Sandra Osawa facts for kids

Sandra Sunrising Osawa is a talented filmmaker and poet from the Makah nation. She is famous for her movies like Lighting the Seventh Fire (1995) and On and Off the Res with Charlie Hill (1999).

Early Life and Learning

Sandra Osawa is part of the Makah nation, a Native American tribe in Washington state. She grew up with her family on the Makah Reservation during summers. In school years, she lived in Port Angeles, Washington. Her father worked as a commercial fisherman.

She went to Lewis & Clark College, where she earned degrees in Political Science and English in 1964. She even studied with well-known poets like William Stafford. After college, she returned to the Makah Reservation. There, she helped start the tribe's first Head Start Program. This program helps young children get ready for school.

In 1971, she worked for the Los Angeles Indian Center. She edited their newspaper, The Talking Leaf. Later, she went to film school at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Before film school, she taught English at UCLA.

TV Work

In 1974, Sandra Osawa directed, wrote, and produced a TV show for NBC. It was called the Native American Series. This show talked about important issues for Native Americans. It featured Native guests like Buffy Sainte-Marie. It also had non-Native guests who cared about Native issues, such as Marlon Brando.

By 1975, the series became very popular. It even aired before the Today Show. Even though it was on at 6:30 AM, many people watched it. Viewers would send letters asking for the show to be on at a "decent hour." Sandra Osawa was the first Native American to produce a TV series for NBC.

She was also the first Native filmmaker to produce a POV program for PBS. Later, she worked with her husband on a public affairs show called Native Vision. This show was for KSTW-11 in Seattle. She also created a documentary called Eagles Caged. This film focused on Native American women in a prison in Washington.

Film Career

In 1980, Sandra Osawa and her husband, Yasu Osawa, started their own company called Upstream Productions. She met Yasu while they were both at UCLA. Her first documentary was In the Heart of Big Mountain. This film was about Kathrine Smith, a Navajo elder, and her tribe's relocation.

She also worked on The Eight Fire for NBC. This film looked at treaty rights in different parts of the United States. Then, she made Lighting the Seventh Fire. This movie was about the Chippewa tribe's spearfishing rights in Wisconsin. The film's title comes from the Chippewa Seven fires prophecy.

In 1995, she released Pepper's Pow Wow. This documentary was about Kaw-Muscogee jazz saxophonist Jim Pepper. The first part of her film Usual and Accustomed Places was shown at the Sundance in 1997. In 1999, she made On and Off the Res with Charlie Hill. This documentary was about Oneida comedian Charlie Hill. Her 2007 film, Maria Tallchief, explored the life of the first Native American ballerina, Maria Tallchief.

Awards and Recognition

Sandra Osawa has received many awards for her amazing work. In 1994, her film Lighting the Seventh Fire won best documentary. This award was given at the American Indian Film Festival. In 1996, she was named the Taos American Indian Filmmaker of the Year.

Selected Films

• Goin' Back (1975, released in 1995)
• In the Heart of Big Mountain (1988)
• Lighting the Seventh Fire (1995)
• Pepper's Pow Wow (1996)
• On and Off the Res with Charlie Hill (1999)
• Usual and Accustomed Places (Part 1 1997, 2000)
• Maria Tallchief (2007)
• Princess Angeline (2010)