- Details
- By Kaili Berg
The team behind the documentary You’re No Indian says they are facing an attempt to silence the Native voices in their film after receiving a cease-and-desist letter last week from attorneys for the Pechanga Band of Indians and Chairman Mark Macarro.
The letter, delivered Nov. 24, demands that all screenings and distribution be halted within 48 hours.
According to the filmmakers, the objections focus on claims about research accuracy and representation. They dispute those claims outright.
Director Ryan Flynn said the team spent years gathering testimonies, reviewing documents, and consulting experts across Indian Country.
“We interviewed families, reviewed records, spoke with experts,” Flynn said. “We reached out to Chairman Macarro multiple times during production. Mark had every opportunity to participate, and he chose not to.”
Flynn added that the film cannot simply be withdrawn from public view because some parties are unhappy with the perspectives included.
“Now he’s asking us to take away the film from the public,” Flynn said. “If you believe this film is inaccurate or unfair, this is a direct invitation: Sit down with us on camera, say everything you want to say, and we will include your perspective in the film and release the entire conversation uncut.”
The filmmakers say the cease-and-desist arrived during a week when mainstream narratives around Thanksgiving often overshadow Indigenous histories—a timing they argue underscores a long pattern of silencing Native voices when they challenge internal or external power structures.
The documentary follows Native community members who have experienced disenrollment, exploring how losing tribal citizenship reverberates through families and cultural identity.
“These are people who trusted us to make their voices louder,” Flynn said. “Those voices matter, and the public has a right to hear them.”
In a written statement, the production team emphasized their confidence in the film’s process and findings. They are reviewing the legal letter with counsel but maintain that their work is well documented and ethically grounded.
“Our aim has always been to approach this subject with care, accuracy, and respect,” Flynn said. “That invitation for Chairman Macarro to share his perspective remains open.”
You’re No Indian has already screened at several festivals, including Dances With Films LA, the Montana International Film Festival, the Shining Mountains Film Festival, the United Nations Association Film Festival, and the RNCI Red Nation International Film Festival, where it received the Joanelle Romero Impact Award and an Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature.
As the filmmakers move forward, they say their priority is transparency and protecting the stories shared by those directly affected by disenrollment, a crisis that continues to divide communities across Indian Country.
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