Onkwehónwe Filmmakers Hit the Big Screen Once Again!

Movie theatre #7 at the Galaxy Cinemas in Cornwall was packed with Akwesasró:non attending the 7th Annual Galaxy Student Film Festival. Students from Salmon River, A.M.B.E. Skwahwatsí:ra Program, and the Akwesasne Freedom School as well as community members were there to support this special event. This film festival was the brainchild of Margaret Kaweienonni Peters, which I have gladly assisted with for the past seven years. It is a collaborative effort between A.M.B.E., Salmon River Title VII Program, and most recently the Akwesasne Freedom School as well as other communities. It is an exciting venue for our students to showcase their films and to promote the Mohawk Language.

A.M.B.E. shared video from their Mohawk Language Event held this past spring. This including plays & Mohawk Music renditions from the Skahwatsí:ra program, K.O.R. Kahnawa:ke. M.C.A. / A.E.D.A, Kanhtè:ke – Tyendinaga, and S.U.N.Y. Potsdam Kanien’kéha 103. They also shared footage of their dynamic Mohawk Language classrooms.

The Akwesasne Freedom School and SRC Native Film Class showcased films created for the N.M.A.I. project “Reporting from Indian Country.” These films were all focused on the environmental issues. These short films were well done, and it was very cool to see some of them created in the Mohawk Language. The community members of Akwesasne are so generous with their time to help students and share their knowledge for these film projects. Some of the people we interviewed included: Jerry Jackson, Ernest David, Eddy Gray, Darryl Thompson, Sue Ellen Herne, Dave Arquette, Helen Phillips, Gus Pyke, Janine Rourke & Tony David. Nía:wen to all of these fine people, and I hope I didn’t forget anyone.

Vivian Smoke’s Mohawk 4 class also created films this year on fishing. They interviewed Bill Sunday in Mohawk, and asked him questions about fishing. This project was an initiative of the S.R.M.T environment division, and was overseen by Julie Jacobs and Mary Lafrance.

A few months back we had Dallas Goldtooth and Bobby Wilson of the 1491’s film group here in Akwesasne. They worked with the Akwesasne Freedom School and the SRC Native Film Class for a few days on a video entitled “Strength of Women.” It includes short interviews about the strength of the women in our community. It features the Akwesasne Women Singers singing the ‘Women’s Power Song’ throughout. The finished video brought tears to many eyes, as its message was from the heart. As we brainstormed ideas for this project, something Dallas said really hit home. He said “Haudenosaunee women are known everywhere for their strength, and if domestic violence can happen here, it can happen anywhere.”

This year’s final project for the S.R.C. Native Film Class was to finish a movie that was already in the works, the story of “Akwesasne the Little Boy”, that was written by the late and great Salli Benedict. This story was recorded by N.A.I.T.C. a few years back, commissioned by the SRMT Health Services. I was asked to work on the editing of this footage and to bring this story to life. This year’s film class, Mikayla Francis-Thomas, Teiohsontathe Herne, Taronhiorens Lazore & Teesha Sellers filmed and edited all of the sequences with the little boy that are in the film. I then went in and added more visuals and did the final editing of the video including sound editing. Our local talent, who may not have acting experience but sure deliver amazing performances, always amazes me! This year’s actors: Mikayla Francis, Emerald Rain Jock, Jon Chodat, Tesha Sellers, Takatsitsionke Cook, Kanonkwatsrakohe Fox, Kasennison Swamp, Ienekaroroks Swamp and the little boy who was the star, Kahentiieni Thompson. We would like to thank Pascal Peron, at the Tsiionhiakwatha Droulers Archaeological site and Ellen Mainville, from Malone N.Y., for letting us film at both locations. The project was a collaborative effort, and it was a great reward to have this story come to life on the big screen for our community to see. The finished product is a tribute to Salli Benedict, who was a true Renaissance woman, an artist, an activist, a historian, a storyteller and a person who truly loved our community.

It is a crazy time of the year, getting ready for the film festival. I have had students pull all nighters, editing to have their movies ready to show. Nía:wen to our many talented and hard working students who created films, and to the teachers who helped guide them. A big nía:wen to Margaret for helping to make this event a reality, and we look forward to many more to come.

We had very positive responses to the films and to this event. One community member, Emily Tarbell, emailed me and asked if we would be giving copies of these movies to the Akwesasne Library so people would have access to them. What a great idea! I have contacted them and they are thrilled to add our films to their collection. So for anyone who missed the event, these movies will be available to sign out very soon at the Akwesasne Library.