This May Be the Last Time

This is a beautiful, well-crafted story of a family tragedy wrapped in songs. The film starts with the death of Sterlin Harjo's Grandfather & the community coming together to search for him. It's also a historical journey into the songs of the Creek Nation. The Creek Nation songs are a part of singing tradition that reaches back to the Highlands of Scotland. It's also part of the gospel tradition of the Black churches & of other Native Nations. These songs are part of a thread that weaves the musical, oral traditions connecting the people. What really touched my soul was the careful handling of christian gospel being forced on the Indigenous people through genocide. Harjo's storytelling of the murdering colonization that left its legacy .... not only in destruction & loss, but in beauty ... through the songs .... was done brilliantly & with great skill so that the power & beauty of the songs would be the takeaway.

This is a beautiful, well-crafted story of a family tragedy wrapped in songs. The film starts with the death of Sterlin Harjo's Grandfather & the community coming together to search for him. It's also a historical journey into the songs of the Creek Nation. The Creek Nation songs are a part of singing tradition that reaches back to the Highlands of Scotland. It's also part of the gospel tradition of the Black churches & of other Native Nations. These songs are part of a thread that weaves the musical, oral traditions connecting the people. What really touched my soul was the careful handling of christian gospel being forced on the Indigenous people through genocide. Harjo's storytelling of the murdering colonization that left its legacy .... not only in destruction & loss, but in beauty ... through the songs .... was done brilliantly & with great skill so that the power & beauty of the songs would be the takeaway.