Reflection

Reflection

Last August, the Fairy Creek blockade was established to protect a vulnerable watershed (on Pacheedaht territory). The Teal Jones Group, an unsustainable mill company, was in the process of cutting this last vestige of old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island when an alliance of eco-activists set out to save this precious forest from destruction. I saw a post about how the forest was being affected--not only the fragile ecosystem that resides there, but the culture of local Indigenous peoples. At the time, their ranks were low, so I decided it was necessary to put myself on the front lines, understanding that I could get arrested. With no other option, (considering it was this forest’s last chance), I spent the last two weeks of summer at ‘base camp.’ There, I was educated by Pacheedaht elder Bill Jones on the effects the logging industry has had on their water source, causing floods in their communities and polluting drinking water. Here in Canada, we live in one of the most water-rich countries in the world, and the fact that so many of our citizens (mainly Indigenous peoples) don’t have access to it is an atrocity. Having come back from the blockade and seeing the 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest, I felt the urgent need to create art about this ongoing issue. This film was animated in the same way that I write poetry, offering me many ways to play and experiment with the visuals while producing reflective and emotional art. Through the months of working on the handmade puppet and set, I’ve developed a relationship with each area of their surface, which allowed me to animate a more truthful and connected story. Obstructing nature's water sources and Indigenous values by exogenous meanshas been ever so harmful to an ancient and sacred way of life. Water is the life-giver of Earth; its delicate yet powerful system creates perfection... a value beyond money. Canada keeps offering empty promises, even as they neglect the health/environmental impacts of their actions on Indigenous peoples. In the newspaper, one reads about how the government of Canada is doing their best for Indigenous water issues--how dare they claim such care; I remember in my hometown, we had dirty water for a week, and the local officials didn’t hesitate to pay large sums to get it clean again, while down the street, on the Semiahmoo reservation, the natives had no source of clean water for over 10 years. I am disappointed in Canada. I hope this film can spread awareness. In the meantime, I’ll do everything in my power to follow Native leaders in the fight for the planet’s lifeblood, water.