By Humanities Nebraska
All are invited to attend the 30th Annual Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. “Indigenous Storytelling in Film and Television” will feature “Dark Winds” star/executive producer Zahn McClarnon in conversation with film producer Bird Runningwater. Presented by Humanities Nebraska (HN), the event is free and open to the public at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha. The program will also be livestreamed at the Midwest Theater in Scottsbluff, and it can be watched online from anywhere. (Pre-registration is required. Visit humanitiesnebraska.org for details.)
Zahn McClarnon is an award-winning film and television actor who has appeared in over 90 film and television productions including the critically acclaimed series “Fargo,” the award-winning series “Westworld,” and many others. A member of the Hunkpapa Lakota Tribe, McClarnon is an executive producer and lead actor in the AMC television series “Dark Winds,” and will make his directorial debut during the upcoming fourth season. “Dark Winds” is based on the Hillerman “Leaphorn & Chee” novel series, following two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest investigating a string of seemingly unrelated crimes. McClarnon is also a graduate of Omaha Central High School.
A member of the Cheyenne and Mescalero Apache Tribal Nations, Bird Runningwater has had an illustrious producing career that includes Fancy Dance starring Lily Gladstone. Runningwater previously led the Sundance Institute’s commitment to indigenous filmmakers for 20 years. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and serves on the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Film Preservation Board. He also built and managed the private philanthropy of a Rockefeller family member focused on revitalizing indigenous languages in North America.
Co-chaired by Carol Wang and Beth Whited, this year’s Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities is the 30th consecutive year that Humanities Nebraska has brought an outstanding national speaker to Nebraska to give a free public talk on topics related to the humanities. Special partners for this year’s event are the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, Nebraska Public Media and Vision Maker Media.
Prior to the free public conversation, the 2025 Sower Award in the Humanities will be presented to Omaha resident Mary C. López, honoring her significant contribution to the public understanding of the humanities in Nebraska. A benefit dinner that proceeds this event is sold out.
For the most current details about Zahn McClarnon’s free public conversation with Bird Runningwater, please visit the HN website at www.HumanitiesNebraska.org.
Humanities Nebraska is a private nonprofit with a mission to help people explore what connects us and makes us human. HN is funded in part by an appropriation from the Nebraska Legislature, private donations, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, a public-private partnership with state dollars matching private dollars to benefit the arts and humanities in Nebraska.