In honor of Native American Heritage Month and to teach people about the culture, Los Medanos College showed the movie “Smoke Signals” Nov. 25 in the upstairs lounge of the Student Union. The area was inviting with many open lounge chairs, a big projector screen for the movie and the smell of free popcorn wafting throughout.

Jazmin Morales, senior program director in the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, said that knowledge about Native American culture and beliefs is important “especially because LMC was built on top of Bay Miwok tribes land.”

“I think a lot of people do not know a lot about Native American Heritage Month,” said Morales. “A movie seemed like a fun and interesting way to teach people.”

The movie “Smoke Signals” follows the plot of two young Native Americans from Washington — Thomas and Victor. The unlikely friends and childhood rivals set out on a journey to spread Victor’s father’s ashes at the top of the “sacred mountain” on the Coeur d’Alene reservation in Idaho, which holds significant cultural meaning for their Native American community.

While on this journey, the story explores ideas of finding identity, culture and forgiveness as a Native American.

“It was cool to see the Native American perspective from such a familiar place because I grew up in Washington,” said Ashley Vargas, a student who attended the cultural event. “The movie was very insightful, and it showed me more about the Native American culture.”

Program director Morales said she thought the movie was a great way to spread awareness, adding it did “a good job talking about Native American identities specifically in children,”.

Although turnout was low, Morales said she was glad that the few people who did stay got to learn a bit more about Native American culture and catch a good movie.

She added that attendance was “better than expected for a rainy day, so I’m happy about that.”