House Made of Dawn
(1972, 90 min.) US
Director: Richardson Morse
Screenplay adaptation: N. Scott Momaday and Richardson Morse
Actors: Larry Littlebird (Laguna and Santo Domingo), Jay Varela, Judith Doty, Mesa Bird and Philip Kenneally

This film adaptation of N. Scott Momaday's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a story of loss and redemption. A young man, played by actor/poet Larry Littlebird, must cope with his life in two distinct but conflicting worlds of the 1970's—the reservation in the Southwest and the gritty urban environment. Richardson Morse's quiet, insightful film ultimately celebrates the natural and the enduring.

With support from the American Film Institute, the National Museum of the American Indian created this new 35mm print of House Made of Dawn, as part of its efforts to preserve films that embody important moments in the history of the Native American image on film so they may continue to inspire and educate audiences for years to come.

Image credit: House Made of Dawn - photograph by Peter Morse © 1970; Mesa and Larry Littlebird - photograph by Peter Morse © 1970