Listening & Healing Pilgrimage

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the one-night-only Northern Arizona premiere of “Listening & Healing Pilgrimage” on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 4:00 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.

This special screening will feature a panel discussion and Q&A following the film with special guests.

In 2024, the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona began a pilgrimage to uncover the history of Indian Boarding Schools in the state and their lasting impact on survivors and their families.

Arizona had the second-highest number of federal Indian boarding schools in the country, with 47 total, and half of all boarding schools nationwide received support from religious organizations. The Diocese set out to understand its own role in this history.

The documentary follows the Diocese’s Council for Native American Ministry as they traveled across Arizona to hear from survivors, families, researchers, and Indigenous voices. The pilgrimage closed with a healing ceremony and a renewed commitment to truth-telling and reconciliation.

Stories from the Federal Indian Boarding Schools have been suppressed from public view for decades, along with the depth of the abuse faced by Indigenous people. This film shares first-hand stories from survivors so that they are not lost, and the knowledge from each site is preserved. It also sheds light on the history of Indian boarding schools and how they impact generations of Indigenous people today. It opens the door to honest conversations about reconciliation and healing.

On Sept. 30 — in honor of Orange Shirt Day — Sedona joins theatres and screening rooms across Arizona to watch the film and participate in a Q&A with survivors and filmmakers. Orange Shirt Day honors Indigenous children who were forced into Indian boarding schools. It recognizes the loss of culture and identity suffered by generations of students and affirms that “Every Child Matters.”

“Listening & Healing Pilgrimage” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 4:00 p.m. followed by a live panel discussion and Q&A.

Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona.