Indigenous Liberation Week Opening Film Screening: “Return to the Falls” + Stolen Generations Discussion Panel

“Return to the Falls” is a feature‐length docudrama that tells the life story of Elder Betty Ross (Cree). As a girl from Pimicikamak Cree Nation, she held the sacred teachings of her father like a torch to survive the Indian residential school system. In this film, you will experience Betty’s journey. Cinematic reenactments bring to life unimaginable hardships and euphoric moments of freedom, interwoven with present day footage of Betty as she returns to the falls of her childhood for the first time in more than 70 years.

Program:
17:00-18:00 - "Non-Binary": Indigenous Gender Identities Art Exhibition Open with Project Team Q&A
18:00-18:30 - Opening Introductions from the Indigenous Liberation Movement
18:30-19:30 - Film Screening: “Return to the Falls”
19:30-20:30 - Panel Discussion with Survivors of the Stolen Generations
20:30-21:00 - Closing Remarks from the Indigenous Liberation Movement
21:00-22:00 - Drinks & Discussions + “Non-Binary” Art Exhibit w/Q&A

Following the film, we will have a panel discussion with the daughter of Elder Betty Ross, Viene Vaux (Cree) and Chautuileo Tranamil (Mapuche), who are both Indigenous survivors of the Stolen Generations. The discussion will be moderated by Skylar Joseph (Lakota) and she invites the speakers to share their experiences as survivors, their resilience, and their dreams for the future generations.

Speakers:

Viene Vaux Bilodeau (they/them) is a Cree, two-spirit, 60’s Scoop Survivor from Treaty 5, Pimicikamak Cree Nation. Viene was illegally adopted by white Canadian parents as a baby and was raised without knowing their Cree heritage. Elder Betty Ross is the mother of Viene and together they have had to overcome, and are healing from, generations of forced assimilation & family separation practices.

Chautuileo Tranamil is Mapuche Pewenche from Wallmapu, Chile. She is a political scientist,  youth mentor and a protector of mother Earth. She grew up partly in the Netherlands, as Chautuileo was one of the stolen generations from the Mapuche people. Her mother was enrolled in a residential school in Chile. Even though they got separated forcefully, they have established their reconnection. Both of them advocate for Indigenous rights and Indigenous motherhood.


"Non-Binary", an Indigenous gender identities art exhibition by Masharu Studios will be on display with artists/researchers and subjects of the project available in the Cinema Cafe, before and after the main screening event. Youth Interns from Masharu Studios will be presenting the project on behalf of Dr. masharu (they/them), and alongside Viene, who is featured in the project.