This coming Tuesday, September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.
Through the weekend and on the day itself, cinemas are recognizing this day with screenings and events. We encourage you to check your local cinema.
For this blog post, we are using The Treaty Map from the Yellowhead Institute to identify the treaties that apply to each of the mentioned screening venues. The Yellowhead Treaty Map is an accessible introduction to Indigenous perspectives on treaties in Canada, from 1763 to the present. Visit The Treaty Map to learn about Indigenous perspectives on treaty-lands across Canada, including the context, negotiation process and terms of treaties.
Here at NICE, we very much hope to support the creation of year-round Indigenous-led cinemas. Please reach out anytime if this is a project that you are interested in.
Here are some highlights from NICE members:
The Revue Cinema is on land covered by Treaty 13, or the “Toronto Purchase,” which is an agreement between the Crown and the Mississauga Anishinaabeg (Michi Saagig).
The Revue is hosting a Cold Journey 50th Anniversary screening, Presented by Stompbox, the NFB and Canadian International Pictures.
This screening features an in-person Q&A with Lawrence Dunn – son of Cold Journey composer and Mi’kmaq music icon Willie Dunn – and Kevin Howes (Voluntary In Nature), curator/writer behind the Grammy-nominated compilations Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology and Native North America, Vol 1.
With bonus archival 16mm screening of The Ballad of Crowfoot, the celebrated 1968 short by Willie Dunn, the first Indigenous-directed film released by the National Film Board of Canada.
Plus, the Revue is hosting a free/PWYC screening of Night Raiders. They will be taking donations at the door and online, directed to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. Partial proceeds from their concessions for the day will also be donated to the same organization.
The Paramount Theatre, operated by the Kamloops Film Society, is situated within the unceded ancestral lands of the Secwépemc Nation.
In collaboration with Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc, the Kamloops Film Society is hosting their annual Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival on the weekend leading up to National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
The Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival, in collaboration with Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc, features the very best in Indigenous filmmaking and highlights Indigenous artists through value added engagement events over three full days of entertainment in the lead up to National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Festival highlights include:
- 7 feature films and 2 short film showcases
- Filmmaker panels and conversations
- Pop-up museum exhibit & Indigenous Artisan Market
- Opening Night Red Carpet screening: Sweet Summer Pow Wow with special guests director Darrell Dennis and actor Tyler Peters
- Closing Night Concert: JUNO Award-winner George Leach
The Westdale is located on land covered by Treaty 3, or the so-called Between the Lakes Purchase, which is an agreement between the Crown and the Mississauga Anishinaabeg (Michi Saagig).
The Westdale is holding two free/PWYC screenings of WaaPaKe (Tomorrow). For generations, the suffering of residential school Survivors has radiated outward, impacting Indigenous families and communities.
In her efforts to help the children of Survivors, including herself and her family, Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin makes the difficult decision to step in front of the camera and participate in the circle of truth.
The Star Cinema is located on territory covered by the Douglas Treaties, sometimes called the Vancouver Island Treaties, which are a series of agreements between the Crown and the WSÁNEĆ, Lekwagen, and Kwakwaka’wakw.
The Star Cinema is bringing in a selection of Indigenous films for the week of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The films include:
Saints and Warriors: Set against the backdrop of the 2024 All Native Basketball Tournament. This documentary captures a story of resilience, brotherhood, and the unbreakable spirit of Haida Gwaii.
Walking in Two Worlds: The documentary tells the story of the W̱SÁNEĆ community’s commitment to supporting their children in learning the SENĆOŦEN language and W̱SÁNEĆ knowledge systems through an education rooted in their values. Select screenings include Q&A with Emily Olsen, the film’s director.
We Are Metis: A documentary that addresses the invisibility of the Metis by shining a new light on the historical and contemporary experience of Métis people in Canada.
Sweet Summer Pow Wow: The winner of the Vancouver International Film Festival Audience Award, Sweet Summer Pow Wow is a charming, affirming romance set amongst a beautiful, and moving backdrop. Select screening include Q&A with Leslie Bland, the film’s producer.
Sugarcane: Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation of the residential school nearby Sugarcane Reserve, this documentary illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma.
Also located on territory covered by the Douglas Treaties, university cinema Cinecenta is hosting a special pre-release screening of Saints and Warriors.
Leaders of iconic Indigenous basketball team, the Skidegate Saints as they compete for two titles – defending their championship title at the 2024 All Native Basketball Tournament, and the political title battle for their lands and waters.
Hinton Movies is located on land covered by Treaty 6, or The Treaty of Fort Carlton and Pitt, which is an agreement between the Crown and the Cree, Anishinaabeg, and Nakoda.
Hinton Movies is hosting a free screening of Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man, also including snacks sponsored by the Hinton Friendship Center.
“Growing up in Siksika, masculinity was all around me but was unclear. Now, using my lens, I seek to find clarity.” Grounded on the land that has provided for his ancestors since time immemorial, filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway, addresses the past by looking forward with generations of Blackfoot men who are rebuilding culture and community in their work and recreation.