ALAMOSA — In the newly released PBS documentary "Ancestral Homelands of the Jicarilla Apache,” the longstanding relationship between the Jicarilla, the Earth and its elements is expressed through heritage practices including micaceous clay pottery, basket weaving, plant medicine and storytelling. 

For many thousands of years, the Jicarilla Apache have called the San Luis Valley, Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountains home, and they know these mountains and their rivers as sacred – along with many other areas of Southern Colorado which are included in the origin story of the tribe.  

For the past year, documentary filmmaker and researcher Kate Perdoni has worked with the Jicarilla Apache Nation and tribal members, elders, and youth to document this reverence and spirit of ecology.  

Created under a PBS Climate Engagement Initiative, this half-hour television program supplements Colorado fourth-grade social studies and history standards with a Jicarilla Apache history book insert, first-source video lessons, and a corresponding week-long lesson plan curriculum available to teachers and educators through the Colorado Department of Education.  

The project has been supported by many local partners, including Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, whose rangers hosted a two-day field trip for fourth graders from the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Sangre de Cristo School District in Mosca. The field trip was hosted in support of the documentary and curriculum. 

The Valley Courier previewed the film, which is now available on YouTube, and found it to be a uniquely beautiful piece of work. The cinematography and soundtrack were both exceptional and the tone of the film also communicated a deep respect and appreciation for the privilege of hearing a sacred story told in the words of the Jicarilla Apache. “Ancestral Homelands of the Jicarilla Apache” is an homage to an extraordinary culture.  

The Jicarilla Apache Nation is hosting public screenings of the documentary Monday, Nov. 18, at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Dulce Community Center, 21 Crosstown Dr., Dulce, N.M. 

The film will premiere on television sometime in January. The exact date has yet to be announced. 

Perdoni is a familiar name to many, as her relationship with the San Luis Valley began nearly two decades ago when she was hired as news director for Alamosa-based KRZA in 2005. Over the course of the years that followed, Perdoni has created documentaries and journalism from the San Luis Valley and southern Colorado, each one showcasing her talent, skill and natural instinct for interesting stories. Perdoni has a residence in the Valley that serves as a research and filmmaking hub.