NATIVE SCENT
'Hidden Medicine,' by Red Thunder's Robby Romero, looks at untapped resources
for healing the body and spirit

Robby Romero's back. But, this time, as a filmmaker.
The leader of the Taos-based native rock band, Red Thunder, is revealing a different side as director of one of this year's entries in the Taos Talking Picture Festival. This is thanks, in part, to support by Roland Joffé, director of major films such as "The Killing Fields" and "The Mission," and Horst Rechelbacher, founder of health and beauty products manufacturer, Aveda.
Romero has directed and co-written "Hidden Medicine," a short film that was unavailable for preview but which is described in press materials as being about "the relationship between the environment and indigenous people, serving as a calling card to the fact that the earth's natural resources, or 'hidden medicines,' are not being studied or tapped for future use."
"Hidden Medicine" will be screened today (April 15), 6 pm, and Sunday (April 18), 11:30 am, both at the Storyteller Theater. It will be shown as part of a short film program, along with "Soop on Wheels," about a Canadian Blackfoot Indian political cartoonist, and "Storyteller," a film by Richard Dargan shot in Albuquerue.
Romero and Rechelbacher plan to appear with other festival filmmakers at a press breakfast planned Friday (April 16) at the Holiday Inn.
Produced by Joffé and co-written by Oren Lyons, "chief and faith keeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation," the film is said to underscore Rechelbacher's commitment to support all efforts to preserve the environment. "We wanted to educate the public that 95 percent of plant species in the world's virgin territories have not been studied for their medicinal and other therapeutic benefits," Rechelbacher said. "We are losing our biological library of nature, and this is a crime against future generations."
Aveda Pure-fume even released a new limited edition fragrance called "Hidden Medicine," in commemoration of the film during its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. "Pure-fume marks the first time a fragrance was developed specifically for a film and features plants and blossoms, including a distinctive sage note, from the Sacred Mountain of New Mexico," according to production spokesperson Chris Molinari.
Which of the state's sacred mountains the sage came from was not explained, although Molinari said she was under the impression it came from Taos.
The perfume is also currently unavailable. Molinari said it was so popular at Sundance that nothing was left over.
Featured in the role of "Dreamcatcher" is Romero's 11-year-old daughter, Dakota René, who has experience as a model and actress. Her mother is New York model Suzanne Mitchell.
This is not the first film directed by Romero. He has experience directing the half-hour VH1 cable television network special titled "Makoce Wakan," about the efforts to preserve American Indian sacred sites, and "It's Too Late," a short film that debuted by satellite from the Kremlin following then-Premier Gorachev's environmental message at the 1990 Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders in Moscow. Both showcdased the music of Red Thunder.
Today, Romero is Red Thunder. Former band members include Benito Concha and Carpio Bernal from Taos Pueblo, as well as numerous other members who have played with the group over the years. These include Ozzy Osborne's drummer, Randy Castillo; guitarist Steve Salas; and Aztec-Mayan flautist Mazatl Galindo of Mexico. Romero spent part of his youth in Taos at the home of Dennis Hopper, while also traveling to Hollywood to see his mother, actress-writer Rita Rogers. In his teens, he came into contact with many celebrities, including Sam Peckinpah, Rick Danko, Paul Butterfield and Bob Dylan, who each had a hand in helping to form Romero's musical evolution. He has also been part of many native rights causes.