Screening of “My Name is Wolastoq”

On the last Friday of April 2024, Brock, and St. Catharines community members gathered to watch the documentary film entitled “My Name is Wolastoq” at the Film House. The screening was accompanied by the voices and drums of the “Strong Water Singers” and a panel discussion featuring Brian Kon, Sabrina Shawana, and Ryanne Logan, moderated by Hannah Marlen Lübker. The aim of this event was to highlight incredibly important topics; namely the reclamation of Indigenous identity, the revitalization of Indigenous cultures and languages, and our connection to nature around us, especially to water.

The film takes place in the Wolastoq river basin in New Brunswick (Canada), on the traditional, unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq, and Peskotomuhkati peoples, and is directed by Nate Gaffney, a Wolastoqiyik First Nations filmmaker and photographer. It features Riley Gaffney, a young man on a journey to connect to his Indigenous identity, as well as local chiefs and elders, some of whom serve as executive producers of the movie. The soundtrack includes music by Wolastoqew composer Jeremy Dutcher, and the beautiful cinematography is by Desmond Simon, who is Mi’kmaq. This is a story about Indigenous peoples, told by Indigenous people, who are deeply connected to the Land on which the film takes place, and who are fighting to restore their rivers original name, Wolastoq. 

Restoring Indigenous names of places is one of many aspects of working towards decolonization. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples have called for greater recognition of traditional Indigenous place names, since restoring these names is part of the truth-telling process, which paves the way for reconciliation. The film describes colonial injustices, their effects on Indigenous communities today, and what people in the Wolastoq river basin are doing right now to dismantle them. The aim of the event was to create a space for awareness and contemplation, and think about what can be done locally, in the Niagara Region, to support shifts towards decolonization, and build relationships based on solidarity, respect, empathy, and collaboration.  In order to bridge events and challenges shown in the film with local experiences, we welcomed our three amazing panelists, who are currently living and working in the Niagara Region and who kindly agreed to share some of their knowledge and ideas with us.

After the “Strong Water Singers” shared two powerful songs with the audience, one of their co-founders, Sabrina Shawana, opened the panel discussion by describing what makes her feel especially connected to her Indigenous identity, and how she overcame barriers to this connection. Sabrina, who is from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, an Eagle Clan woman of the Anishinaabe, told stories from her personal life using her Ribbon skirt – a traditional garment – as a visual representation, as each stripe embodies a special memory of hers. Further, she stated the importance of the “Strong Water Singers” as a collective of women, who are focused on empowering and supporting each other, sharing good times and hard times, and building sisterhood rooted in Indigenous teachings. Responding to a question from the audience on how she deals with intergenerational trauma, she names connecting to her identity through participating in traditional practices, and the loving support and a sense of belonging she finds in her community as critical for her healing. 

Ryanne Logan, who is a graduate student at Brock University and a Lenape woman from the Delaware Nation near Chatham-Kent, shared some fascinating insights from a language revitalization project she has worked on recently. The project, which uses virtual reality technology to further the revitalization of the Cayuga language, delivered transformative learning experiences, and Ryanne stressed the importance of learning Indigenous languages to connect to one’s roots and identity more deeply. She further spoke about how her current work is not only of relevance to her, but also to her ancestors and future children, describing an intergenerational responsibility to uphold and celebrate Indigenous culture and traditions. 

Brian Kon, who is of Metis descent, a citizen of the Metis Nation of Ontario, and an advocate in the Indigenous community, explained his current work of restoring Indigenous place names in the Niagara Region. He is both an employee of the Regional Municipality of Niagara as the Indigenous relations advisor, and an artist creating dot art, which is a modern version of the traditional beadwork of the Metis people. Brian spoke candidly about both successes and challenges of his work. After an audience member brought up the topic of restoring the original name of the Niagara Region, he explained that multiple Indigenous communities, speaking multiple Indigenous languages, have their traditional homelands in this region, which complicates the process of reclaiming a singular original name of this region and its landmarks. Yet, Brian is currently assisting the Niagara Region in developing a strategy for Indigenous naming policies in the region and is consulting with members of the local Indigenous community, who represent the various nations. 

The film screening, taken together with the songs of the “Strong Water Singers” and the insights shared by the panelists, centered the importance of connection – to one’s identity, to each other, and to the Land on which we gather – as an integral part of Indigenous (and human) experience. We are grateful to everyone who participated in this event.