Director and producer Valene Peratrovich is stirring conversations about the critical state of the Great Salt Lake with the hope of bringing new solutions to the table through the lens of Indigenous stewardship. Her documentary, "Diverted: Indigenous Stewardship and Saving Great Salt Lake," sheds light on traditional ecological knowledge and the connection Indigenous populations have with the lake. Recent screenings held on Nov. 6 at Fisher Brewing and Nov. 20 at the Utah Film Center underscore the urgency of the call to action. Peratrovich, herself Tlingit, Unangan, and Athabascan, has advocated for the visibility and amplification of Indigenous voices within environmental discourse, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
Despite being initial amateurs, Peratrovich and her team have brought the film to fruition through dedication to their cause. As KSL.com notes, "We just knew what we cared about, and that really taught us that you don't need perfect and you don't need to be an expert," Peratrovich said. "If the intention is true, and the heart is there, everything else will grow from that." The documentary interweaves insights from key figures like Darren Parry, former Northwestern Shoshone Nation chairman; Carl Moore, of the Hopi, Chemehuevi, and Colorado River Indian Tribes; and Elizabeth Kronk Warner, dean of the University of Utah's law school.
The film has garnered significant recognition, receiving a Rocky Mountain Student Emmy and a grant from the Salt Lake City Arts Council supported by Bloomberg Art Philanthropies. Andrew Shaw from the Salt Lake City Arts Council acknowledged the film's potential impact across national and international film festivals, as relayed by Great Salt Lake News. Shaw expressed his belief in the documentary's power to depict community commitment towards preserving natural resources, emphasizing the unique ability of artists to connect with people at an emotional level, beyond just presenting data.
