The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Marie Clements, connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. Clements paints an electrifying picture of how a tiny movement, the Native Brotherhood and Native Sisterhood, became a powerful voice for social, political and legal advocacy, eventually effecting profound change at the national level. The Road Forward’s stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada’s finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connect past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. Superbly …
The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Marie Clements, connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. Clements paints an electrifying picture of how a tiny movement, the Native Brotherhood and Native Sisterhood, became a powerful voice for social, political and legal advocacy, eventually effecting profound change at the national level. The Road Forward’s stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada’s finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connect past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. Superbly produced story-songs bring history alive with heartbreaking ballads about the missing and murdered Indigenous women, and offer hope with inspirational anthems for moving forward. Interwoven throughout the documentary are deeply moving interviews with the musicians and singers speaking intimately about what it means politically and personally to be contemporary First Nations artists. The Road Forward is a rousing tribute to the fighters for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action.
Comment on the filmmaker’s decision to make The Road Forward a musical documentary. Discuss why the publication The Native Voice was considered so unusual and innovative for its time. Indigenous youth are often considered “at risk youth” when they are actually “culturally deprived youth.” Explain what strategies can effect changes in the education of Indigenous youth. Identify what the Constitution Express was and explain its significance in the history of Indigenous activism. What are the key concerns in Indigenous activism today?
The Road Forward (Spanish Dubbed), , provided by the National Film Board of Canada