Almost Ancestors

Announcing a Groundbreaking Short Film

Lobos of the Southwest is thrilled to announce the creation of a short film, Almost Ancestors, to illustrate the parallel paths of displacement experienced by Mexican gray wolves (lobos) and indigenous peoples.

Award-winning filmmaker Brišind (The Doctrine of Recovery) created and directed the film. Several Hopi cultural advisors consulted on the film to ensure cultural accuracy.

Experience the story of a young Hopi woman facing displacement in a changing landscape, threatening her connection to the land and her family. Her kinship with a lobo and her call toward community guide her on an incredible journey to a sacred place called home.

Presented in English and the Hopi language, with subtitles, Almost Ancestors was filmed in Arizona, where a Hopi cultural advisor on set ensured the cultural accuracy of the story. The powerful film will educate viewers on the displacement of lobos and indigenous cultures and inspire them to help alter the ramifications of history.

Almost Ancestors shares many powerful stories and messages, including:

• Mexican gray wolves are essential. Thriving wolf families ensure healthy landscapes that support human families too. 
• Lobos need the freedom to roam and connect with other wolves without unnatural boundaries. Likewise, human families, including indigenous families, need the freedom to travel traditional pathways and come together in community. We need bridges, not borders, and welcome mats, not walls. 
• Indigenous communities and lobos have both been violently displaced from their ancestral lands. They have a right to return, a right to safety, and a right to the intricate relationships they have with the places they call home. 
• You have an opportunity to support a healing future for wolves and indigenous communities. In acknowledging the wrongs of the past and speaking out about the injustice in our present moment, you can be part of a future that respects all generations’ lives, freedom, safety, and rights.

How You Can Help

Thanks to generous supporters and partners, Lobos of the Southwest has already raised half of the total estimated costs for this project to fulfill our mission to advocate for lobos. We are now trying to raise the remaining funds to bring this unique film to audiences everywhere.

You can support the film by making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Wildlands Network. Help us raise the $40,000 we need to elevate the voices of indigenous communities and advocate for the conservation of endangered lobos!

Make your tax-deductible donation online or mail a check payable to our fiscal sponsor, Wildlands Network, with “Lobos of the Southwest film donation” in the memo section to:

Please email us when a donation is made to ensure the fiscal sponsor knows it is a designated donation for the film.

Stay Updated

Visit our dedicated site for Almost Ancestors for the latest news and for more information about the film, including film screenings near you and how to watch!

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