WASHINGTON — Tribal leaders who attended the White House Tribal Nations Conference last Wednesday in the nation’s capital were show the “Rebel Music: Native America,” a short film produced by Nusrat Durrnai that was shown on MTV on November 13, 2014 during National Native American Heritage Month.

“The Rebel Music: Native America” documentary produced by MTV World, a division of Viacom Media Networks, is the first vivid and urgent portrayal of the coming-of-age of young Native Americans in the digital and social age, and has been widely viewed and acclaimed since its launch in November 2014. Immediately following the screening, a panel discussion took place to spark dialog and continue the goals of the documentary itself – to shine a light on the inspiring young Indigenous artists and activists who are rewriting the narrative for their community, and to bring Native American culture into the U.S. mainstream. At the Tribal Conference last Wednesday, President Obama spoke to the importance of providing equal opportunities for all young people, including Indigenous communities: “There are remarkable young people in every tribe and on every reservation in America,” President Obama said at the sixth annual White House Tribal Nation’s Conference. “We have a sacred responsibility to all our young people, including Native youth.  And every day that I have the honor to serve as your President, I will do everything I can to meet that responsibility – to honor that trust – to do right by your nations, your children and future generations.” The White House and MTV World recognize this extraordinary moment as an opportunity to remove the barriers that stand between Native youth and their chance to succeed.  Through the Gen-I initiative the White House – with support from Departments of the Interior, Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and numerous other governmental organizations – will take a comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities for Native youth. Moreover, MTV World is also working on a longer documentary about Indigenous young people, has launched a Rebel Music education program and additional outreach and awareness campaigns surrounding the initiative.

Clips from the film shown at the White House Tribal Nations Conference are available.

For more information visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/nativeamericans and http://www.rebelmusic.com/