Sun Kissed

Harry C. Myers explains the significance of creating the Long Walk National Historic Trail and importance of remembering this episode in Navajo history.

Meet Dorey and Yolanda Nez who had two children with XP. People with XP are extremely sensitive to the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation. If undiagnosed and untreated, XP can lead to the early onset of skin cancer and blindness.

Geneticist Robert Erickson describes a theory behind the prevalence of XP on the Navajo reservation.

Dorey and Yolanda meet with a historian to learn more about the Long Walk. The Long Walk was the climax of a brutal war of near-extermination waged against the Navajo people, beginning in 1862 when Americans invaded the Southwest. More than 10,000 Navajos were forced to walk 500 miles—those who could not keep up were shot—and subsequently imprisoned in a camp called Bosque Redondo.

Filmmakers Maya Stark and Adi Lavy talk about their film 'Sun Kissed,' which follows a Navajo couple as they search for answers about the origins of a rare skin disease, XP, which affected both of their children. The filmmakers describe their reasons for making the film as well as the responsibility that comes with telling a personal and sensitive story in a documentary.

When a Navajo couple uncovers a hidden link between their children’s rare genetic disorder and the American government’s conquest of their tribe, their lives are changed forever.