An Aboriginal Film Festival

I'm so excited to announce that in Thunder Bay, ON CANADA there will be an aboriginal film festival happening on June 19 and 20th of 2009 at the Paramount Theatre. There will be a total of 23 films shown that weekend, some first timers and some not. The program is not out yet, but soon! Coincidently, the Harbourfest is happening the same weekend in the same area and around the streets. The film festival is named "Biindigaate Film Festival" which translates to-->light shining in. I'm excited because my son's film will play there, as well as Georgina Lightning's film Older than America. She is going to be there as well, and I can't wait to meet her! The committee looks forward to there being many more film festivals to come in the years ahead, this starting it all off. I look forward to shooting my own film as well for next year's film festival. It's gonna be great!

First Nations in schools

Our schools in our community have been gracious to allow First Nations people and culture into their school, which is amazing. First Nation children are a growing number in the urban schools in our city and when we have organizers and community workers who bring culture into schools, it's fantastic. The programs starting happening around ten years ago, first with one school and now over seven or eight schools have regular gatherings every year. So I'm proud to see this happening as a First Nation person, surely something like this is well received by all who attend and it's beautiful. Children get to learn about Aboriginal culture and dance, the meaning behind the regalia and the purpose of each dance. I think more schools should have this included, especially if they include First Nation children in their school.