Waking the Mammoth

‘Waking the Mammoth’ documents and honors the mammoths and ancient peoples that roamed North America tens of thousands of years ago. When we filmed the 2012 winter solstice burning of a wooden mammoth built in Bluff, Utah by local artist Joe Pachak and other community members, Cloudy Ridge Productions knew that documenting the event was historically important. ‘Waking the Mammoth’ takes that winter solstice burning ritual many steps further, weaving it into the intricate fabric of significant archaeological discoveries in the region and the evolving debate surrounding a local rock art depiction of a mammoth that could date back 13,000 years.

New light is just beginning to be shed on the deep past of North American as scientists and researchers discover clues that reveal older and older occupations on this continent. Cloudy Ridge productions has brought together some of the foremost archaeologists, earth scientists, artists, and authors, (including award winning author Craig Childs), to share their knowledge and thoughts on this exciting field of research. Woven within the story, the subjects’ responses are augmented with stunning time-lapse photography and aerial footage of the beautiful Four Corners area of the United States.