Joanelle Romero

Joanelle Romero is an American filmmaker and actress. Romero, who says she has a Native American identity,[1] is the founder and president of Red Nation Television Network and Red Nation International Film Festival.[1] Romero's film American Holocaust: When It’s All Over I’ll Still Be Indian was short-listed for an Academy Award in the Documentary Short Branch category.

Joanelle Romero
Born1957 (age 65–66)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Occupations
  • Humanitarian
  • filmmaker
  • actress
  • recording artist
Known for
Websitejoanelleromero.com

In 2007, she was designated a Women's History Month honoree by the National Women's History Project.[2][3]

Personal life

Romero was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1957. Her mother, actress Rita Rogers (1936–2012), was born Ida Mae Aragón in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[4][2] Joanelle grew up in Los Angeles, California,[2] and says she is "a citizen of Mescalero-Chiricahua Apache, Dinétah, Paiute Nations and is Spanish Sephardic."[5] She states she is of Cheyenne descent.[6]

Career

Romero was shortlisted for an Academy Award, for her documentary short, American Holocaust: When It’s All Over I’ll Still Be Indian, narrated by Ed Asner. Romero directed, produced, wrote and scored the music for the film that compares the Holocaust with the United States governments treatment of American Indians and the lasting effects on contemporary culture.[2][7]

In 1991 Romero founded Spirit World Productions. She was inspired to create Spirit World Productions due to the lack of Native representation in the entertainment industry. Spirit World released American Holocaust: When It’s All Over I’ll Still Be Indian, a documentary film narrated by Ed Asner. Romero directed, produced, wrote and scored the music for the film that compares the Holocaust with the United States' government treatment of American Indians and the lasting effects on contemporary culture.[2]

As an actress Romero has appeared in films including The Girl Called Hatter Fox (1977 TV movie based on the novel by Marilyn Harris),[8] 1982's Barbarosa and Parasite,[9] and Powwow Highway.[6]

Romero founded the nonprofit organization Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) in 1995.[10][11][7]

In 2005 she received the Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award for "the vision to see the truth … and the courage to speak it". Romero started the first Native American Heritage Month in Los Angeles in November 2005, garnering her the title "The First Lady" of American Indian Heritage Month.[2][12]

Romero has been a member of the American Film Academy since 2016.[13]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1977 The Girl Called Hatter Fox Hatter Fox TV movie
1980 Roughnecks Woman TV movie
1982 Barbarosa Young Prostitute
Parasite Bo
The Legend of Walks Far Woman Fire Wing TV movie
Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice Julie TV movie
1983 The Horse Dealer's Daughter Young Woman Short
1984 The Mystic Warrior Zitkala TV movie
1985 City Limits Woman in Desert
1986 Vendetta Elena
1989 Powwow Highway Bonnie Red Bow
1991 Miracle in the Wilderness Little Deer TV movie
2004 Black Cloud Victoria Nez
2021 Wild Indian Native Woman

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Insight Laura Episode: "When, Jenny? When?"
1982 Hill Street Blues Maria Episode: "Invasion of the Third World Body Snatchers"
1983 Cutter to Houston Starr Episode: "From the Smallest Crystal, from the Smallest Stone"
1992 Murder, She Wrote Alice Chee Episode: "Night of the Coyote"

Video games
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder Anna Elk Moon

References
  1. Goodman, Amy (October 10, 2022). "50 Years After Sacheen Littlefeather's Oscars Protest, "Prejudice & Racism" Persist in Film Industry". Democracy Now. Retrieved 15 March 2023. ... Joanelle Romero, an actress and filmmaker and the first Native American woman of the Academy.... She is Apache-Diné. ...
  2. "Joanelle Romero". Women's History Month. National Women's History Project. 2006. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  3. Nsiah-Buadi, Christabel (8 March 2018). "A trailblazing filmmaker wants to make sure Native stories have their place in the American narrative". The World (radio program). Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  4. "Rita Rogers". Taos News. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  5. "Joanelle Romero". Red Nation International Film Festival. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  6. Staff (7 July 2016). "American Indian Joanelle Romero Joins the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Class of 2016". Native News Online. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  7. "RNCI Red Nation International Film Festival & Awards - Native Cinema". FilmFreeway. March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  8. Smith, Cecil (October 12, 1977). "The Taming of Hatter Fox". The Los Angeles Times. Section IV, p. 18. Retrieved March 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Nordstrand, Dave (February 15, 1982). "Albq actress lands TV role as reformed alcoholic". The Albuquerque Tribune. p. A7. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Tupica, Rich (2 March 2020). "Film Industry Veteran Joanelle Romero launches 'Indigenous New Media' to boost Native entertainment deals". Native News Online. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  11. Lowe, Elayne (14 August 2018). "Native women take stand against violence in S.F." Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  12. "The Armin T. Wegner Award – Armin T. Wegner Society of USA". Armin T. Wegner Society of USA. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  13. "NEW MEMBERS 2016: ACADEMY INVITES 683 TO MEMBERSHIP". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
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