The great spirit within the hole

An unusual view of the thousand of American Indians who are confined to state and federal penitentiaries throughout the U.S. This program explores their plight and their anger, and their extraordinary way of transcending –through discovery of their own sacred rituals and religious ceremonies. American Indian rituals, not meant for public view, are presented in this portrait of six prisons which have just begun to allow inmates the practice of re-discovered culture.For INPUT, the program presents two provocative ideas. First, rare and unusual access to the prison system which itself just begun to allow unprecedented freedoms for American Indian inmates to practice sacred ceremonies. Secondly, the program makes public ceremonies which have always been sacred, and therefore, secret. INPUT discussion could center on the positive or negative implications in exposing private ritual. Also controversial could be the media presentation of American Indians. Are they confined or freed by the focus of this hour film.