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Men / Ininiwag

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Freedom Road

2019 15 min
Leaving soon

The men of Shoal Lake 40 tell the story of life in the community from their perspective, in the lead-up to their annual powwow. Lorne Redsky works the outdated pump house; there is no money to fix basic systems and bottled water is required for everyday use. As Lorne focuses his energy on the monumental task of getting clean water to the powwow, community member Kavin Redsky prepares his regalia for dancing, a deeply personal process connected to his healing journey. The two men embody the powerful gifts of community, traditional culture, and medicines, which have given the people of …

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Men / Ininiwag
  • Context
    Context
    Angelina McLeod  &  Paula Kelly 2019 15 min
    This story begins over a century ago, when the City of Winnipeg decides that the water surrounding the traditional Anishinaabe territory of what is now Shoal Lake 40 First Nation will be diverted and used as Winnipeg’s primary water source. The community, their ancient burial grounds, environment, and ways of life are forever disrupted, and access to opportunities and essential services are severed. Enforced residential schooling and a tainted water supply compound the devastating impact. Community leader and former combat engineer Daryl Redsky sheds light on how generations of complex planning, cultural preservation and mobilization have led us to the current moment—and to the construction of Freedom Road.
  • Men / Ininiwag
    Men / Ininiwag
    Angelina McLeod 2019 15 min
    The men of Shoal Lake 40 tell the story of life in the community from their perspective, in the lead-up to their annual powwow. Lorne Redsky works the outdated pump house; there is no money to fix basic systems and bottled water is required for everyday use. As Lorne focuses his energy on the monumental task of getting clean water to the powwow, community member Kavin Redsky prepares his regalia for dancing, a deeply personal process connected to his healing journey. The two men embody the powerful gifts of community, traditional culture, and medicines, which have given the people of Shoal Lake 40 the resilience to continue the fight for Freedom Road
  • Women / Ikwewag
    Women / Ikwewag
    Angelina McLeod 2019 12 min
    Shoal Lake 40 women talk about their struggles, and those of their parents and grandparents, in trying to raise their families in a hazardous state of enforced isolation. Everyone in the community has a harrowing story of a loved one falling through the ice while trying to get across the lake, with pregnant women and new mothers fearing for their babies and having no choice but to make the trek in dangerous conditions. The film shows the key role of the community’s women in demanding funding for the road from three levels of government, and how their reconnection to culture and ceremony give them the strength to keep going.
  • Youth / Oshkaadiziig
    Youth / Oshkaadiziig
    Angelina McLeod 2019 14 min
    Shoal Lake 40 youth share what it’s like to be forced to live away from their close-knit families and community to attend high school in Kenora, Ontario. The community’s school provides courses up to the Grade 8 level only, so there are no other options for young people who want to continue their education. Some of the young men are able to work on the construction of the road, a rare opportunity to have a good job in the community. The pride of the youth in doing this work is palpable, and they express the gratification that comes with providing safety for their Elders and opportunities for future generations. Despite the systemic and personal racism they’ve already experienced, Freedom Road gives the youth a sense of optimism and instills hope in them for the future of their community and their own ability to contribute.
  • Elders / Gitchi-aya'aag
    Elders / Gitchi-aya'aag
    Angelina McLeod 2019 12 min
    The Elders of Shoal Lake 40 prepare a feast as part of their annual Fall Harvest, where they share traditional knowledge and teachings with the people of the community. As they prepare bannock, fish and meat, they plaintively recount traumatic experiences from their childhoods, including being hidden from residential school and remembering those who lost or risked their lives trying to cross the ice. When the Elders talk about their responsibility in caring for community members and passing their knowledge on to the next generation, they illuminate the powerful source of the community’s continued endurance and strength.

Details

Freedom Road is a five-part documentary series that tells the inspiring story of Shoal Lake 40 Anishinaabe First Nation and their battle to build a road, after their community was forcibly relocated and cut off from the mainland over 100 years ago, so that water could be diverted to the city of Winnipeg. Director and Shoal Lake 40 member Angelina McLeod uses an innovative, community-driven approach to storytelling that highlights the community’s dignity, strength and perseverance, as they take back control of their narrative and their future in the process of building Freedom Road.

  • writer
    Angelina McLeod
  • director
    Angelina McLeod
  • featuring
    Daryl Redsky
    Lorne Redsky
    Kavin Redsky
    Tania Bruyere
    Roxanne Greene
    Ann Redsky
    Harley Gutknecht
    JT Bruyere
    Jonelle Bruyere
    Nancy Rice
    Wayne Redsky
    Angelina McLeod
  • producer
    Alicia Smith
  • executive producer
    David Christensen
  • picture editor
    Erika MacPherson
  • director of photography
    Tyler Funk
  • second unit operator
    Katy Slimmon
    Erika MacPherson
  • drone operator
    Jason Funk
  • director of drone footage
    Erika MacPherson
  • location sound recordist
    Charlene Moore
    Erika MacPherson
    Anita Lubosch
    George Addis
  • location sound mentor
    Anita Lubosch
  • sound design
    Anita Lubosch
  • post-production assistant
    Ryan Wilson
    Katy Slimmon
  • assistant editor
    Marcel Kreutzer
  • stills photography
    Katy Slimmon
  • slate design concept
    Sébastien Aubin
  • transcription
    Patricia Garry
  • colourist
    Tony Wytinck
  • sound mix
    Bruce Little
  • online editor
    Bruce Little
  • studio operations manager
    Darin Clausen
  • studio administrator
    Bree Beach
    Devon Supeene
  • production coordinator
    Faye Yoneda
    April Dunsmore
  • production supervisor
    Esther Viragh
  • marketing manager
    Leslie Stafford
  • legal counsel
    Peter Kallianiotis
  • executive director
    Michelle van Beusekom
  • community advisor
    Roxanne Greene
    Lorne Redsky
    Daryl Redsky
  • cultural awareness training
    Daryl Redsky
    Sara Beckman
    Cuyler Cotton
    Roxanne Greene
    Tania Bruyere
  • translation
    Daryl Redsky
    Aandeg Muldrew
  • pipe ceremony
    Jacinta McDougall
    Lorne Redsky
  • airboat driver
    Kenneth Jr. Redsky
  • boat driver
    Wayne Redsky
  • Rez Bomb Rental
    Judy Redsky
    Alfred Dale McLeod

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