New Mexico locals brings Indigenous stories to Oscar noms
By Peyton Spellacy
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT) — The Oscars are this Sunday on KOAT, and two New Mexicans will be in attendance. Their film is nominated for “Best Documentary Feature.” One of the impact producers, Amber Morning Star Byars, said she’s grateful for the nomination but isn’t surprised, given how powerful and moving the story is.
The nominated documentary, “Sugarcane,” tells the story of American Indian boarding schools in Canada and the U.S., shedding light on a painful history. According to Byars, it’s crucial that people understand what happened to Native American people in these schools. Many children faced immense trauma, stripped of their culture, language, and identity. The film follows one family’s journey as they continue to grapple with the long-lasting effects of this history.
“My work on this film has been really getting into the native communities and allowing people to see it and holding space for them in a good way,” Byars said.
She also reflected on the significance of the Oscars experience. “This is an incredible experience that is about to happen for a whole team and for people all over Indian Country and New Mexico to have two native New Mexicans, myself and Jade Begay, on the red carpet and at the award ceremony.”
Byars acknowledged the difficulty of discussing this painful history.
“It’s really not an easy thing to talk about, especially in Indigenous communities, because we still carry a lot of the trauma that was inflicted on our people, our elders,” Byars said.
She has a personal connection to the story.
“My father’s a survivor of two boarding schools in Oklahoma. All my aunts and uncles are survivors of those schools in Oklahoma. And so it’s a hard history, but it’s one part of history that really needs to be told,” Byars said.
Byars expressed the honor of representing both Indigenous nations and New Mexico at the Oscars.
“It’s a great honor to be able to not only represent indigenous nations on the red carpet at the Oscars, but New Mexico as well. I’m incredibly honored,” Byars said.
When asked the big question of the night, “Who will you be wearing?” Byars kept the details of her outfit under wraps but revealed that her attire would highlight Indigenous designers, especially First Nations talent. She wants to pay tribute to the story’s deep roots in Canada’s First Nations culture.
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