In this short video, learn more about If An Owl Calls Your Name, the global film premiere, and how you can participate.

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  • Unlimited streaming of If An Owl Calls Your Name
  • 12 feature companion films, including The Eternal Song, each from a featured community, released every two months
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  • Audio files & full transcripts of each session
  • Extended interviews & behind-the-scenes conversations
  • The original film soundtrack
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  • Discussion groups to share reflections, questions, and resources
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The Guardians

Guest Speakers & Indigenous Wisdom Keepers

If An Owl Calls Your Name Global Gathering Schedule

A journey of remembering, healing, and reimagining

DAY 1

Welcoming and Introduction

w/ Zaya & Maurizio Benazzo

If An Owl Calls Your Name Film Communal Screening ​
Opening the Process with the Ancestors

w/ Patricia Vickers, Indigenous Trauma Therapist & Artist

Opening Words, Ancestral Ground

w/ Hìm̓às Tlakwagila, Gaylene Morris for Chief Na’Moks

PRAYER SONG
Reflections and Q&A

w/ Hìm̓àsTlakwagila

PRAYER SONG

DAY 2

PRAYER SONG
Standing with the Land, Speaking as the Land

w/ Wet’suwet’en Chief Na’Moks

We will explore in community:

  • Acting in accordance with ancestral law and land-based governance
  • Standing with Yintah
  • Carrying forward what must never be forgotten
Reflections and Q&A

w/ Gaylene Morris,”WeKēs, Wet’suwet’en First Nation

Land Defense, Sovereignty, and Intergenerational Responsibility

w/ Kolin Sutherland, Gitxsan – Fireweed Clan Anspayaxw

We will explore in community:

  • The land is protected where our bodies stand
  • Sovereignty lives in action, not just in claim
  • The wound ends with me
PRAYER SONG
Who are You God?

w/ Patricia Vickers, Indigenous Trauma Therapist & Artist

DAY 3

PRAYER SONG
Buried in the Soul: A Secwépemc Story of Language and Healing

w/ Dave Belleau, Elder, ICAD Counselor, Secwépemc, Esk’etemc First Nation speaking in Secwépemc, translation provided by Frederick Sandy Johnson. Facilitated by Patricia June Vickers

We will explore in community:

  • Surviving residential schools
  • Healing from abuse and addiction
  • The language is the wisdom
Finding Home in What Endured

w/ Frederick Johnson, Elder, ICAD Counselor, Secwépemc, Esk’etemc First Nation, speaking in Secwépemc, translation provided by Dave Belleau. Facilitated by Rick Favelle

We will explore in community:

  • Residential schools tried to make us forget
  • Intergenerational Trauma & Healing
  • Finding home through culture
PRAYER SONG

DAY 4

My Daughter's Letter

w/ Patricia Vickers, Indigenous Trauma Therapist & Artist

Intergenerational Healing

w/ Patricia June Vickers, Rebekah Beaton. Hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo

We will explore in community:

  • The impact of the curse of incest and colonialism
  • Intervention and the cycle of suffering
  • Transformation of betrayal and loss
Reflections and Q&A
This Is My Church

w/ Roy Henry Vickers, Indigenous Elder, Artist & Hereditary Chief of the House of Walkus, Wuikinuxv

We will explore in community:

  • How can we reconcile what was never whole?
  • What if the truth isn’t a path back, but a fire we must stand in?
  • What does it mean to forgive?
Reflections and Q&A

w/ Roy Henry Vickers, Indigenous Elder, Artist & Hereditary Chief of the House of Walkus, Wuikinuxv

PRAYER SONG

DAY 5

PRAYER SONG
Raven’s Call: Ancestral Law, Ceremony, and the Work of Sacred Healing

w/ Rick Favelle, Dave Belleau, Frederick Johnson, Patricia June Vickers

We will explore in community:

  • Ancestral teachings and healing from a history of atrocities
  • Ceremony, language, and supernatural guidance coupled with healing methods
  • How spiritual balance emerges through practice, truth-telling, and retrieving sacred self
Holocaust Shadows, Intergenerational Wounds, and the Long Work of Healing

w/ Gabor Maté, Patricia June Vickers, Roy Henry Vickers

We will explore in community:

  • How colonial trauma travels through generations
  • How these wounds live in our bodies, families, and Nations
  • What helps transform inherited pain into healing
Honoring and Respect: Closing Reflections

w/ Kolin Sutherland-Wilson, Frederick Johnson, Dave Belleau, Patricia June Vickers, Roy Henry Vickers, Gaylene Morris

Gathering the Threads

w/ Maurizio & Zaya Benazzo

How Your Contribution Supports Indigenous Communities

In The Spirit of Reciprocity

We thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.

SAND is a nonprofit organization under section 501c.3 of the US tax code.

With If An Owl Calls Your Name, at least 50% of the funds we receive—after covering costs—
are directed to Indigenous-led initiatives in the territories where we filmed.

