The Cinematheque

Matriarchs have been at the forefront of the fight for Indigenous water, land, culture, and people. That struggle is highlighted within this National Indigenous History Month program. The poetic hybrid documentary Our Grandmother the Inlet follows Kayah George (Tulalip and Tsleil-Waututh Nations) and her grandmother Ta7a, the daughter of Chief Dan George, with a focus on their ancestral lineage. Set in the shadow of industry dominance, the film explores the mental health challenges Indigenous youth face, the power of reconnection, and the Tsleil-Waututh teaching of water being the oldest grandmother and birthplace of creation. The documentary Keepers of the Fire, directed by Christine Welsh (Métis), follows the lives of Indigenous women storytellers, dreamers, healers, and fighters across Canada. These are the matriarchs at the frontlines of resistance to cultural assimilation, protecting and defending their lands, cultures, and peoples who have been here since time immemorial.

Our Grandmother the Inlet
Canada 2023
Kayah George, Jaime Leigh Gianopoulos
9 min. DCP

Keepers of the Fire
Canada 1994
Christine Welsh
54 min. DCP

Post-screening discussion with Kayah George and Jaime Leigh Gianopoulos, directors of Our Grandmother the Inlet.