Older Than The Crown

OLDER THAN THE CROWN : JANUARY 2020 ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT

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SYNOPSIS

Older Than The Crown follows the trial of Sinixt tribal member Rick Desautel who in 2010 was charged with hunting as a non resident and without a proper permit in Canada. Rick harvested an elk on the ancestral land of the Sinixt people in Vallican British Columbia Canada. To the Sinixt, hunting on ancestral land is an aboriginal right gifted to them by Creator. A right that has legally been denied to the Sinixt people since 1956 when the Canadian government unjustly declared them extinct in Canada, despite the nearly 3,000 members existing on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. Now with the Desautel Hunting Case, the Sinixt people have a chance to not only bring light to their unjust extinction by the Canadian government, but also abolish the declaration completely.

LOG LINE

“After the deliberate separation and an unjust declaration of extinction, the Sinixt people return to their ancestral land in Canada to continue practicing and protecting their aboriginal rights.”

About “Older Than The Crown”: “Older Than The Crown” follows the trial of Sinixt tribal member and retired Fish &Wildlife Officer, Rick Desautel, who in 2010 was charged with hunting as a non-resident and without a license in Canada. Rick harvested an elk on the ancestral land of the Sinixt people near Vallican, British Columbia. To the Sinixt, hunting on their ancestral land is a right gifted to them by Creator, but was made illegal in 1897. In 1956, to pave the way for hydro-electric development, the Canadian government unjustly declared them extinct in Canada, despite knowing that a large number of Sinixt were living on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. The Desautel hunting case has not only allowed the Sinixt people to bring light to their unjust extinction by the Canadian government, but also to abolish it once and for all.

OLDER THAN THE CROWN World Premiere at the Garland Theater

The world premiere of “Older Than the Crown” is on February 8th 2020 at 7 PM at the Garland Theater in Spokane, Washington State.   Canadian dates to follow.  Advance tickets will be available through www.eventbrite.com for $5.00 which will include a free “Older Than The Crown” Poster or at the door.   All ticket sale proceeds will go towards “The Journey To Ottawa” a fundraiser to assist tribal members, youth, and elders to attend the Supreme Court hearing later this year.  Panel discussion to follow featuring:  Rick and Linda Desautel Ceremonial Hunters, Mark Underhill Lead Attorney, Rodney Cawston Chairman of the Colville Confederated Tribes and the film’s director Derrick LaMere.

OLDER THAN THE CROWN: DOCUMENTARY, 30 MINS

DIRECTED BY Derrick LaMere

PRODUCED BY Derrick LaMere / Shelly Boyd / Meghan Francis

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS The Confederated Tribes of The Colville Reservation

a War Pony Pictures Production 

COPYRIGHT THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION

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Rick Desautel

Rick Desautel is a Sinixt Tribal Member and Ceremonial Hunter. Rick is the subject of the hunting case that brought the Sinixt people’s extinction to the Canadian Supreme Court. In 2010, Rick and his wife Linda Desautel harvested an Elk within Sinixt traditional territory near Vallican British Columbia. Rick was cited in British Columbia for hunting as a non-resident and hunting without a proper license. The legal proceedings that followed lead to abolishment of the Sinixt’s declaration of extinction brought forth by the Canadian government in 1956.

Contact Info:

509-690-6336

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Derrick J. LaMere - Director

Derrick LaMere is a Native American Filmmaker (Rocky Boy, Little Shell, Sinixt, Entiat, Wenatchi) from Spokane Washington. He is an award winning documentary filmmaker who's recent films have been an official selection to more than 35 film festivals internationally.

Recent Work

Older Than The Crown (2022) 60 mins

Director, Executive Producer, Editor

Older Than The Crown (2020) 30 mins

Director / Producer

Documentary, 30 Mins

Director, Producer

United By Water (2017) : Director / Producer

Documentary, 52 Mins

Makwa Jiimaan (2016) : Director / Producer

Documentary 60 Mins

Blackkiss: Live at The Viper Room (2015) : Director / Producer

Live Music Documentary, 36 Mins

The 7th Wave (2014) : Producer, Editor

Documentary, 50 Mins

Contact Info:

warponypictures@gmail.com

503-313-4509

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Shelly Boyd - Producer

Shelly Boyd is a member of the Sn̓ ʕay̓ ckstx (Sinixt/Arrow Lakes) band of the Colville tribe. Shelly is the Arrow Lakes Cultural Facilitator for the Colville Tribes and her work revolves around the recently reversed declaration of extinction of Sn̓ʕay̓ckstx people in Canada. Shelly grew up on the Colville Reservation with her six siblings, mother, Grandmother, Grandfather and Great Grandmother. She holds a Bachelors degree from Eastern Washington University and a Masters in Education from Gonzaga University.

Contact Info:

shelly.boyd.ora@colvilletribes.com

509-978-9220

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Meghan Francis - Producer

Meghan Francis is a Colville Tribal member from Nespelem Washington. and represents the San Poil, Palus, Wenatchi, Moses-Columbia, and Entiat bands and . Meghan played a large part of the project management as co-producer and former Public Affairs Officer for the Colville Business Council. Meghan graduated from Gonzaga University with her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and minored in Philosophy and was a Gates Millennium Scholar. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) since 2015.

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The Confederated Tribes of The Colville Reservation

The traditional territories of the Colville Tribes extends across eastern Washington and into portions of British Columbia, Oregon and Idaho. This expanse covered approximately 39 million acres as the homeland of the Lakes, Colville, Okanogan, Moses-Columbia, Wenatchi, Entiat, Chelan, Methow, Nespelem, Sanpoil, Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce and Palus Indians.

About the Sinixt / Arrow Lakes Tribe:

The sńʕaýckstx (Lakes) territory centered around the upper Columbia River, possibly reaching as far north as the "Big Bend" of the Columbia, north of Revelstoke, British Columbia. The sńʕaýckstx territory also extended east to Trout Lake and the western edge of Kootenay Lake. The southern limit of the sńʕaýckstx land is found near Northport, though many also fished at Kettle Falls. After the creation of the Unites States- Canadian border, most of the sńʕaýckstx members were pushed south along the Columbia and Kettle Rivers all the way to Kettle Falls. By 1960 many Lakes people lived in the Kelly Hill and Northport area. However, this changed, when the North Half was returned to public domain, forcing the sńʕaýckstx people in this area to move even further south to Inchelium. There are over 3500 sńʕaýckstx people registered through the Colville Tribe, although the Canadian government refuses to officially recognize them as a band.

OLDER THAN THE CROWN: SCREENINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS