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.
Continue reading “At F1RST, The Spirit Who Swims Sheds Light On A Local Problem”