" . . Our food was given to us by the Creator. We made sure that we thanked the Creator and as well the animal spirits for making themselves available."
Bernie Francis
“. . . I am amazed at how close our ancestors came to being drastically reduced. For them to have survived is testimony to their resilience.. . ."
Roger Lewis
" . . .food has been used as a weapon...."
Salina Kemp
" . . .We are in Canada. Nobody should be going without food . . . "
Pamela Glode - Desrochers
Wi'kupaltimk
Feast of Forgiveness
Salina Kemp and Kimm Kent
Wi'kupaltimk - Feast of Forgiveness
Many Canadians go hungry. Tragically Indigenous Canadians are twice as likely as other Canadians to experience hunger and want in their lifetimes. Wi’kupaltimk - Feast of Forgiveness, looks at the experiences of urban indigenous people residing in Kjipuktuk (Halifax). Salina Kemp, a Masters student, mother and Mi'kmaw from the Millbrook First Nation, takes us on a journey through all aspects of the "food security" issue - both historically and in the present.
Wi’kupaltimk is a spiritual path. In the words of Mi’kmaw linguist and Elder, Bernie Francis, “There is sacredness about this concept in the form of ‘forgiveness.’ Wi'kupaltimk can be extended in meaning as in 'feeding one another's spirit’ since it's the reciprocal form of the verb....It's difficult to capture in three words—‘Forgiveness Feast while extending kindness and compassion’ is another way of expressing it.”
The film celebrates of the resilience of the Mi’kmaw, and Indigenous people in general; the rich landscape and resources which were available to them prior to colonization, the medicines and wild food that are still available and the sacredness of the food that sustains human beings spiritually, culturally, and physically.
While addressing many of the current issues of poverty, isolation, and the food insecurity that many urban indigenous people face, the film is ultimately about how people can and do respectfully connect with the urban landscape as a source of food and medicine, how they grow their own, how all of this involves re-connecting with the knowledge of the Elders, the support of the community, and the cultural importance of “feast” which is at the heart of that community.
Producer - Trudy Sable
Gorsebrook Research Institute - Saint Mary's University
Pamela Glode-Desrochers
Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre
Directors - Salina Kemp and Kent Martin
Watch Trailer: https://vimeo.com/165764097
Watch Film: https://vimeo.com/162492841
OFFICIAL ENTRY at The Atlantic Film Festival 2016
DEVOUR Film Festival 2016
