Chickasaw Cultural Center Hosts "The Cherokee Word for Water" Event June 22-23

Free Screening Followed by Filmmaker Q and A

Wilma Mankiller's historic journey to become the first modern female Chief of the Cherokee Nation is told in the feature film, "The Cherokee Word for Water." Free public screenings of the film at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23 at the Chickasaw Cultural Center's Anoli Theater will be followed by question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers Charlie Soap (director/producer) and Kristina Kiehl (co-writer and producer).
 
"The Cherokee Word for Water" chronicles the journey that  led Wilma Mankiller to become Chief of the Cherokee Nation and how the Cherokee people used traditional American Indian values-"gadugi"- to work together to solve a problem. "Gadugi" is the Cherokee word for when people come together to take care of one another and see the job through to the end.

Set in the early 1980s, the screenplay was inspired by the Bell Waterline Project, which was the subject of national media coverage.  Bell is located southeast of Tahlequah, Okla.

The feature film, shot in Oklahoma in 2011, celebrates the courage and determination of a resilient people and a pioneering woman in Mankiller and focuses on the cultural assets of American Indians and seeks to help reshape the public perception of Native people.

For more information about the film, visit www.cw4w.com, and for more information about the screening, visit www.ChickasawCulturalCenter.com or call 580-622-7138.
 
About 'The Cherokee Word For Water'
What: Film drama based on the story of the Cherokee Nation's Wilma Mankiller and Charlie Soap and the early 1980s development of a waterline in Bell, where residents worked together with the tribe's help to bring water to the Adair County community.
 
When:  3 p.m., June 22-23 at the Chickasaw Cultural Center's Anoli Theatre
Where: 867 Cooper Memorial Drive, Sulphur.

Who: These free screenings will be followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmakers Charlie Soap (director/producer) and Kristina Kiehl (co-writer and producer).
 
About the Chickasaw Cultural Center
Located on 109 acres of rolling hills, woodlands and streams adjacent to the Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur, Okla., the Chickasaw Cultural Center utilizes the latest technology, live demonstrations, ancient artifacts and natural outdoor spaces to tell the story of the unconquered and unconquerable Chickasaw Nation. The cultural center campus features an amphitheater, sky terrace and traditional village along with more than 96,000 square feet of indoor space, including an Exhibit Center, Holisso Research Center, and large-format theatre.