From Peterborough International Film Festival, Januaray 24, 2009

CLUB NATIVE was one of many excellent films shown at "ReFRAME, the Peterborough International Film Festival" last Saturday. Filmmaker Tracy Deer tells the story of her people at the Kahnawake Reserve where the "very firm but unspoken rules" of the community not to marry a white person, and not to have a child with a white person profoundly affect the lives of Tracy, her family and friends. The stories of the young women is shown with honesty and sensitivity, helping us to understand some of the difficult decisions facing Aboriginal young people.

I was also reminded of about 30 years ago, when I attended one of the "Living History" conferences presented by Dean Jacobs, then director of NIN.DA.WAAB.JIG Heritage Centre at Walpole Island, now Bkejwanong First Nation. At one workshop led by an Elder whose family name was Thomas, I believe, but I'm not sure of his first name (he was then in his nineties, and very highly respected among his people, I know). The Elder spoke of how parents and grandparents should be sure their children and grandchildren marry "Indians" (the word used then). An Aboriginal grandmother responded tearfully. "I love my grandchildren," she said. "I wouldn't want to have to give them up." I'm sure the Elder heard the same pain in her voice and words that I heard, but he was quietly but firmly adamant - we (the Aboriginal people) should make sure that our children marry within our race, because, even then, I'm sure he could see what was happening, and how his people, the Anishnabe Council of the Three Fires, were in danger of disappearing eventually, and he didn't want that to happen.

I could understand, with pain in my heart for both the Elder and the grandmother, where each of them was coming from, and I could understand the good reasons for inter-marriage not to happen, but I also thought of how we cannot always legislate affairs of the heart. Young people of different races do meet and fall in love, and that love between two people can indeed be strong enough to raise children who can be a great blessing - to families, to the community, and to the nations of the world.

One of the young women in Tracy Deer's film is Waneek Horn-Miller, daughter of Kahentinetha Horn, current reporter (former editor) of Mohawk Nation News whose writings strongly support the sovereigny of the Mohawk Nation (as do I, but not at the expense of throwing out all the other governments in Canada - I would seek equality, and as long as that's denied the Mohawk Nation, we do face a justice issue, I agree).

The film points up most poignantly Waneek's dilemma as she falls in love with a white man, who also loves her. At one point, Waneek says that before she is Mohawk, "I am a human being" - and I think that is the crux of what we all, ultimately, have to come to terms with. What does it mean to see ourselves as human beings, before we identify ourselves according to our nation, our heritage, our skin colour, race, faith position? It is perhaps only as each of us recognizes that in our shared humanity, we are all equal, that we can find the kind of sharing in which each of us helps the other to become the best person I am/you are meant to be.

CLUB NATIVE speaks of the definition of what it means to be a Native person. It is a superb film, and could help many of us to reach a better understanding of what it means to be "different".

I was able to speak with Tracy after the showing and said I noticed there was no mention of residential schools. She rolled her eyes (politely and beautifully!) and said that adds a whole other layer of complexity to the story, so she left that out of this film, but is working on another which will explore that dimension of Aboriginal life.

I am eagerly looking forward to that film, for there is an even greater need for Canadians to hear that story, for that is the point at which we - the non-Indigenous people of this part of Turtle Island - must understand the part we played in trying to shape the "definition of a Native person". This is the story we must hear and comprehend if there is ever to be a new, healthy, harmonious relationship between the Original Peoples, and those of us who have been coming to join them over the past 500 or so years.

Jean Koning.