STORY TO ACTION is a six month program that includes training and mentorship to support five Canadian documentary filmmaking teams to create strategies, build partnerships and organize screenings designed to educate and expand audience understanding of the social and environmental issues featured in their films.
produced by
ELLE-MÁIJÁ: OKI NIITAANIKOO APINISKIM. I wanted to say thank you to everyone coming together today. I am Elle-Máijá Apiniskim Tailfeathers, the director of Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy. I am a member of the Kainai First Nation, a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy, and I am also Sámi from Norway.
ROBYN: OKI NIITAANIKOO IKYI ISTIPAAPOOTAAKI NIMOTOHKTOO APOTOHTSI PIIKANI. My name is Robyn Weasel Bear, I’m the Impact Producer for this campaign. I am a member of the Piikani Nation, a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Thank you everyone for joining us today.
ELLE-MÁIJÁ: In 2020, fentanyl claimed more than 2,000 lives in British Columbia and Alberta, the provinces hardest hit by the drug-poisoning crisis. A disproportionate number of those lives lost to drug poisoning were Indigenous. Each and every one of them had a story and legitimate reasons for developing addictions. They were human beings with hopes, dreams and aspirations, and they had people who loved them. But most importantly, their deaths were preventable.
For decades, Indigenous communities have accepted that abstinence-based treatment models, such as 12-step programs, are the golden standard for treating addiction. However, the drug-poisoning crisis has revealed that abstinence isn’t a realistic, or even a humane, expectation for those addicted to substances like fentanyl.
As the death toll continues to rise, many Indigenous communities have been forced to question our longstanding relationship with the abstinence-based model. Despite the fact that evidence-based studies prove that harm reduction saves lives, many communities were not and still are not willing to adopt harm-reduction practices.
Seven years ago, my community of Kainai found itself on the frontlines of this crisis. Our community leaders and addictions specialists turned to the conventional abstinence-based treatment models and very quickly learned that the abstinence model was not effective in saving lives. Every week, we lost loved ones and grief permeated every aspect of our lives. Somewhat reluctantly, those on the frontlines began to implement radical alternatives rooted in harm reduction and witnessed a dramatic shift within the community.
Kimmapiiyipitssini is a Blackfoot teaching that reminds us that practising empathy and compassion is how we survive as a people. It is how our ancestors survived genocide and it is how we, as a community, will survive this crisis. Kimmapiiyipitssini is our harm reduction.
I am immensely proud of Kainai and everyone who is contributing to this monumental effort to save lives.
Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy is a tribute to my community, lovingly crafted with great care and respect for who we are and who we have always been.
We would like to share our trailer now.
ROBYN: As a Piikani Nation member, having spent the first 30 years of my life on the reserve, I was deeply affected by the current overdose crisis presented in the film. The crisis has had an impact on my family and continues to have a devastating impact on too many of our families.
Kímmapiiyipitssini has the potential for profound impact on the addictions crisis we are experiencing in Treaty 7 territory, and in other Indigenous and racialized spaces across Canada.
ELLE-MÁIJÁ: This crisis is not just specific to Kainai. We are witnessing the profound grief of this crisis impact communities across the country. The work documented in this film speaks to the urgency and necessity of Indigenous-led healing models.
The truth is that the lives of Indigenous people with a dependency on drugs and alcohol do not matter to most Canadians, especially those in power. For example funding for on reserve initiatives is much lower than other publicly funded and addiction support services off reserve. And the United Conservative Party of Alberta recently closed the supervised consumption site in Lethbridge.
That needs to change. Indigenous people with a dependency on drugs and alcohol deserve dignity and empathy. They deserve access to the care and support needed to be well in whatever form that may look like for them. We believe that with your help, we can make this necessary change.
We want this film to be utilized as a tool to educate and work toward normalizing harm reduction as a practice in empathy. We also want to centre the voices of Indigenous people who live with or have lived with substance use disorder.
In order for this film to have the impact that we want it to have on people's lives, we healthcare workers to see this film, because if one of them is willing to take on harm reduction practices in an abstinence-based community, lives will be saved. But in order for them to do that, they need the support of community leaders because we’ve seen that harm reduction practices won’t be adopted if the community is fighting back. That’s why we need politicians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous community leaders, Indigenous ceremonial leaders and elders to see this film.
