Ep 9. Through the Repellent Fence

Through the Repellent Fence is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the documentary series America ReFramed. The episode features a unique art installation project that brings together indigenous communities from different sides of the US-Mexico border.

The art installation project, called "Repellent Fence," is a collaborative effort between three Native American artists and activists - Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martínez, and Kade L. Twist - and their respective communities - the Navajo Nation, Tohono O'odham Nation, and Chihuahuan Desert.

The concept behind the Repellent Fence is to create a 2-mile long line of 26 inflatable "scare eye" balloons along the US-Mexico border to represent a border that is less divisive and more inviting. The balloons are inspired by Tohono O'odham traditions of using "scare eye" imagery to protect their crops from birds. The installation aims to be a "sutured" border, encouraging interaction, and recognizing the history and experiences that connect the communities on both sides of the border.

The episode follows the journey of the artists and their supporters as they plan, create, and set up the Repellent Fence installation and encounter challenges and resistance from various stakeholders, including the US Border Patrol. The artists try to get permission from the US Border Patrol, whose mission is to stop the movement of people across the border, to install the artwork. They also encounter skepticism and pushback from some members of the communities they work with, who are wary of outsiders' intentions and believe that the project could diminish their access to ancestral lands.

Through the Repellent Fence is not only a documentary about art, but also a commentary on border politics, race relations, and cultural exchange. The episode raises fundamental ethical questions about who has the right to land, culture, and representation, and how art can be a tool for social justice and reconciliation. The artists and their supporters challenge the mainstream narrative of the US-Mexico border as a zone of hostility, danger, and illegality, and create an alternative vision of the border as a site of creativity, dialogue, and mutual respect.

Through the Repellent Fence is a powerful documentary that celebrates the resilience, creativity, and courage of indigenous communities and their allies in challenging the status quo and reimagining the possibilities of cross-cultural collaboration. The episode offers a nuanced and empathic portrayal of the complexity and fluidity of identity and belonging in a world that is dominated by fear, xenophobia, and exclusion. It underscores the urgent need for more inclusive and equitable dialogues and practices across borders and cultures and engages viewers in a thought-provoking and inspiring conversation about our shared humanity and interconnectedness.