SYNOPSIS

The Opening Address brings to life the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen—the sacred Thanksgiving Address of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Spoken at the beginning and end of all gatherings, this ancient oral tradition offers gratitude to the natural world, reaffirming our relationship with the land, waters, plants, animals, winds, stars, and all living beings.

Created in collaboration with the Akwesasne Mohawk community and Akwesasne Freedom School, the film is a ceremonial invocation told in the Mohawk language, honoring ancestral knowledge and cultural continuity.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Konwanahktotha Alvera Sargent

Snipe Clan, Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne

Co-Director, The Opening Address

Konwanahktotha Alvera Sargent is an Indigenous language activist and the Executive Director of the Friends of the Akwesasne Freedom School—one of the oldest language immersion programs in North America. A lifelong advocate for cultural preservation, she has worked for more than two decades to revitalize Kanien’kéha (the Mohawk language) and protect Haudenosaunee ceremonial traditions.

Her work centers the intergenerational transmission of ancestral knowledge and the role of language in maintaining identity, governance, and ecological stewardship. The Opening Address marks her directorial debut and is part of her continued effort to safeguard the intangible heritage of her people through education, storytelling, and spiritual practice.

Jess Lowe Chaverri

Co-Director, The Opening Address

Jess Lowe Chaverri is a BAFTA Award–winning filmmaker whose work explores stories rooted in culture, place, and community. Her films have screened at Mountainfilm, Tribeca, ImagineNATIVE, Santiago Wild, and other international festivals. She often works in close collaboration with educators, elders, and community leaders to tell stories that honor language, identity, and intergenerational knowledge.

In The Opening Address, she worked alongside the Akwesasne Mohawk community to support the visual and narrative expression of the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen - a ceremonial oration that reaffirms our connection to the natural world.