Since its inception in 1976, Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre has been a place in which the urban Indigenous community could feel safe, learn and grow. Council Fire uses cultural teachings and creates space to restore Indigenous identity, especially for its youth. At the core of Council Fire’s history and teachings is the drum, which they refer to as “our mother.” In Full Circle, we get to know the members of the Toronto Council Fire Youth Program as they embark on new journeys. We meet a drum group that lays down tracks at a professional recording studio and a …
This documentary can inspire research, discussion, projects and entry points for further learning about First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in urban contexts. Why is it important to have safe gathering spaces for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in urban areas? What are root causes of such a high population of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples living in urban areas? What reason would there be for an Indigenous person to have had to hide their traditional dance, regalia, ceremony, drums and songs? What were the consequences for a First Nations person caught practising ceremony, dance or song in the past? When was the Indian Act amended in relation to the above? How is the drum connected to mothers and grandmothers?