Indigenous History Month
In June, IATSE Local 849 continues our mission for truth, justice, and reconciliation during National Indigenous History Month. Keep reading for ways to learn, reflect, amplify, & celebrate the First Nations, Inuit, & Métis peoples of Turtle Island (Canada).
Where We Are
IATSE Local 849 is a guest in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Our head office is located in Sipekni’katik (Wild Potato Area), one of the seven districts of Mi’kma’ki. To learn more about all 7 districts, visit www.native-land.ca.
What to Learn this Month
Filmmaking is all about storytelling. And language helps us do that. It allows us to connect and communicate with those around us. Check out the L’nui’suti app and learn the names of seasons, emotions, simple phrases and more in Mi’kmaq!
Did You Know?
In 1968, the National Film Board (NFB) launched the Indian Film Crew (IFC), to have Indigenous stories told by Indigenous people. This group would go on to make countless films and documentaries which would influence how Indigenous stories are told for decades. Listen to The Secret Life of Canada’s episode for more.
Mi’kmaw filmmaker and folk singer Willie Dunn’s The Ballad of Crowfoot (1968) was the first film made by the National Film Board’s IFC. It is also considered Canada's first music video. Dunn made 10 films with the NFB (three as director, five as music composer, and two as cast/participant). Want more? Check out the NFB’s Transmission of Indigenous Knowledge channel. This curated collection includes traditions, practices, and wisdom passed down for generations.
How to Take Action
In 2023, The Shine Network Institute partnered with the National Screen Institute to create P.A.C.T (Pledge, Activate, Cultivate, Thrive): an online cultural awareness, cultural humility and competency certificate course designed for non-Indigenous industry colleagues and stakeholders working in the Canadian screen sector.
This comprehensive course includes a personal pledge of 10 concrete actions to follow when working, as well as a media production guide to working with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, cultures, concepts, and stories. If you are working in or plan to work in the Canadian Screen Industry, the PACT Course is a must. And did we mention it is FREE to enroll?
We invite everyone to take the PACT course and make the pledge to all 10 points outlined in the course. Let's commit to creating safe, informed, and equitable spaces in our industry! Share PACT with friends and coworkers. Send us a copy of your certificate and signed pledge to add to your member profile.
What to Watch this Month
Below are our picks to watch in June and beyond. We will continue to amplify and celebrate our Indigenous brothers, sisters, and kin in the screen industry this month, this year, and always. The productions below are by Indigenous creators telling Indigenous stories and we know you will love them as much as we do.
Wildhood is a film written and directed by Bretten Hannam, a Two-Spirit L’nu filmmaker living in Kespukwitk, L’nuekati (Nova Scotia), about his life, heritage, and orientation. In Wildhood two brothers embark on a journey to find their birth mother after their abusive father had lied for years about her whereabouts; along the way, they reconnect with their Indigenous heritage and make a new friend. The film was shot in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) and crewed by several IATSE 849 members. You can watch the full film on CBC Gem.
Bretten Hannam’s latest work, Skite'kmujuekat'ik (Place of Ghosts), blends time and memory, fantasy and horror. The film centres on two estranged Mi’kmaq siblings who must venture into a primeval forest to confront the terrifying trauma carried by themselves, their ancestors, and the land itself. Hannam and the awesome folks of Shut Up & Colour will team up for this feature. Shooting begins in August, and we are already counting down the days until the premiere.
Women of This Land is a series created by Peep Media and Indigenous writer, director, and producer Stephanie Jolie. The show focuses on Indigenous women in Atlantic Canada and their connection to the land and their culture. The series features Jennie Williams, Shalan Joudry, Chief Darlene Bernard, and Dr. Imelda Perley. The strength and grace of these women connect each episode and will hold you for hours after viewing. You can watch all four episodes for free on CBC Gem.
Mi'kmaw filmmaker Jeff Barnaby's Blood Quantum is not your typical zombie movie. The film happens in 1981 during a zombie outbreak on a fictional Quebéc reserve. The twist? The people on the reserve are immune and now have to decide whether to allow outsiders into their community. Barnaby draws inspiration from the past and present examples of Indigenous people surviving apocalyptic events. Watch the full movie tonight on Shudder.