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on July 15, 2010
Jeffrey Davis
commented on a projectIn response to Mr. Bennett, this is the young man that posted the previous comment (I believe you were referencing me) . . . My name is Jeff Davis. I am Chookaneidi, the grandson of William and Martha Davis, and son of Grace (Davis) Villarreal. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those that served and are currently serving our country. Looking at the history of how the Government has treated Natives in the past, that only adds to the amount of respect that I have for these men and woman. I completely agree that honor is earned but I feel pride is human nature. I strongly believe that the Tlingit people are a prideful people which is demonstrated through our history and culture. Pride is what pushes me to be a better person and is what should push people to expect more for themselves. Although I haven't served, I still have pride which comes from my family, my community, and my culture. Living in a "Westernized" world, I take pride in educating others about a small little Tlingit village in Alaska that I grew up in. With any achievement/promotion that I earn, I accept it for my family, my community, and my culture and hope that I represent them well. I share your observation concerning the younger generation and feel a project like this is needed to help inspire them to "step up". In today's society, it seems easy to expect little from yourself, just because you are a kid that grew up in a small Alaskan village (thinking you are at a disadvantage from the start). I am hoping a film like this will shed light on the contributions you can make and how growing up in a village environment (unknown to many) can be seen as a benefit/advantage versus others that grew up in different environment. I'll admit that I am putting blind faith in Samantha but from reviewing her video and trying to analyze her intentions . . . my impression is that she would strive to tell a truthful tale of the people that served and their experience while serving during that time period (along with it's effect on the community). In order to make it a success, there needs to be people such as yourself to contribute your story and to ensure a truthful story is being told. Growing up you learn about American History and a little about Alaska History. I feel this is an opportunity to document "Hoonah History" for the younger generation and for the community. I would love to see more projects like this take place to further document "Hoonah's History", whether through film, television or books. Hoping that this history will inspire the future leaders of our community, our culture. I do share some of your concerns with a project like this but I hope you have a chance to connect with Samantha to provide content and guidance of the appropriate people to talk to. Who better to help tell the story than those that lived it. I too hope that the cultural aspect would play a major part in the theme of the documentary but that is where my blind faith in Samantha comes in. Congratulations to Samantha on reaching your financial goals and if you don't already know, you carry a large responsibility in telling this story. I mention that the Tlingit people are a very prideful people and this is demonstrated through Mr. Bennett's comments. I hope more people contribute to tell this story and I am hoping that this will be a catalyst for others to learn more about local history and making sure it's history is told. If you have any questions concerning my comments, please feel free to contact me at davis.jeffrey@hoonahgeek.com. (Sorry for the lengthy comment but wanted to ensure Mr. Bennett of the intention of my original comments and to respond in a respectful manner ). I'm not sharing my cell number :) -- Jeff
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on June 9, 2010
Jeffrey Davis
backed a project
Hoonah's Heros: A Documentary by samantha farinella
Help get this indie filmmaker to Alaska to film the unbelievable survival stories of Tlingit Vietnam veterans; 39 saw combat, 38 made it home alive.
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107% funded $16,120 pledged
- 89 backers
- Funded Jul 18, 2010
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on June 9, 2010
Jeffrey Davis
commented on a projectI grew up in Hoonah and would love to see a film like this made. I feel it would benefit the town and help provide an additional sense of pride. Pride for the ones that lived this story you want to tell and to the upcoming generations that may be unaware of the experiences of their Uncle/Grandpa or that person they just passed on the street. To document this part of Hoonah's history on film would be priceless. From a tourism perspective, a project like this would expose Hoonah's most valuable assets . . . not the beautiful mountains, waterways, the zip line, or the wildlife but it's people and their stories they carry. I really miss the storytelling sessions with family and friends. I wish I could pledge more but I will pledge what I can. Thank you and good luck. Hoping to see names I recognize on your backers list. (On a side note: thanks for the link Sherry, great pic of your dad)
Jeffrey Davis
Rochester, MN
Jeffrey Davis joined Kickstarter on June 09, 2010
