Our People Will Be Healed

Our People Will Be Healed, released in 2017, is an ambitious and insightful documentary that takes an intensive look at the indigenous experience in Canada. Directed by the Canadian First Nations filmmaker, Alanis Obomsawin, it is a beautiful and striking film that weaves together a powerful narrative of resilience, hard-won triumphs, and hope for the future from the indigenous communities of the great Northern Plains.

The film is set primarily in the Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. Instead of focusing on despair and sadness, Obomsawin steers us through a purposeful journey that rallies around cultural enrichment, community engagement, and significant transformations in education, healthcare, and social initiatives in these indigenous communities.

Obomsawin uses the Norway House Cree Nation as a subject to display a portrait of a community that has faced oppression and hardship but has strived hard to turn things around and steer a course of self-sustainability and autonomy. The documentary underscores the community's untiring efforts to nurture its youth, build infrastructure, forge progress in education and healthcare while embracing and preserving traditional cultural practices and values.

The filmmaker's lens capacious and patient capturing the everyday lives, the educational system, the medical services and the multi-generational cultural practices that make up the rich tapestry of Norway House. The movie is patient in its storytelling, unrolling at an unhurried pace as Obomsawin puts forward authentic voices of the children, elders, educators and healthcare workers who narrate their uplifting stories of resilience and social transformation.

Despite the painful history, the viewers do not see victims in the film. Instead, they are introduced to determined leaders, passionate educators, and hopeful children who are all striving to reclaim their rights, institutions, culture and identity from the vestiges of colonialism, and in doing so, sculpting a better future for the next generations. The community's focus on educational improvement is central to the film's narrative. The education system in Norway House is depicted as an encouraging space, where educators are not just teaching academics but are fostering pride, cultivating traditional knowledge, strengthening the Cree language skills among students and instilling in them a sense of identity and pride in their rich ancestry.

Our People Will Be Healed also paints a vivid picture of the community’s significant healthcare advancements. The medical facilities are shown as sites of empowerment, completing a journey from colonial control to indigenous self-determination, providing critical services to uplift the community's health and well-being.

One of the most compelling facets of the film is its celebration of Cree culture, traditions, and ceremonies. We witness cultural events, from children learning to make traditional drums and elders sharing indigenous stories to witnessing the divine moments of traditional dance and rhythmic beats pulsate with the vibrant spirit of the community.

Obomsawin's documentary comes forth as an optimistic, heartening watch that negates mainstream media's often grim portrayal of indigenous communities. As the 50th documentary in Obomsawin’s prolific career, Our People Will Be Healed signifies a hopeful turn in her filmography. While her past films dealt with the painful realities of the injustices faced by the indigenous people, her recent movie becomes a testament to their resilience, highlighting how indigenous communities are taking control of their stories, realities, and futures.

Featuring stunning, expansive cinematography that echoes the vastness of the Manitoba landscape, this documentary affirms its critical standpoint through its rendering of the resilience and their reclaiming of language, culture, and control over their institutions among Norway House Cree Nation.

Our People Will Be Healed is a powerful and inspiring documentary that beautifully depicts the strength and resilience of Norway House Cree Nation. It provides an important platform for indigenous Canadians to tell their stories and reclaim their vibrant culture. It is a testament to the power of community, the strength of cultural heritage, and the unyielding spirit of indigenous people. Despite dealing with challenging themes, it is ultimately an uplifting watch, resonating with hope and inspiring change, making it a must-watch for anyone keen to better understand and appreciate Canada's rich indigenous history and ongoing journey towards self-determination and healing.