When you donate to watch the film, you help support the following project:

DINÏ ZE' NA'MOKS & YINTAH ACCESS CAMP

Defending Wet'suwet'en Sovereignty: Support the Fight Against Pipeline Invasion

Canadian Federal and provincial governments, RCMP, and Coastal GasLink/TC Energy are openly violating Wet’suwet’en law by forcing a 670-kilometer fracked gas pipeline through unceded territory. Our film documents this crucial battle for Indigenous sovereignty. Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law), all five clans have unanimously opposed this pipeline. Each clan has full jurisdiction to control access to their territory, yet Coastal GasLink/TransCanada proceeds without free, prior, and informed consent.

Read More

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Letwilc Ren Semc Center

Building Recovery and Resilience in the Esketemc Community

Rooted in the Esketemc Nation, Letwilc Ren Semc Center helps individuals and families rebuild “Recovery Capital”, the personal, cultural, and communal strengths that sustain healing. Guided by the Medicine Wheel, they blend land-based practices, ceremony, and wellness gatherings.

Read More

WISDOM OF THE ANCESTORS 12–FILM SERIES

The Eternal Song

Over the next two years, we will release a total of 12 full-length films featuring different indigenous traditions. Each film opens a portal into the ancestral wisdom of these cultures, calling us to remember, grieve, heal, and act.

The Eternal Song

LAND: EARTH

92 Minutes • WATCH NOW

Mauri

LAND: AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND)

70 Minutes • WATCH NOW

If an Owl Calls
Your Name

LAND: Esk’etemc, Gitxsan, and Wet’suwet’en (CANADA)

92 MINUTES • WATCH NOW

In the Circle
of Life

LAND: BUNDJALUNG & WIRADJURI (AUSTRALIA)

75 Minutes • WATCH NOW

Katô: Dreams of Dark Earth

LAND: DAJE KAPAP EYPI (BRAZIL)

COMING MARCH 18-20, 2026

Little Singer

LAND: DINÉ BIKÉYAH (ARIZONA)

81 MINUTES • COMING APRIL 2026

Sila

LAND: KALAALLIT NUNAAT (GREENLAND)

COMING 2026

‘Āina

LAND: MOKUPUNI HAWAI’I

COMING 2026

Guarani-Kaiowá

LAND: MATO GROSSO DO SUL (BRAZIL)

COMING 2026

Maasai

LAND: OLOSHO LE MAA (KENYA)

COMING 2027

Haida

LAND: HAIDA GWAII (CANADA)

COMING 2027

Ifá

LAND: TSENACOMOCO (VIRGINIA)

COMING 2027

The Eternal Song

LAND: EARTH

Mauri

LAND: AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND)

If an Owl Calls
Your Name

LAND: UNIST’OT’EN YIN’TAH (CANADA)

In the Circle of Life

LAND: BUNDJALUNG & WIRADJURI (AUSTRALIA)

Katô: Dreams of Dark Earth

LAND: DAJE KAPAP EYPI (BRAZIL)

Sila

LAND: KALAALLIT NUNAAT (GREENLAND)

Little Singer

LAND: DINÉ BIKÉYAH (ARIZONA)

‘Āina

LAND: MOKUPUNI HAWAI’I

Guarani-Kaiowá

LAND: MATO GROSSO DO SUL (BRAZIL)

Maasai

LAND: OLOSHO LE MAA (KENYA)

Haida

LAND: HAIDA GWAII (CANADA)

Ifá

LAND: TSENACOMOCO (VIRGINIA)

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from the Following Wisdom Keepers & Elders
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Carrying the Vision

