Film highlights skateboarding's impact in Indigenous communities
Documentary follows Indigenous youth and showcases how skateboarding builds community on the Flathead Reservation
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament is highlighting the role skateboarding plays in Indigenous communities through the short documentary "Paving the Way," according to reporting from The Associated Press. The film premiered June 8 at the Tribeca Festival and follows skater and artist Alishon Kelly while showcasing new skate parks being built across the Flathead Reservation through a partnership between Ament's Montana Pool Service and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Ament, who created original music for the film, said the parks give young people a place to connect and express themselves, according to The Associated Press reporting. The documentary also features skater Terrence Lozeau, who said the parks build community. "These parks are where we come together and where we look out for each other," Lozeau said. "You see little kids watching the older ones and learning."
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