When Larry Cesspooch returned from the Vietnam War, his family told him to “go into the Sundance and wipe yourself off.” Cesspooch is a member of the Ute Indian Tribe, and cleansing ceremonies are a deep part of Native American warrior traditions. Now, with suicides accounting for more US military deaths than combat, people are looking for ways to deal with the horrors of PTSD. Monday, director Taki Telonidis joins us to talk about a new film that explores how these traditions could help our veterans.
Healing the Warrior's Heart was produced by The Western Folklife Center in collaboration with Gary Robinson of Tribal Eye Productions and KUED Channel 7. It airs Monday, November 10 at 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 16 at 4:00 p.m. on KUED.
Beginning Veteran's Day, the Western Folklife Center will be hosting a forum where you can pose questions to a Native American veteran, a medicine man, and a scholar about the PTSD and the film. That runs through Friday, November 14, and you can join that conversation here.
