We Will Speak

United States | 95 | Schon Duncan & Michael McDermit | The Cherokee language is deeply tied to Cherokee identity; yet generations of assimilation efforts by the U.S. government and anti-Indigenous stigmas have forced the Tri-Council of Cherokee tribes to declare a State of Emergency for the language in 2019. While there are 430,000 Cherokee citizens, fewer than an estimated 1,500 fluent speakers remain. Through intimate interviews, verite footage of community gatherings, and extensive archival materials, the film follows various Cherokee community members as they continue the long fight to help save the language.