ABout Nizhoni Films

Growing up navajo…

James Foguth, founder of Nizhoni Films, grew up in Luckachukai, AZ, on the Navajo Nation. Storytelling in Navajo culture is a way to teach spirituality and life lessons. From a very early age, he wrote children’s stories. Learning storytelling though video became the natural next step in his path. At age 14, he produced his first documentary. Since then, he has contributed to countless video projects, including Big City Bright Lights, NOAA CLIMAS, and the critically acclaimed Give Us This Day.

Foguth is currently working on the documentary “Brave,” which documents the Navajo Nation’s public schools princess and brave pageants through video within the context of the difficulties of growing up on the Navajo reservation.

Current issues that affect Navajo children most of all:

-aggressive cultural assimilation

-historical trauma, which manifests in social distress

-poverty, which leads to micro-economies of contraband, drugs, substance abuse, etc.

-domestic violence

“For me, it is justice work to share perspectives that inform everyone of the challenges of growing up as a Diné youth in this westernized world. My films aim to dispel the of notions of the lazy Diné youth who refuse to learn their language and to break Indian stereotypes that portray us as overly romanticized racial caricatures.

As a child growing up in the traditional ‘Diné Beauty Way’ I became aware of the integrative and disintegrative forces shaping young Diné people. The disintegrative forces are things like domestic violence and substance abuse, and the integrative forces are the Diné culture and language.

As a filmmaker, I strongly believe it is important to tell the complete story of Diné youth as it is both ethical and humanizing. I hope to document these forces affecting Dine youth. It is important to have Diné People tell Diné stories. I’m tired of outsiders applying a technical recipe to our Diné culture and identity.”

-James Foguth, Director