older than america
| November 21, 2008 | Posted by caroline under arts and literature, ethics, in the news, on identity, Uncategorized |
I have been in Winnipeg for the past few days, and finally had the chance to watch a movie from the Aboriginal Film Festival that opened here on the 19th of this month. With the booming native population in Canada, and Manitoba in particular, I thought this would be the ideal environment in which to catch a film pertaining to this huge, complex community.
I saw “Older Than America, “ a film based on true events surrounding the controversial residential school system for which North American governments and churches were once notorious. Set in a reserve town in Minnesota, the community is a mix of natives and settler Americans. The storyline surrounds the dreams and nightmares of the main character, Rain, who is witnessing her mother’s painful residential school experiences. She is also seeing spirits, whom she mistakes for ghosts at first. Having lived through a residential school upbringing and later being placed in a mental asylum, the mother cannot offer any answers to Rain. She comes head to head with her Aunt Apple for her involvement in committing her mother, and the lingering presence of Apple’s priest-friend in the shadows. The film offers uninhibited finger-pointing at the Catholic Church for its involvement in covering up residential school abuse and crimes. Rain must face and conquer the secrets of her mother’s past. She must seek out the meaning to her dreams and encounters, and eventually faces the same doom as her mother. “Older Than America” promises stirring, dark images of abuse and overt racism. At the same time, it is not overdramatic and unrealistic. The film embraces the subtle nuances of native culture and spirituality, from impromptu community social circles in someone’s front yard, to forgiveness circles and sweat lodges.
This is a really important film for Canadians and Americans to watch. The fact that history books were teaching me indigenous peoples are savages, at least ten years ago, is reason enough. Canada and the US, in addition, have only grudgingly adhered to Indigenous Rights (in the most basic form) as evidenced by a “No” vote during proceedings for the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Human Rights last year. There is little notice or attention given to the indigenous experience. The term ‘residential schools’ is not clear to many North Americans today. We are very well-educated on major genocides everwhere else, of course, but I think it’s just as important that we become educated on a situation and community that is so close to home. It could spur a lot of necessary discource on why native people make up such a large number of homeless people on our streets. The fact that suicide is in abundance on reserves, with one quote stating tonight that Amnesty International believes the Native American suicide rate to be 6 times the national average, should be looked at more critically. I hear people scoff at native drug abuse, poverty, and laziness, without much understanding of the native struggles and oppression. When one Indian immigrant to Canada tried to remind me of this, I asked, how would you feel if your daughter was taken away from you to learn a different language and religion, and abhor all things you taught her?
This sort of experience is actually shared with those who have faced physical and emotional abuse, as well as identity loss and transgenerational trauma that has carried on among indigenous communities today. During her Q & A following the film, lead actor and director Georgina Lightening referred to it as 500 years of genocide that has left a lasting effect. “Older than America” is an ideal introduction to the compleixities of the indigenous struggle, as well as the actual culture, though each differs according to community and tribe.
