WALKING BACKWARDS  

A feature-length documentary about a controversial, traditional Northern California Karuk elder, Charles Thom Sr., who carries his grandfather’s ancient ceremonial name, Walking Backwards. Charles Thom has devoted his life to the lifeways, ecology, traditional healing methods and preservation of his people’s culture. Despite decades of obstacles and struggles including racism, poverty and the discouragement he received from his own tribe, this elder -- who was one of the first North American ceremonial leaders to speak in the United Nations about his people’s cultural concerns -- continues to work to revive the traditional ceremonial practices of his ancestors. 

In 1980 Charles Thom met photographer-filmmaker John Veltri at an old mineral springs healing resort near Mt Shasta, in Northern California. He told John about a prophecy that his grandparents spoke of when he was just a child. The prophecy described a time when environmental and human crises would cause widespread devastation of the sacred mountains, the wildlife, the rivers and the people. The main indicator of this would be the venting of steam on Mt Shasta. If this happened, he was instructed, he would need to go to the mountain and pray on it, then construct a purification sweat lodge and open its door to all people. If he did that, he was told, people from around the world would come to his ceremonies. In the late 1970’s when Mt Shasta did indeed begin to rumble and vent, Charles Thom moved to the mountain, began a series of prayers, and then, to the disapproval of some of his tribe, opened the door of his sacred lodge to all people. When people from around the world began to participate in the ceremonies, Charles asked John to record the manifestation of the prophecy. After 25 years of “on the road” ceremonies and environmental work, Charles Thom Sr has returned home to the place of his birth, to devote the rest of his life to the education of Indian youth. Filmed and directed by John Veltri. Co-produced by Veltri and Marguerite Lorimer.