The Santa Fe Indian Market isn't just about traditional Native art anymore. Credit needs to be handed out to the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts for having the vision years ago to include Native film as an integral part of market activities.

This year SWAIA, along with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, will host the 11th annual Native Cinema Showcase from Aug. 15-21. It will kick off Aug. 15 with screenings of Classification X winners — featuring short films that utilize both traditional techniques and innovative art forms.

Throughout the week screenings will be held at the New Mexico History Museum and there is no cover charge. One of the featured films will be On the Ice, directed by Andrew Okpeaha (Inupiaq) from Alaska. Here is how the film is summarized in the official program:

"In a taut drama that unfolds in Alaska's far north, three young men go seal hunting. Only two return. With their future in balance, they are forced to explore the limits of friendship, honor and community. The film features breakout performances by Josiah Patkotak (Inupiaq) and Frank Qutuq Irelan (Inupiaq)."

Another film that will be screened is Let My Whakapapa Speak by Maori filmmaker Tainui Stephens, a documentary that chronicles the development of Maori language nests that have graduated more than 60,000 fluent Maori speakers. The film is presented in cooperation with the Indigenous Language Institute.

A Good Day to Die, by directors Lynn Salt (Choctaw) and David Mueller, offers an "intimate look at the life of Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, from boarding school and the military to his transformative experience in Stillwater (Minnesota) State Prison. AIM's game-changing confrontation's in Washington, D.C., and Custer, S.D., and the epic standoff at Wounded Knee in 1973 ushered in a new era of Native American pride and self-determination."

On (Aug. 16) Ancient Pathways — Modern Leaders will be screened. This 45-minute film "explores the journey of a Pueblo leader, the selection process that identifies leaders based on character, knowledge, and passion, and the role of leaders in advocating for Pueblo sovereignty, lands, and languages." The documentary will be introduced by Cherokee actor Wes Studi. Conroy Chino (Acoma Pueblo), one of the producers of the film, will host a panel discussion after the viewing.

Another exciting component of the cinema showcase is called KidFLIX! This segment features animated short films from Canada and the U.S. with titles like How Birds Got Their Song, Dancers of the Grass, Walk-in-the-Forest and Wapos Bay "As the Bannock Browns." One of the more intriguing short films in this group is called The Story of Priest Point. It is a two-minute story directed by students from Tulalip Heritage School in Washington state. It tells the story of how killer whales rescue the people of Priest Point from starvation in this traditional Tulalip tale. The film features the Lushootseed language with English subtitles.

There will be an International Indigenous Art on Film session on Aug. 17 featuring films from an Australian director and a filmmaker from Mexico, as well as a film called Always Becoming directed by Nora Naranjo-Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo).

Other films that stand out: Search for the World's Best Indian Taco, Indian Elvis, Sikumi/On the Ice, Inuit High Kick, Grab, Columbus Day Legacy, Apache 8 and Smokin' Fish.

All in all, it appears to be a great week of Native cinema coming up right here in Santa Fe. These Native filmmakers can certainly use the exposure and the films can only be discovered if they have viewers in the audience showing their support. For more information on dates and times, contact the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts at swaia.org or call 505.983.5220.

Harlan McKosato, a Sauk/Ioway, is host of the syndicated radio show Native America Calling, which airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on KUNM, 89.9 FM.