We’re looking forward to helping you bring the series to your classroom or community.
Please give us up to 3 business days to review your request.
People of the West is a 10-part documentary series that reexamines California's history through Indigenous perspectives. Produced by Pechanga Studios, the series blends oral histories, archival materials, Native scholars, cultural practitioners, and cinematic storytelling to present a more complete understanding of California's past, present, and future.
The portal is designed for:
Membership is currently available by invitation or approval while we continue expanding the program.
Members receive complimentary access to educational resources including:
Additional content will continue to be added throughout the year.
Not at this time.
The portal provides curriculum materials and select educational clips. Full episodes are distributed separately to approved educators, schools, colleges, libraries, museums, and community organizations.
If you would like access to full episodes for educational use, please contact: peopleofthewest@picturemotion.com
No. The educator resources and curriculum are provided free of charge for approved educational and community use.
The curriculum was developed in collaboration with educators, historians, American Indian and Native Studies scholars, museum professionals, and Native community experts. Drawing from the expertise represented throughout the series and its educational collaborators, it is designed to help educators teach California Native history with historical accuracy, cultural respect, and meaningful classroom engagement. The curriculum aligns with California educational standards and Ethnic Studies learning objectives while remaining flexible for a variety of educational settings.
The curriculum is primarily intended for:
Many activities can also be adapted for adult education and community learning environments.
Absolutely. Each episode includes standalone lesson plans and discussion materials, allowing educators to teach individual topics without needing to screen the entire series.
Yes. The curriculum was developed to support California's Ethnic Studies initiatives and complements instruction in History–Social Science, English Language Arts, Native American Studies, Humanities, and related disciplines.
Yes. Educators are encouraged to adapt lessons, discussion questions, and activities to meet the needs of their students and local communities.
Yes. The series discusses subjects including:
Yes. Schools, colleges, libraries, museums, tribal organizations, nonprofits, and community groups are encouraged to host screenings. Please fill out this screening interest form to get started: bit.ly/POTWInterest
Our team provides:
In many cases, yes. Depending on scheduling and location, members of the filmmaking team, featured experts, and Native community leaders may be available to participate virtually or in person. Please see the full list here: www.peopleofthewest.org/episodes#experts
Yes. We encourage educators to share this opportunity with colleagues. However, please do not distribute protected screening links or member-only materials outside your institution without permission.
At this time, the portal is intended for educators and approved community leaders. Students should access materials through their instructor or institution.
Full episodes are distributed to approved educators, schools, colleges, libraries, museums, and community organizations. If you are not an educator but are interested in viewing the series, please contact us at peopleofthewest@picturemotion.com for more information.
To protect educational resources and ensure responsible use of screening materials, all registrations are reviewed before access is granted. Most requests are approved within 3 business days.
Select Forgot Password on the login page. You'll receive an email with instructions to reset your password.
Portal members receive occasional updates about: