Kirtland Dynasty filmmakers in the final stages of production on an ambitious project
From left to right: Tammy Benally, Cherl Lee, Natasha Curtis, Sharona Lee, Raquel Woody, Christy Garrison, Tasha Begay, Karyn Karlin and Shelby Lee are joined by filmmaker Lynette Lewis (seated center) in Kirtland Central High School’s Karlin Gym during production of “Kirtland Dynasty,” an upcoming documentary about Kirtland Central’s girls basketball program. (Photo courtesy)
KIRTLAND – The story behind one of the most successful high school sports programs in America is being told to a national, if not international, audience with the help of an enterprising filmmaker and San Juan County native.
Lynette Lewis, a Piedra Vista High School graduate who currently lives and works in Phoenix, is in the final stages of filming a documentary called “Kirtland Dynasty,” which is expected to be released sometime next year.
The documentary features interviews and historical archival footage of the Kirtland Central girls basketball team, which has won 21 state championships since 1980. Lewis, who played basketball at Piedra Vista and has close ties to the community, received the support of coaches and school administrators from across San Juan County and the entire Navajo Nation.
Film crews gain courtside access to a Kirltand Central girls basketball game during filming of “Kirtland Dynasty,” an upcoming documentary about the state’s 21-time basketball championship team. (Courtesy photo)
“I grew up knowing the impact basketball has on the community and I looked up to a lot of those players that came before me and now as an adult, it inspired me to tell the story of this special school that created this legacy,” said Lewis, 36. “I talked to several players from the 1980 state championship team and from there it just trickled down so other players and coaches came and got involved.”
In addition to producing and directing the documentary, Lewis currently serves as Director of Basketball Operations and Program Development for the Native American Basketball Invitational, one of the most prestigious basketball tournaments for high school students in the country.
Lewis was born in Shiprock, later moved to Farmington, and currently works in Phoenix with former professional basketball players and coaches in hopes of growing the sport for future generations. Her work with NABI, which dates back to 2011, allows her to provide tournament management, consulting and basketball training services to Indigenous communities.
Lewis is a Navajo and 2006 graduate of Piedra Vista High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and has spent much of her professional career advocating for Native youth on and off the basketball court. Lewis has led camps throughout Arizona and other parts of the country.
“We are passionate about giving back to the community through basketball training camps and helping to organize tournaments,” Lewis said.
Lewis and her team of filmmakers shot footage from games in the 2022-23 season as well as last season, when Kirtland Central advanced to the Class 4A state finals for the third consecutive year, which culminated in the Broncos’ victory over St. Pius at The Pit in Albuquerque last March.
From left to right: Rainy Crisp, Ryneldi Becenti, Lynette Lewis and Jaimey Reboca pose for photos at Navajo Prep’s Eagles Nest during production of “Kirtland Dynasty,” an upcoming documentary about Kirtland Central’s girls basketball program. (Photo courtesy)
This win gave the Broncos their 21st state title, putting them fourth in the nation for most state titles by a girls high school basketball team. USA Today The Broncos were recently honored by the newspaper with the “National Girls Team of the Year” award at the recent High School Sports Awards.
Lewis hopes the documentary will not only help tell the story of the team and its success, but also increase interest in basketball and the importance of the sport within the Navajo Nation.
“Female representation in the sport isn’t talked about enough,” Lewis said. “It’s hard to get the attention because even with as much talent as there is on the reservation, there’s no one there to see it, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to do this.”
The “Kirtland Dynasty” film crew meets with Kirtland Central basketball coaches Isaiah Valdez and Devon Manning during production of the new documentary. (Courtesy photo)
In addition to interviewing Kirtland Central players and coaches, Lewis also explores other top basketball talents on the Navajo Nation, including current Navajo Prep athletic director and girls basketball coach Rainy Crisp. Navajo Prep won its most recent Class 3A state championship earlier this year.
“Indigenous female athletes mean a lot to me and I wanted to do something for my community and show people how much talent is out here,” Lewis said. “(Crisp) is someone a lot of us look up to and I wanted her to be featured in the documentary as a player and coach who is a state champion.”
The documentary focuses on former Kirtland Central greats such as Nadia Begay-Watson, who played for the Broncos in the early 2000s before playing college basketball at Boise State University. Begay-Watson is currently Kirtland Central’s volleyball coach. Also featured in the documentary is Jaimey Tanner, who played two seasons at Montana State University after her prep career with the Broncos.
Kirtland Dynasty is in the final stages of production, including editing, before pitching the project to national or international distributors such as Netflix or Hulu. The editing and distribution process requires nearly $50,000 in funding to allow the film to be released by next summer.
“It’s really important to me to tell this story and I hope that with the trailer we can explore it even more,” Lewis said. “I think if we can continue to spread the message and get the film out to the right people, we can get it out sometime next summer.”
For more information on the Kirtland Dynasty, email Lewis at [email protected].
