Before 1492, “Indian Country” used to be the American continent. With the influx of European settlers over the next centuries, Native Americans were eventually pushed onto reservations. Today, however, Indian country is no longer reduced to an inhospitable stretch of land. Indians are everywhere and “Indian Country” thrives again – on the World Wide Web.

In the summer of 2013, Caroline and Michael Running Wolf filmed interviews with Native Americans in France, Belgium, and Germany for Caroline’s master thesis project. The emerging documentary film, Expat Indians, explores the lives of traditionally rooted Natives from Canada, USA, and Mexico living in Europe. Challenging stereotypical expectations, this documentary focuses on Native Americans who serve as ambassadors for their culture and maintain their traditions far away from their home community.

How do they do it? Facebook.

In this session we will discuss the blessings and limitations of social networking and other Internet tools to connect Natives abroad with their families and home communities, help them maintain their traditions, and keep their endangered languages alive. Together we will explore a vision of a new Native American identity unbound by race and tribal reservations.