Exhibition Artist Discussion Promised Lands: California's Unratified Treaties and Native Resilience
–
Special Documentary Screening: The Land Returns (2026)
Part of the series Inspired by the Galleries
–
The Autry in Griffith Park
- Admission:
- Free for Autry Members | Included with Museum Admission
- RSVP/Reservations:
- Registration Recommended
About the Event
Los Angeles Premiere!
Across the United States, a growing grassroots movement is bringing Indigenous nations, local communities, and unexpected allies together to return ancestral lands to their original stewards. The Land Returns explores three remarkable stories: the Pawnee Nation’s return to its Nebraska homelands through a private land donation; the return of a sacred island in northern California to the Wiyot people; and ongoing efforts by the Arapaho and Cheyenne to regain land in Colorado’s Boulder Valley.
Presented in conjunction with the Autry’s exhibition Promised Lands, the documentary extends the exhibition’s exploration of land ownership, competing claims, and the changing relationships between people and place in the American West. These hopeful stories highlight how partnerships and local action are creating new opportunities for Indigenous nations to reclaim land and strengthen their connections to ancestral homelands.
Screening followed by a conversation with the filmmakers
Directed by Charles Kennedye and Margaret Jacobs | Narrated by Joy Harjo
About the Exhibition
September 26, 2026–July 30, 2028 in the Samuel & Minna Grodin Gallery
Promised Lands: California's Unratified Treaties and Native Resilience explores the history of federal treaties and the complexities of treaty history in California. Through archival materials, contemporary objects, images, and voices from local tribal communities, visitors will gain a more nuanced understanding of our state's history as well as an appreciation for the strong sense of place felt by community members.
Promised Lands: California's Unratified Treaties and Native Resilience is created by the Autry Museum of the American West in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.
Additional support by: Leslie and Aaron Kern, the Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture, and the Paloheimo Foundation.
