Autumn 2025 - Date to be determined.

Film Screening & Discussion of

“Flying Bird’s Diary”

Free and Open to Public but Registration Required!

Followed by a reception with refreshments.

About the Event

As part of MCNAA’s humanities programming, we will be screening the short film “Flying Bird’s Diary.” The film tells the real-life story of Fidelia Fielding known as Flying Bird (1827-1908), a keeper of Mohegan culture and language whose story has, until recently, gone largely untold. As the last fluent speaker of the Mohegan language, Flying Bird fights to preserve her culture and pass it down to the next generation, in an era when everyone has forgotten Mohegan people still exist. After her passing, a white anthropologist’s efforts to salvage her work go awry, and her young Mohegan mentee must find a way to secure the tribe’s culture. The film has won dozens of awards on Film Freeway and Coverfly.

The screen writer described the film as “A dauntless matriarch keeps a diary and accepts ridicule and ostracism to prevent mainstream America from erasing her indigenous language-which connects humanity to EVERYTHING.

Following the film screening, we are honored to have several local Native actresses take part in the post film discussion and Q&A where the audience will be able to ask about their role in the film.  Invitations will also be extended to the screen writer and the director asking for their participation to talk about the making of the film.

The screen film was written by Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel (Mohegan) and directed by Madeline Sayet (Mohegan). Full cast includes Siobhan “Vonnie” Brown (Mashpee Wampanoag), Nayeli Jackson (Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation), Monique Mojica (Guna and Rappahannock), Michael Pantozzi, and Mariah Peters-Mosquera (Mashpee Wampanoag).

Please check back at the end of summer for updated information. Thank you for your interest.

Location and registration info below.