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Work (15)
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As I AmNadia Myre 2010 4 minThis short experimental documentary challenges stereotypes about Indigenous people in the workplace. Featuring portraits set to a powerful poem by Mohawk writer Janet Marie Rogers, the film urges viewers to go beyond their preconceived notions. As I Am is a celebration of Indigenous people's pride in their work and culture. -
Bella BellaBarbara Greene 1975 27 minThis documentary short is an introduction to the Bella Bella (Heiltsuk) of Campbell Island, 500 km North of Vancouver on the Pacific Coast. Since the coming of settlers, these fishing people have watched their ancient Heiltsuk culture and their independence all but disappear. Today, in an energetic attempt to become self-sufficient, they are regaining both - successfully combining economic development with cultural revival.
We hear the Heiltsuk language spoken in the film (Haíɫzaqvḷa). -
Doctor, Lawyer, Indian ChiefCarol Geddes 1986 28 minA tribute to Indigenous women everywhere, this short documentary focuses on 5 women from across Canada. Of varied ages and backgrounds, they have achieved success in a variety of careers: as the Yukon legislature's first Indigenous woman minister (Margaret Joe), as a deck hand on a fishing boat (Corinne Hunt), as a teacher (Sophie MacLeod), as a lawyer (Roberta Jamieson), and as a band council chief (Sophie May Pierre - St. Mary’s Indian Band of the Ktunaxa Nation off the Ktunaxa Nation). Each of these women talks about how she got to where she is today while emphasizing the importance of Indigenous culture - its values, art, and spiritual beliefs - in helping her to develop a sense of self and seeing through rough times, including residential school experiences.
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Youth / OshkaadiziigAngelina McLeod 2019 14 minShoal Lake 40 youth share what it’s like to be forced to live away from their close-knit families and community to attend high school in Kenora, Ontario. The community’s school provides courses up to the Grade 8 level only, so there are no other options for young people who want to continue their education. Some of the young men are able to work on the construction of the road, a rare opportunity to have a good job in the community. The pride of the youth in doing this work is palpable, and they express the gratification that comes with providing safety for their Elders and opportunities for future generations. Despite the systemic and personal racism they’ve already experienced, Freedom Road gives the youth a sense of optimism and instills hope in them for the future of their community and their own ability to contribute.
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High SteelDon Owen 1965 13 minThis short documentary offers a dizzying view of the Mohawk of Kahnawake who work in Manhattan erecting the steel frames of skyscrapers. Famed for their skill in working with steel, the Mohawks demonstrate their nimble abilities in the sky. As a counterbalance, the viewer is also allowed a peek at their quieter community life on the Kahnawake Reserve, in Quebec.
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KainaiRaoul Fox 1973 26 minThis short film brings us to the Kainai (Blood) First Nations Reserve, near Cardston, Alberta, as the Bloods try out a new way of life. With unemployment a key problem, many have pinned their hopes on a job at a pre-fab factory they built. It's a hopeful new endeavour and a completely Indigenous enterprise. What remains to be seen is whether the production line and work wages will fit into the cultural pattern of Indigenous life.
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The Longer TrailFergus McDonell 1956 30 minA story about a young Indigenous man from a reserve near Calgary and the problems he faces when he finds himself thrust into the world of the white man. Joe Lonecloud contracts tuberculosis and is taken to the Charles Camsell Indian Hospital in Edmonton. There he learns that he will never be able to return to the vigorous activity of the outdoors. In learning a trade and getting a job he encounters prejudice, which makes his adjustment all the more difficult.
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Little Caughnawaga: To Brooklyn and BackReaghan Tarbell 2008 56 min
Mohawk high steel workers have a special place in North American history. The iconic New York skyline - with its great monuments to modernity - is the fruit of their labour.
While the men were scraping the skies, the women had their feet firmly on the ground - sustaining a vibrant Mohawk community in the heart of Brooklyn.
Little Caughnawaga evokes the neighbourhood's heyday - from the 1920s through to the 60s - and salutes the spirited women who kept the culture alive.
The Brooklyn Mohawks were mostly from Kahnawake, a community long associated with the dangerous world of high steel. In 1907 the small town lost 33 men in the Quebec Bridge disaster, an event that still looms large in collective memory.
Moving back and forth between Brooklyn and Kahnawake, director Reaghan Tarbell crafts an affectionate portrait of Little Caughnawaga ad a heartfelt tribute to the cultural resilience of her people. -
Making Primitive Stone ToolsDouglas Leechman 1950 11 minA demonstration of the method of chipping stones employed by Indigenous peoples to fashion tools and knives. An authority on Indigenous crafts selects from the bank of a British Columbia river typical stones used to make arrowheads, axes, knives and skin scrapers, and proceeds to show how this was done. Illustrations show the careful manipulation required to achieve a blade of the desired sharpness and strength.
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Manouane River LumberjacksArthur Lamothe 1962 27 minThe forests of Québec supply much of the newsprint for North America's newspapers. From fall until spring, the woods echo with the whine of power saws and the shouts of men. It is a tough, cold, and lonely job--the temperature may register -50o but the work continues. A rugged film about a rugged life, it takes you to the very heart of a major Canadian industry.
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Our Dear SistersKathleen Shannon 1975 14 minAlanis Obomsawin, an Indigenous woman who earns her living by singing and making films, is the mother of an adopted child. She talks about her life, her people, and her responsibilities as a single parent. Her observations shake some of our cultural assumptions.
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Objects in Our LivesAlanis Obomsawin & Keith Packwood 1975 6 minClose-up photographs of baskets, tools and utensils used in the past and still used today by the Stl’atl’imx (Líl̓wat). Printed notes describe the use of each item
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Spudwrench - Kahnawake ManAlanis Obomsawin 1997 57 minThis documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin introduces us to Randy Horne, a high steel worker from the Mohawk community of Kahnawake, near Montreal. As a defender of his people's culture and traditions, he was known as "Spudwrench" during the 1990 Oka crisis. Offering a unique look behind the barricades at one man's impassioned defense of sacred territory, the film is both a portrait of Horne and the generations of daring Mohawk construction workers that have preceded him.
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Still Waiting for JusticeNadine Valcin 2006 15 minThis short documentary is about an Aboriginal corrections officer who says he is the victim of workplace racial harassment. He has spent the last 18 years fighting a government institution for justice. Made as part of the Work For All project 2006, an NFB and HRSDC-Labour initiative to combat racism in the workplace.
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UraniumMagnus Isacsson 1990 47 minThis documentary looks at the hazards of uranium mining in Canada. Toxic and radioactive waste pose environmental threats while the traditional economic and spiritual lives of the Indigenous people who occupy this land have been violated. Given our limited knowledge of the associated risks, this film questions the validity of continuing the mining operations.
