In Commemoration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Each time we start a film screening, we open with an acknowledgement that the space we occupy are the traditional and ancestral lands of many Indigenous peoples. With today marking Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it is even more important that we reiterate this acknowledgement:
The Calgary Justice Film Festival respectfully acknowledges that what we call Alberta is the traditional and ancestral territory of many peoples, presently subject to Treaties 6, 7, and 8. Namely, they are the Blackfoot Confederacy – Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika – the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney Nakoda, and the Tsuu T’ina Nation and the Métis People of Alberta. This includes the Métis Settlements and the Six Regions of the Métis Nation of Alberta within the historical Northwest Metis Homeland.
We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. And we make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on.
September 30th will be an emotional day for many as we commemorate the survivors of Residential Schools and honour the children who never returned to their homes. But we also hope that it becomes an educational day for all. We encourage everyone to take the time to reflect on Canada’s dark past, how it has affected our present, and how it will shape our future.
As a film festival, we believe that the best learnings can be gained through film. To contribute to today’s conversation, we have listed below truth and reconciliation related films previously screened by the Festival that can be accessed online for free:
The Road Forward
The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Marie Clements, connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. The Road Forward’s stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada’s finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connect past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. A rousing tribute to the fighters for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action. (MLJFF 2017)
Stream the film: NFB (free)
Lana Gets Her Talk
An observation of Cree artist Lana Whiskeyjack as she works to complete a mixed-media sculpture of a tortured face, the face of her uncle. Lana calls the piece “Lost My Talk”. This brief study of an artist and her work helps us come to some understanding of the trauma experienced by Canada’s Indigenous people in the Indian Residential School system, of its enduring effects on the children of survivors of the IRS, and of one woman’s journey to recover what was lost: dignity, identity, and voice. A story of resilience, Lana’s journey speaks of the power of Indigenous “ways of being” in our time. (MLJFF 2018)
Stream the film: Vimeo (free)
We also invite everyone to an online screening of Monkey Beach, presented by the Calgary Public Library and the University of Calgary Office of Indigenous Engagement.
Monkey Beach (Sept. 30, 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM)
Monkey Beach is a feature film adapting the novel by Eden Robinson, a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations in B.C. The novel draws the reader deep into a traditional world, a hidden universe of premonition, pain and power during a time when tragedy strikes a West Coast Indigenous community. This story explores the healing journey steeped in intergenerational trauma as the main character discovers deep connections with her ancestral world and spiritual beliefs.
Register for the film: University of Calgary (free)