Indian Time

$345.00

"Draws a personal and current portrait of indigenous nations." – La Fabrique Culturelle [CA]

International Ethnographic Film Festival of Quebec *Public Award*
Montreal First Peoples Festival

This kaleidoscopic portrait of the eleven Aboriginal nations of Quebec shows the joys and frustrations of indigenous people, young and old, as they balance the difficulties of living within modern Canada while still respecting their many Native traditions.

“Indian Time” is an expression that is often used pejoratively to excuse tardiness for Native Americans. Like many similar expressions which came from a misunderstanding of Native culture (i.e. “Indian giver”), “Indian Time” actually exists as a different interpretation of how time functions. It can be articulated in various ways, such as “things happen when they happen,” or as a Native elder once put it, “the time it takes to do things in a good way.” Indian Time, the film, is a reflection of this latter sentiment, capturing events, interviews, and performances not in a chronological fashion, but rather associatively, allowing the various experiences of over forty Amerindians from the province of Quebec to reflect off each other and create a larger, more complete picture of a people not always accurately portrayed.

Whether they are Innu or Inuit, Mi’kmaq or Cree, the voices from all of the eleven aboriginal groups in the film have something to share. Stories are told of the past, when European friars separated children from parents and forced these orphans to speak French rather than their own language. Others talk about the ideas that distinguish Native culture from European, like how the Native medicine wheel connects the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual or how white people look to “dominate” while Natives look to “survive.” Images pass of traditional activities: trapping beaver, crafting clothing from fur, picking berries, sharpening stones, and performing Native songs. There are the frustrations of those who complain of the lack of infrastructure and fun activities on the reservations, or of the young man who isn’t regarded as Native enough due to his lighter skin. There are also the quiet joys of women enjoying their seasonal return to traditional land or playing a fishing game inside a mitten. All these pieces coalesce to bring these disparate people together in a beautiful portrait of Canadian Amerindians in the 21st century. While the future can appear rosy or grim depending on the speaker, Indian Time allows everyone involved to tell their stories in their own words, taking its time to do things in a very good way.

87 Minutes | French, English, Atikamekw, Innu, Inuktitut and Eeyou (Cree) with English subtitles.

Directed by Carl Morasse

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