American Indian-led arts nonprofit Caesar’s Ford Theatre will host panel discussions across the state in honor of Tecumseh Memorial Day.
Caesar’s Ford Theatre is a performing arts organization dedicated to producing and promoting historically accurate American Indian-led stories, using American Indian actors. The term American Indian refers to people who are citizens of federally recognized Tribal Nations, indicating specific political status and legal rights.
Panelists will visit Wooster, Bellefontaine, Marysville, and Yellow Springs for the events. Each panel discussion is preceded by a screening of Stomping Freedom, a film produced by Caesar’s Ford Theatre.
The Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs will host a screening and discussion at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. Panelists Eric Wensman, Aubree Wensman, and Brittany Hall are all descendants of Shawnee Chief Tecumseh.
Aubree Wensman, who is Bird Creek Shawnee, reflected on the significance of events honoring Tecumseh in Ohio, specifically.
“It means a lot to come back for Memorial Day as a descendant of Tecumseh,” Wensman said. “It’s a good reminder that we as Shawnee people are still here. Tecumseh’s fights and efforts were not in vain.”
Tecumseh organized a pan-tribal alliance against American westward expansion. Following Tecumseh’s death in the War of 1812, the United States government forcibly displaced the vast majority of American Indians living in Ohio in the 19th century.
“Would he have ever thought Shawnees would be back in Ohio, speaking our language, letting people know we are still there?” She said.
Aubree Wensman and her father, Eric Wensman, were language consultants on Stomping Freedom. All American Indian roles in the film were portrayed by American Indian actors, most of whom came from outside Ohio, according to writer-director Kane Stratton.
Eric Wensman worked with Stratton to translate pages of dialogue into Shawnee, while both Wensmans worked with actors to correctly pronounce Shawnee words and phrases.
“We taught the language in the past, but being in an environment such as making a film was completely different,” Aubree Wensman said. “A lot of these folks that we were teaching, they speak their own native language, and each language has its own cadence, its own tone.”
Aubree Wensman, who lives in Oklahoma, and her father have traveled across the country, sharing the Shawnee language. Recently, they traveled to New York to deliver a rendition of one of Tecumseh’s speeches.
She described growing up exposed to the Shawnee language and having access to old recordings of Shawnee speakers. She emphasized the importance of exposing people to the Shawnee language.
“We grew up with these recordings, but not everyone has these recordings,” Wensman said. “When we do these films or when we’ve gone up to New York to say these speeches and it’s recorded, it’s on media, that’s something we can pass down”
The Yellow Springs screening and panel discussion will occur on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 12 to 3 p.m. Events will also be held at 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 in Wooster, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 in Bellefontaine, and at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13 in Marysville.
The Bellefontaine event, which takes place on Indigenous Peoples Day, will take place at the historic home of Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket. All four events will feature panelists who worked on the film, including cast members. Panelists include citizens of the Choctaw, Oneida, Shawnee, and Seminole tribes.
The Yellow Springs event is supported by the Tecumseh Land Trust, the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Tickets are $16 each and available on www.littleart.com.