NEWS FROM OUR COLLEAGUES Volume 14-January 2003
Native American Heritage Month Screening Event: “SKINS”,
A Film by Chris Eyre
By Lisa Nieves, Staff Assistant in the Office for Community
Outreach Programs and
Siobhan Wescott, HMS ‘06
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Graham Greene as Mogie Yellow Lodge in Skins—2002 |
On November 12, 2002, the Native American Health Organization at Harvard Medical School presented a special screening of a new film, SKINS, directed by Chris Eyre. Set on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, the film portrays the lives of two Sioux brothers, one a tribal police man turned vigilante and the other a chronic alcoholic struggling with his health. The American Indian and Alaska Native people have long experienced lower health status when compared with other Americans. American Indians and Alaska Natives born today have a life expectancy that is almost 6 years less than all other United States population groups (70.6 years to 76.5 years, respectively; 1996-98 rates). American Indian and Alaska Native infants die at a rate of 8.9 per every 1,000 live births, as compared to 7.2 per 1,000 for all other United States population groups (1996-98 rates). American Indians and Alaskan Natives die at higher rates than other Americans from alcoholism (770%), tuberculosis (750%), diabetes (420%), accidents (280%), suicide (190%), and homicide (210%). (Indian Health Services: Facts on Indian Health Disparities). |
Perhaps the lower life expectancy and the disproportionate disease burden exist because of inadequate education, unusually high levels of poverty, cultural differences, and discrimination in the delivery of health services. These are broad quality-of-life issues that are rooted in economic adversity, racism and poor social conditions.
In SKINS, Mr. Eyre begins to give meaning to the seemingly endless number of Native Americans who have been disenfranchised. The director allows us to be exposed to the harsh reality of alcoholism, infant mortality and domestic violence: issues with which the majority of Native Americans are very familiar. The film allows an intimate view of the challenges that the two brothers encounter as Native Americans and as community members.
Community members, medical students, Native American students from other Harvard schools, and HMS faculty and staff watched the story unfold. After the movie ended, the audience had the unique opportunity to meet with the lead actor, Eric Schweig, who related to the script on a very personal level as he, too, is a Native American struggling with alcoholism. Mr. Schweig engaged in a lively question and answer session with the audience for nearly an hour.
Films like SKINS lend a voice to important issues that all too often are kept silent. Mr. Eyre exposes his audience to the serious health issues that many disenfranchised populations must overcome (i.e. poverty, substance abuse, racism and violence). He does an impeccable job of capturing those issues in the context of Native American culture.
The event began with an introduction by Don Barnaby who organizes the Red Road
Talking Circle to support Natives recovering from addiction in the Boston area.
The evening ended with a call to action to medical students to consider doing
their residencies on a Native American reservation. This film is a "must
see" for everyone, but particularly for those who are committed to public
health and health policy issues that can positively impact undeserved populations.
