Documentary “Why We Dance” premieres at Minneapolis St. Paul film festival

A new documentary centered on Indigenous dance premiered at the 45th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, with an additional screening scheduled for April 18, according to reporting by MPR News. Meskwaki filmmaker Oogie Push made her feature directorial debut with “Why We Dance,” a film rooted in the Twin Cities that follows Indigenous people from the United States, Hawaii and Mexico as they share connections to culture through dance. 

The film opens on the Rosebud Reservation and features participants including Canku OneStar, as well as Pualeilani Paia Kamahoahoa and Paisley Paiea Kamahoahoa in Hawaii. It also follows Mary Anne and Sergio Quiroz of the Indigenous Roots Cultural Center in St. Paul. The documentary traces cultural history, including how Meskwaki people used pow wow gatherings as part of efforts to buy back their land, while highlighting personal stories tied to identity, community and tradition.