Director's Note
In between oil-rich Calgary where I live and the tourist town of Banff, there is an Indian reserve. The first time I visited it I was shocked by the broken down homes, the levels of addiction, and the lack of basic infrastructure. How is it possible that we have such levels of poverty in the middle of a land of wealth?
However, I had no aboriginal friends to ask about the situation. The few interactions I did have through media or on the streets were generally not positive. And like many Canadians, my grasp of the history was superficial. I decided I had to learn more. So I headed on a road trip across traditional Blackfoot territory with Cowboy Smithx as my guide and a film crew for documentation.
Elder in the Making is my personal way of exploring the forces of history large and small that has led us to where we are now. It is an invitation for you to connect with a rich and diverse aboriginal culture that has much to share about our home and about our relationship with the land.
The film is only a small start on a long road of reconciliation. Below you will find other ways to engage such as face-to-face workshops, educational material, and resources. Reconciliation is a multi-generational affair that requires an on-going repair and renewal of a relationship with the people that helped build our country. It is my hope that you can be a part of it.
– Chris Hsiung, Producer and Director
Get Educational License
Elder in the Making is a film that crosses many disciplines and curriculum. History, music, ecology, indigenous stories, and questions of identity and the meaning of becoming an elder are integrated together. Purchase an educational license where you will get the film divided into six episodes for easy presentation in the classroom. In addition, receive curriculum support material, bonus material and resources as they are developed.
Organize a Screening
This film gives audiences a starting point for discussing the troubled and hopeful relationship between First Nations, settlers and newcomers. Consider organizing a public screening. Contact us for details how to go about it.
Request a Workshop
We also offer half-day and full-day workshops where participants will have a chance learn more about the stories behind Elder in the Making and get into in-depth conversations on topics ranging from the numbered treaties to residential school. Contact us for more information.
We need your help!
Alberta Distance Learning has commissioned us to produce a series of short videos to teach high school students about Treaty 6, 7, and 8. We need to create contacts across all three Treaty areas, but since we are based in Treaty 7 we need external help to develop...
Aboriginal Awareness Week in Ottawa
Chris and Cowboy were honoured to be guest speakers for armchair discussion organized by The Canada School of Public Service. Under the theme Reconciliation through Art: the panel discussion will feature Chris Hsiung, Cowboy Smithx and André Lewis, Artistic Director,...
Working with students from Mount Royal University
So exciting! We've got a student team from MRU spending this spring and summer working on building educational resources for the film. Interviewing the director, focus sessions with educators, field trips to the nations... Do you have ideas? Are you interested in...
Get our Electronic Press Kit (high-resolution)
“The land is like our mother. It is the source of life.”
“The treaty we broke was the unwritten one based on trust and a commitment to help.”
“I started questioning my last name, Smith. What the heck was up with that? That’s not a Blackfoot name.”
Latest News
At the beginning of the trip…
A couple weeks ago I spent some time with a Blackfoot named Cowboy to explore Vancouver Island. Michelle Thrush, an aboriginal actor and mom as well as co-director of Making Treaty 7, was meeting with aboriginal parents who have managed to break the cycle of...
And so it begins… Elder in the Making
Thanks to a couple grants, we have the initial funding we need to start this documentary. Here is a sneak peek of what we have in store…
Making Treaty 7 Theatrical Workshop
Presented at the Canmore Opera House to a sold-out audience. This collection of theatrical performances shares some of the stories about Treaty 7.
The Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society
The story of this film begins with the groundwork laid by the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society. Bring together native and non-native actors, writers, performers, musicians, playwrights and most importantly Elders from the Treaty 7 territories…
A Treaty 7 Musical Collaboration
What happens when you bring together Kris Demeanor, his Crack Band, and the Eya-Hey Nakoda drumming group along with other musicians?
A Story Hidden from Me
Sometimes the most important hidden story is the one concealed right underneath your local history books. All my life I have lived on Treaty 7 land and know not a single fact about it. Now I know differently…
Behind the Scenes
A documentary film requires an enormous amount of collaboration. We will need camera operators, sound recordists, a sound designer, editors, a colourist, a writer, a graphic artist, performers, marketers, and many others. Elder in the Making also needs a community of people who care about the story, want to learn more about it, and will share the story with others. You can help us make this happen.