Alanis Obomsawin’s 50th film reveals how a Cree community in Manitoba has been enriched through the power of education.
Synopsis
Education is key to the future of any nation. Distinguished director Alanis Obomsawin visits a Cree community in Manitoba that’s putting this principle into practice in OUR PEOPLE WILL BE HEALED, her 50th film.
The community of Norway House lies 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg, on the shores of Playgreen Lake. The Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Centre in Norway House has some 1,300 students, from nursery through to Grade 12. Modern and well-equipped, it receives a level of funding few other Indigenous schools enjoy.
In this school, where half of the teachers are Indigenous and many are local, the driving force is a commitment to various strategies that will help students develop their abilities and a sense of pride in themselves. Students who have learning difficulties are included in regular classrooms without being ostracized. For students who just can’t get out of bed on time, there is an alternative school pick-up arrangement. Gradually, the number of students who graduate is increasing. “We’re trying to have something for everyone,” says the school’s principal, Agnes Mowat.
The Helen Betty Osborne school also serves as a resource centre for personal development. OUR PEOPLE WILL BE HEALED is set against the background of a canoe trip, on which we meet the various travellers: Gordon, the expedition leader, a consultant on Cree language and culture; Virgil, a former street-gang member; Armand, who is on his eighth expedition with Gordon and dreams of bringing his son along some day too; and Darcy, who is fleeing the oppressive atmosphere of his home.
