National Indigenous Peoples’ Day Mini-Film Festival

June 18, 19, and 20
1pm – 3:30 pm
SUO Theatre UNC106
Cost: Free!

From June 18 to June 20, we will highlight several short films each day that provide unique insights and expand our understanding of Indigenous Peoples in what we now call Canada. From films about language and worldview, to drumming, basketball, and hockey, you can pick and choose from a variety of fantastic short films. See the schedule below for more information. Attendees are welcome to come and go as they please.

Popcorn, beverages, and snacks will be provided!

Tuesday, June 18 | 1-3:30 pm

1. Telling Our Story Series: Territory | CBC Gem (44min)
“Let us tell you the story of the land—the beating heart of our identities, our beliefs and our traditions.” (CBC Gem, 2024).

2. Telling Our Story Series: Identity | CBC Gem(44min)
“Let us show you the beauty of our languages and the ingenuity of our people that has been passed on for thousands of years through our oral tradition.” (CBC Gem, 2024).

Wednesday, June 19 | 1-3:30 pm

1. Telling Our Stories Series: Spirituality | CBC Gem (44min)
“Eleven First Peoples, one circular worldview, connected to all that is alive. Despite attempts by the government and the Church to ban our rituals and ceremonies, our spiritualities live on.” (CBC Gem, 2024)

2. Heartbeat of a Nation by Eric Janvier | National Film Board of Canada (24min)
“In Heartbeat of a Nation, a short documentary by Eric Janvier that celebrates Dene cultural reclamation and revitalization, a father passes on traditional knowledge to his child through the teachings of a caribou drum.” (National Film Board, 2024)

3. First Stories – His Guidance (Okiskinotahewewin) by Duane Linklater | National Film Board of Canada (6min)
“This short film tells the story of Rocky Morin, a drummer who first felt the pull of the drum almost 15 years ago and hasn’t looked back since. It’s a powerful reminder of the need to maintain a strong connection to one’s roots. First Stories is an emerging filmmaker program for Indigenous youth which produced 3 separate collections of short films from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Produced in association with CBC, APTN, SCN, SaskFilm and MANITOBA FILM & SOUND.” (National Film Board of Canada, 2024).

4. Spirit of a Nation: The Places We Belong | CBC Gem (10min)
Journey with the Fort McKay people to lands held sacred, as they walk the balance between the modern world, while honouring the teachings of their ancestors.

Thursday, June 20 | 1-3:30 pm

Basketball Warriors by Charles Menzies (24min)
“Basketball is a big thing in most coastal aboriginal villages in British Columbia and Alaska. Every community has at least one gym where you can hear the sounds of the ball bouncing, kids shouting and screaming, and the swish of the ball through the hoop. This film tells the story of basketball players from Gitxaala Nation, the importance of the game, it’s history on the north coast, and tales of big games past and present at the BC All Native Basketball Tournament held each year for more than 50 years in Prince Rupert, BC.” (Vimeo, 2024)

They Call Me Chief: Warriors on Ice by Don Marks (45min)
“They Call Me Chief tells the fascinating stories of Native athletes who overcame tremendous obstacles to star in the National Hockey League. From Fred Sasakamoose (Chief Running Deer on Skates), who emerged from the abuse of Canada’s residential school system to become the first Indian to play in the NHL, to Reggie Leach (The Riverton Rifle), whose battle with the bottle kept him out of the Hockey Hall of Fame, They Call Me Chief chronicles the journeys of North America’s most famous ‘warriors on ice’ as they battle racism, culture shock, isolation and other roadblocks to success.” (J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing, 2024)

Fast Horse in Loving Memory of Thomas Many Guns | CBC Gem (13min)
“Take an intimate verité visit to a fascinating and little-known world: the dangerous and high-stakes game of Indian Relay. In Blackfoot country, they call the Indian Relay ‘North America’s original extreme sport.’ Jockeys bareback gallop their horses around a track, jumping off one and on to another in a chaotic melee of horses and handlers at ‘the exchange.’ Accidents happen. Simply finishing a race demands masterful skill and courage.” (CBC Gem, 2024).

For further information please contact Naim Cardinal, UBC Okanagan Educational Facilitator, via email at naim.cardinal@ubc.ca