The Daily Bulletin Archive

The premiere of Nowa Cumig: The Drum Will Never Stop will be held Tuesday, August 9, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The event, open to the public, is sponsored by several Buffalo State, native, and Western New York organizations.

The film was written and directed by Marie-Michele Jasmin-Belisle and centers on Dennis Banks, a Leech Lake (Minnesota) Ojibwa and co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Banks is a world-renowned political and spiritual figure, best known for his involvement during the occupation of Wounded Knee at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, in 1973.

The film is a story of Banks and his movement. Beginning with the Longest Walk of 1978, the film explores various aspects of the man known as Nowa Cumig (meaning "in the center"). It shows him as spiritual teacher, humanitarian, singer, grandfather, environmentalist, and peace activist. The film tells the story of his friendship with Buddhist leaders, actors, and militants.

Nowa Cumig: The Drum Will Never Stop is produced by Banks' longtime friend Takeo Koshikawa of the Nowa Cumig Institute. Koshikawa was on the original Longest Walk and has worked for peace and cultural revitalization with Banks since 1978. Emcee for the screening and post-film discussion will be Agnes Williams, Seneca, of the Indigenous Women’s Initiatives. Guest speakers include Banks, Jasmin-Belisle, and Koshikawa. Singing on sacred drums will be included. 

For more information, contact Agnes Williams at (716) 949-8345 or Takeo Koshikawa at (415) 819-8980. 

This event is sponsored by the Indigenous Women’s Initiative and the Nowa Cumig Institute in partnership with Buffalo State through its American Indian Policy and Media Initiative and the Native American Students Organization. Other sponsors include the WNY Peace Center and the Interfaith Peace Network of WNY.