Playing at FIRST: A Celebration of Indigenous Film
The next time I go fishing, I’m paying respect to the river for allowing me to catch my bounty. That’s because the well-meaning documentary, The Spirit Who Swims, shows how the times have changed. From net catching to being more than a sport, there’s a lot more to just going out to reconnect with nature. This movie directed by Bev Sellars and Garry Tutte examines the clash between local Indigenous communities who subsisted on fishing for continued growth versus the west. To be specific, the Secwépemc, Stó:lō and Tsilhqot’in are identified.
When Europeans came to North America and formed their governments, they wanted to gatekeep. While these colonials were not dependent on the land to find their sustenance, others were. While four particular indigenous communities depended on the bounties the Fraser River offered, the other settlers saw something else and changed the way the waters flow.
Some anecdotes are biting, and I believe it’s needed to show how bad those times were. Or in this case, still are. It’s needed to highlight just how bad these folks are. While they know how to treat the land and honour the spirit, the people from Europe do not. Attitudes are important, and while the past is just that, the precedent they set forward can still affect the future.
By flashing forwarding to now, what’s revealed is in how poisoned the river has become. Even I had to cringe. People say fewer salmon attempt to return to their birthing habitats, and this number has been steadily declining. The film doesn’t assign blame, but showing the polluted river suggests this once pristine world is now damaged.
Strangely, this work doesn’t say too much about who is attempting to course correct. Instead, it’s a reflection on just where this world now exists. As its focus is on how these riverside communities are continuing to survive, I have to wonder how others can attempt to mend fences. While what’s presented is a record of the challenges facing First Nation communities along the Fraser River, I hope that Mother Nature won’t rebel too much. Mount Meager and Nazko Cone have the potential to awaken; as volcanoes, nobody wins should they decide to erupt!
3 Stars out of 5
The Spirit Who Swims Movie Trailer
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