Two young urban dwellers, an indigenous filmmaker/producer named Cowboy Smithx and a Chinese-Canadian director named Chris Hsiung, embarked on a spiritual journey across traditional Blackfoot territory.
The result is the film, Elder in the Making.
The documentary feature film, Elder in the Making, is being shown on screens across B.C. this month. The Stolo Cultural Experience Series is hosting a screening, Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at the Sto:lo Resources Management Centre on Vedder Road.
The director of the film is Chris Hsiung.
"Elder in the Making is my personal way of exploring the forces of history large and small that has led us to where we are now," he said.
He speaks to the viewer (and educators who may use the film) directly:
"It is an invitation for you to connect with a rich and diverse aboriginal culture that has much to share about our home and about our relationship with the land.
"Reconciliation is a multi-generational affair that requires an on-going repair and renewal of a relationship with the people that helped build our country.
"It is my hope that you can be a part of it."
It leans on ancient history, and the words of modern-day elders who the filmmakers consult for guidance.
Cowboy Smithx is an Indigenous filmmaker of Blackfoot ancestry from Southern Alberta. He was the youngest recipient of a Blackfoot Arts Award, recognized for his creative work in the performing arts. He directs music videos, like Dancin' on the Run for Inez Jasper, as well as producer and filmmaker who's working on a short doc called Cree Code Talker.
Together they find the "beginnings of the long road to reconciliation" between indigenous and non-indigenous people.
The filmmakers invite all residents of North America to explore "the tragic and hopeful history" of their home. The two unlikely travel companions gain insight as they travel together, and this film highlights the responsibility everyone has stewards of the land and of the generations yet to come.
Elder in the Making, March 9, Sto:lo Resource Management Centre, Vedder Road. Tickets minimum suggested $10 by donation. Funds from tickets and concession sales are going towards the XweChiyom Food and Medicine Wetland Garden.