On Sunday, November 17, Greenbelt Cinema held a special showing of Gomeo Bobelu: Lightning Unveiled for National Native American Heritage Month, attended by a small but engaged audience. The 68-minute film tells the story of a Zuni man whose extraordinary story creates a profound portrait of resilience and artistic integrity that lights a path forward for the national Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis.
A member of Zuni Pueblo south of Gallup, N.M., where he was born, Bobelu was a silversmith, artist, social justice advocate, a U.S. Air Force veteran and a tribal elder. He was known for his gemstone-inlaid silver jewelry and considered his work to be a “tribute to the victims and survivors of suicide and domestic abuse on our Indian reservations,” according to the Zuni Connection. He had several close relatives who were murdered and whose killers were never found; he had also been bullied as a gay man.
From Picture This Productions, the film was directed by Jaima Chevalier and Diné/Taos and Jemez Pueblo member AJ Goldman, who were both close friends of Bobelu. In the documentary, Bobelu’s life story as a renowned artist battling adversity and discrimination at every turn is curated against the grand backdrop of New Mexico history. The project, begun with a series of taped interviews with Bobelu in 2015, was put on hold during the pandemic. Sadly, before it could continue, in 2022, Bobelu himself was murdered. Like so many others, the crime remains unsolved. The directors wove together the interviews to create a powerful film in tribute to his life, garnering it a Best Documentary Short Award at the 2023 Santa Fe Film Festival.
The showing at Greenbelt Cinema was sponsored by Isadora Kaplan, who was on hand for the Q&A along with directors Chevalier and Goldman and Diné/Navaho tribal member Chastity Sandoval, co-chair, Data Subcommittee and victim/legal advocate for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Task Force. Goldman and Chevalier talked about their deep friendship and respect for Bobelu, his talent and his support and advocacy for MMIP. Sandoval talked about the crisis of Native American and Alaska Native rates of murder, rape and violent crime, which are all higher than national averages.
Statistics show, the MMIP website says, “that approximately 1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native missing persons have been entered into the National Crime Information Center throughout the U.S. and approximately 2,700 cases of Murder and Nonnegligent Homicide Offenses have been reported to the federal government’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. In total, Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates there are approximately 4,200 missing and murdered cases that have gone unsolved.” Sandoval is working on a doctorate studying ways to improve data collection for the missing and murdered.
Sandoval suggested that those who would like to help with this crisis can donate to 4Corners K-9 Search and Rescue, https://4ck9sar.org , an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has as its mission to “locate, rescue and recover lost and missing persons on Native American Tribal Lands [and] … to serve victims and families with empathy, compassion and respect.” The organization uses dogs, volunteers on foot and on ATVs, and drones to carry out search and rescue efforts.
For more information about MMIP, visit bia.gov/service/mmu/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people-crisis .