself on the relationships she builds with her clients as she truly cares about their success. She produces the “Reservation Redemption” YouTube Channel which supports the documentary. Brenda executive produced Native American lore horror-thriller The Windigo, currently streaming on Prime, VUDU, and Apple TV.  

BLAKE PICKENS (Director/Producer)

Blake Pickens is an Emmy Award winning Chickasaw comedian and filmmaker. Blake began his career writing satire for The National Lampoon, where he published numerous featured articles. He is a part of A Tribe Called Sketch, the first all Native American sketch show on a US Second City Stage. He can be seen performing standup all over LA. Blake was selected for the Time Warner Sundance Native Producing Lab and Fellowship and the Sundance Producing Fellowship for his film The Land. The film premiered in 2016 at the Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically by IFC Films. Blake has produced content with a focus on diversity and inclusion, ranging from feature films to commercials and music videos. He has produced commercials that won a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions two years in a row (2017, 2018) and won a 2018 Emmy for his P&G commercial The Talk. He also won an MTV VMA for his work on John Legend’s music video Surefire. His second feature film as a producer, Wild Indian, with Michael Greyeyes and Jesse Eisenberg premiered at Sundance 2021. Blake was also selected for the inaugural 2020 Sundance Indigenous Intensive for his comedy pilot, The Wildest West, which was also selected for the Black List’s Indigenous List. He was a fellow in Illuminative’s Producers Program. Most recently, he wrote for the Rugrats reboot for Nickelodeon, Spirit Rangers for Netflix, and Rubble & Crew for Nick Jr. He produced The Roof for Disney+. He directed Ricky Killed A Guy as part of the Disney/AFI Underrepresented Filmmakers Initiative. He is currently in production on three documentaries and a feature. Blake is a graduate of the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC.

GEORGIANA LEE (Moderator)

Georgiana Lee, a proud member of the Diné (Navajo) tribe, holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Theater from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Her career in non-profit and public media has largely focused on helping Indigenous filmmakers navigate the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) to achieve national broadcast. In 2006, she received the University of Nebraska—Omaha’s Woman of Color Youth Leadership Award for her collaborative media projects that brought positive messaging to Omaha’s communities of color. Her experience also includes organizing successful get-out-the-vote efforts on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in 2008, engaging both Native and non-Native communities across 11 counties. Lee is deeply committed to uplifting Indigenous voices.

Now in it’s third year, the Native American Film Series at The Ross features free monthly screenings showcasing Native American films and television programs from the Vision Maker Media public broadcasting archives. Presented by The Ross Media Arts Center, Vision Maker Media, and Friends of The Ross.

Unless otherwise noted, screenings in this series will take place on the second Monday of each month and are admission free and open to the public. Tickets available at the Ross box office (online ticketing not available for free screenings).