“The Exiles,” a docu-drama following the lives of Native Americans in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles in the 1960s, will screen tonight in Meacham Auditorium in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

The film, written, directed and produced by Kent Mackenzie and shot in black and white, depicts the lively social scene of bar hopping and gambling that took place in the district. The docu-drama was created from narration of interviews with participants and their friends who left reservations to live in Los Angeles.

The Native American Journalists Association, Gamma Delta Phi and the Honors College will host the screening. NAJA is an organization that promotes Native American culture and tradition through journalism programs. The organization’s national base is located on the OU campus, and the screening marks the organization’s first major on-campus event.

“The organization itself has been around for 25 years,” said Jeffrey Palmer, education director of NAJA. “One of the reasons it moved here to the Norman campus is because in some ways Oklahoma is considered a Native American cultural center.”

There will also be a silent auction featuring framed photographs taken by Native American journalists from around the world. All proceeds will benefit the OU NAJA chapter.

“NAJA is so new to the campus, so it is a good way to get our name out there,” NAJA president Nicole Walls said.

Membership to NAJA is open to all students of any major.

“I became involved with NAJA after a friend of mine told me about it,” Tyler Knowles, public relations senior, said. “After a few meetings, I really started to learn more and more about NAJA and what they are all about, and I felt like I wanted to be a part of that.”

The student chapter meetings average approximately eight people, but the organization has 700 members nationwide.

“We want to include ourselves with other organizations on campus,” Palmer said. “Campus-wide is sort of the goal, so hopefully the screening will open the doors to people all over campus.”

Palmer said NAJA selected Mackenzie’s film is because it will attract a broad audience. The screening is free and open to the public.

“I would encourage students to come to the screening because it is a very informative documentary, and really teaches the audience about the struggles of Native American life, and how it has affected many,” Knowles said.