The World Theatre on The Bricks in downtown Kearney, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — The documentary Lakota Nation vs. The United States chronicles the century-long Lakota quest to reclaim the Black Hills, sacred land that was stolen in violation of treaty agreements.
It is a provocative, visually stunning testament to a land and a people who have survived removal, exploitation and genocide. The film explores how America has ignored its debt to indigenous communities, and ponders what might be done today to repair the wrongs of the past.
Special Presentation: Lakota Struggles for Sovereignty in Northwest Nebraska – Broc Anderson, 6:30 to 7 p.m. with film to follow
For many years until 2017, the border town of Whiteclay, Nebraska was known for selling alcohol to residents of the neighboring Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. In conjunction with the showing of Lakota Nation vs The United States, this presentation sheds light on the historical foundations of Whiteclay’s existence, showing how its origins relate to the black market, and sale of alcohol in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Broc Anderson is the Director of Historic Sites for the Nebraska State Historical Society. He graduated from Chadron State College with his bachelors in Social Science Education in 2017, and with his masters in History at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2022.
Broc is also an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
Among his many works and projects related to Native American advocacy and history, his most recent article in the Spring 2025 issue of the Nebraska History magazine, “The White Clay Extension: Northwest Nebraska and the Pine Ridge Reservation” explores the social, economic, and political relationships between the Lakota from Pine Ridge and non-natives in northwest Nebraska during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Through the Beyond the Lens series, in partnership with The World Theatre, MONA presents a selection of films with cultural, aesthetic, or historical significance. At the center of each screening is the Museum’s mission to be a platform for the arts, bring people together, and encourage critical and meaningful engagement.
This event is sponsored by The Terra Foundation for American Art, established in 1978 and with offices in Chicago and Paris, the foundation supports organizations and individuals locally and globally through its grant program, collection, and initiatives. Its aim is to foster intercultural dialogues and encourage transformative practices that expand narratives of American art.