The Crew

Born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, and fascinated with exploring life’s big questions, Zaya feels most at home in nature and, increasingly, within herself. Her deepest passion is bringing spiritual wisdom in service of all life. She has produced and directed several award-winning documentaries including The Wisdom of Trauma, The Art of Life, Rays of the Absolute, and Where Olive Trees Weep
Zaya Ralitza BenazzoProducer / Director
Zaya Ralitza Benazzo
Born and raised in Genova, Italy with deep ancestral roots in Piemonte, Maurizio is devoted to making visible the profound interconnectedness between all forms of life and the ancestral wisdom that flows through it. He and Zaya co-founded SAND, and together they have since co-directed, produced and independently distributed several award-winning documentaries.
Maurizio BenazzoProducer / Director
Maurizio Benazzo
Nika is a cinematographer born in Tbilisi, Georgia and raised in Toronto, Canada. After making his first film, Nika dived deep into the world of electronic music events. He joined some of the world's most renowned DJs on tour, creating music videos and after-movies for them. He also engaged in meaningful work with NGOs around the world.
Nickoloz KachibaiaDirector of Photography
Nickoloz Kachibaia
Caroline's natural talents cover three areas: science, art and drama. After receiving her Masters in Science, Caroline found unlikely doors opening for her with the BBC Natural History Unit and the BBC World Service. By the age of 28, she had filmed in over 30 countries and even had her feature documentary, an exposé on China’s Energy Industry, shut down by top government officials.
CAROLINE CAMPBELLDirector OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CAROLINE CAMPBELL
Finley is a film and television editor, producer, and director from Toronto, Canada. Having cut thousands of commercial spots by the age of seventeen and his first feature at eighteen, Finley practically grew up in a post-house. Working with countless producers in Canada, the US, and Europe, Finley has amassed innumerable credits at a very young age. His most recent works include The Case Against Cosby, Life Below Zero: Canada, and In Their Own Words.
Finley MacNeilEditor / Producer
Finley MacNeil
Alexis is an Emmy award-winning producer and a video editor with over a decade of experience working for companies like NBC, CBS, ESPN and Netflix. She graduated from Brown University with a dual degree in Film and Theatre. When Alexis is not working on film and television, she enjoys performing with her band, Otaku Ongaku, and querying agents with her fantasy trilogy, The Shadow.
Alexis AurigemmaProducer
Alexis Aurigemma
Armand is a French Moroccan composer born in Jerusalem. He was imbued early with the sounds of instruments considered exotic at the time. He co-founded the record label Long Distance, dedicated to traditional music, and opened a museum in Paris for his huge collection of instruments from all over the world. Armand created Leylâ & Majnûn, an internationally acclaimed oratorio for the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco.
Armand AmarComposer
Armand Amar
Jeanric grew up on the shores of Algeria where he developed a passion for the water element. His strong scientific background and his Kashmir Tantric Shaivism spiritual path directed him to become, pell-mell, an aquatic bodyworker, a telecommunication engineer, a pool specialist, a venture capitalist, and more. He helps with sound recording, writing, translating, editing, financial organization and human resources.
Jeanric MellerAssociate Producer
Jeanric Meller
A mother, educator, and elder-in-becoming from a loud and loving Italian family, Lisa values reciprocity, possibility, compassion and transformation. She believes in a world that works for everyone and remains committed to living in integrity and connection. She was instrumental in the physical organization of the journey.
Lisa Breschi Location Producer
Lisa Breschi
Yasen was born in Palo Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley, where his early fascination with computers and visual storytelling shaped his unique approach to filmmaking. His professional path has included work as a cinematographer at Brown Barn Films, sound recordist and assistant camera for SAND, and production assistant on the feature film Under The Lights.
Yasen StoevCamera Assistant/Sound Recording
Yasen Stoev

Knowledge Holders

Our Guides

Pat McCabe (Weyakpa Najin Win, Woman Stands Shining) is a voice for global peace, and her paintings are created as tools for individual, earth and global healing. She draws upon the Indigenous sciences of Thriving Life to reframe questions about sustainability and balance, and is devoted to supporting the next generations in being functional members of the “Hoop of Life” and upholding the honor of being human.
Pat McCabeMother, Grandmother, Activist, Ceremonial leader, Diné
Pat McCabe
Tiokasin has a long history with Indigenous activism and advocacy. The Founder, Host and Executive Producer for 28 years of First Voices Radio in New York City and Seattle/Olympia, Washington, he received many awards including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 and an award for New York City’s Peacemaker of the Year in 2013. He is a “perfectly flawed human being."
Tiokasin GhosthorseFounder of First Voices Radio, Cheyenne River Lakota Nation
Tiokasin Ghosthorse
Born and raised in a remote village of Northeast Greenland, Rakel declared she would be a shaman when she was four. In 2012, she immersed herself in nature and the teachings from Silap Aappaa (the other worlds) to reconnect with the wisdom of her ancestors. By 2019, Rakel was formally initiated into the ancient tradition as an angakoq (medicine woman). She helps individuals rediscover their souls and restore harmony within themselves and the world.
Aviaja Rakel Sani-muinaq KristiansenInuk Shaman, Kangigaimeer, Nunarput (Greenland)
Aviaja Rakel Sani-muinaq Kristiansen
Iya is a trauma specialist with ancestors in West Africa, Barbados, Jamaica and the Bahamas who brings over two decades of experience in mental health, social services, and community advocacy. She empowers individuals and communities to break cycles of trauma through healing practices which emphasize reconnection with cultural roots. She is a speaker and educator with a mission to facilitate re-culturing and healing of indigenous people all over the world.
Iya AffoFounder of Heal Historical Trauma, Speaker & Educator
Iya Affo
Bayo Akomolafe is the Chief Curator of The Emergence Network, a speaker, author, fugitive neo-materialist com-post-activist public intellectual and Yoruba poet. Bayo was born in 1983 into a Christian home, and to Yoruba parents in western Nigeria. Now living between India and the United States, Bayo is a father of Alethea Aanya and Kyah Jayden Abayomi. He is married to EJ, his dear life-partner of Indian descent.
Bayo AkomolafeYoruba Philosopher, Writer
Bayo Akomolafe
Chief Oluwo Obafemi Fayemi Epega is a world-renowned Babalawo and the founder of O.I.D.S.I. (Obafemi Institute for the Divine & Universal Study of Ifa). He was initiated as a priest of Obatala in 2004, and received his Tefa in 2005. He strongly believes that the restoration and preservation of African divine sciences and traditions can restore psychological balance and personal empowerment to all people. A lecturer, teacher and healer and the author of Who is Sambo?.
Obafemi FayemiFounder of Obafemi Institute for the Divine Study of Ifa
Obafemi Fayemi

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