In the modern format of movies and TV, storytelling has been given new life
Stories are powerful. And I am not just talking about that one story your friend tells that gets you in stitches every time — though I am a big fan of those stories too. Stories that contain entire family lines, stories of travels, struggles, and perseverance are the stories I have in mind.
Denial of one’s history as a people has been used as a weapon of cultural genocide throughout history. And what is history if not a collection of preserved stories?
We have seen how those who write down their stories are prioritized. We have seen spoken stories swept under the rug of the colonial house we call ‘Canada’.
In the modern format of movies and TV, storytelling has been given new life. This media is accessible to most and presents a unique feature–a glimpse into the lives of others.
On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I urge students to engage with the media created by Indigenous Peoples to encourage empathy and understanding, all of which contribute to a more equitable society.
Reservation Dogs (Available on Disney +)
Content Warning (CW): mention of suicide
Created by Taika Waititi, this comedy sitcom recounts to story of four Native American teens growing up on an Oklahoma reservation. The show was directed by Sterlin Harjo, Blackhorse Lowe, and others.
Many young actors such as Devery Jacobs and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai were widely acknowledged for their work on the show. Jacobs was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
Though this show takes place in Oklahoma, it highlights that the border between ‘Canada’ and ‘America’ is arbitrary and, in fact, Turtle Island is home to diverse peoples. Also, it’s hilarious and heartwarming.
Grizzlies (Available on Netflix)
CW: mention of suicide
The Grizzlies is a stunning film based on a true story about Russ Sheppard who goes to Kugluktuk, NU, to teach and finds the community faces astounding challenges as a result of colonialism such as the teen suicide epidemic.
Russ starts a lacrosse program and gradually gains his pupils’ trust. The teens discover a feeling of pride and purpose in themselves and their community when they work together.
Notable crew members include Inuk producers Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.
Beans (Available on Crave)
This 2020 movie directed by Tracey Deer (Mohawk) recounts the 1990 Mohawk Resistance at Kanehsatà:ke (also known as the Oka Crisis), a 78-day standoff between Indigenous land defenders, Quebec police, the RCMP, and the Canadian military over the intended construction of a golf course on top of a Mohawk burial ground.
These events drive twelve-year-old Tekehentahkhwa (nicknamed “Beans”) into an early coming of age, as her innocence evolves to rage over the persecution of her people.
Night Raiders (Available on Crave)
Night Raiders, directed by Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis), is a gripping dystopian-thriller based on a metaphor for the residential school system. It tells the narrative of Niska, a Cree mother who is desperate to save her daughter from a state-run forced re-education camp as she journeys through a war-torn Turtle Island.
Niska joins forces with a gang of underground resistance fighters attempting to rescue their children and defend their future.
Atticus Finch said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Movies can provide that opportunity.