ROBYN: To do this we are asking for support with organizing, facilitating, and funding screenings along with panel discussions, which we plan will include health care organizations, and policy makers and especially indigenous people with lived experience.
We want to bring screenings to places which will reach healthcare workers, frontline workers, and educators, and find those champions who will further the conversation around harm reduction.
We want political leaders, community leaders, Indigenous ceremonial leaders, and elders to see the film, to not only understand the struggles and lived experiences of their most vulnerable community members, but to also become supporters and advocates for harm reduction programs in their communities,
We are also asking experts in the field to share their educational resources, existing connections, and action items to enhance screening events.
Ultimately, we want harm reduction implemented long term for communities made vulnerable across Canada.
Kímmapiiyipitssini will remain a very timely film into the foreseeable future. This points to the urgency of increased access to harm reduction and treatment facilities. Only when we work together can we heal.
We would also like to thank our coal producers at the national film board for valuing this film and providing their support.
Harm reduction approaches are not radical, but are radically needed in our communities.
DR. TAILFEATHERS: The value of this film has a huge impact on other Indigenous audiences. The hardest thing that we had to do in our work with this crisis is to educate our people on the importance of harm reduction. And this film achieves that and people understand why indigenous people are self-medicating and why we are so hurt by this opioid crisis.
So this film really people to understand the history of how we got here. The education is so very important for everybody, and I love that I don't have to do a whole lot of explaining on harm reduction because this film does that.
The best thing about this is it's teaching people how to save lives. Because we need to save lives to get into recovery. It helps the community members to understand what harm reduction really means. And it's showing government the importance of saving lives through harm reduction, through proof of concept.
So I think that this film is very powerful in terms of helping people to understand and to mobilize themselves in their own communities.
WHO ATTENDED?
Abby Morning Bull - The University of Lethbridge
Pledges to do as many screenings as she possibly can in the Lethbridge area. Would like to use the film at the University of Lethbridge as part of the bachelors of addictions counselling and as part of the educations program, would also be interested in having the team come to speak if able.
Am Johal - SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement
Will hold a free screening during the Heart of The City Festival, will also reach out to his colleague Steve Dooley in Surrey to support the film as well.
Amanda Scout - City of Lethbridge
Will encourage the community to see the film and will look into the possibility of hosting a screening. Is also a member of the reconciliation committee, will look to them for an endorsement or possibly a partnership in hosting an event.
Austin Pantherbone - Documentary Organization of Canada
Will go back to their team to see the extent of their ability to contribute, but will promise to promote the film on social media at least.
Carole Chan - Social Justice Committee of LSoNB
Will bring the film to the CPD group as a form of education. Will also bring it to other municipalities including Moncton.
Becca Beattie - Camponi Housing
Will bring the film to the community that makes use of Camponi Housing, and is a member of the Board of Directors from Prairie Harm Reduction, so she will bring the film to the board to try to organize a screening.
Capri Rasmussen - Aventa Centre of Excellence for Women with Addictions
Would like to host a screening with her staff as a training.
Cherie Shot Both Sides - Aapai'tsi'taapii'saam Indigenous Recovery Coaching Program
Has already held a screening, would like to continue using the film to support their work in the community and raise awareness on these issues and these supports.
Corrina Chase - First Nations Health Authority
Would love to share the film as part of their Courageous Conversations webinar- decolonizing harm reduction through structured restorative dialogues, and BCCSU social media page.
david paperny
Will connect the team with Dr. Mark Joffe VP of Alberta Health Services to get him a copy of the film for him to view and for him to share with medical professionals. Pledged $500 towards the impact campaign.
Dimples Stump - Peigan Prevention Counseling Services (PPCS)
Will be screening the film to elders in late November.
Don Schafer - The Conversation Lab
Will provide a 30 to 60 minute interview at The Conversation Lab, a weekly radio program and podcast that supports the work of not for profit organizations, community groups and change makers about the work they do. The audio is shared with dozens of podcasting platforms and all audio and video can be repurposed for promotion and marketing.
Donald MacPherson - Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
Would like to share the film on social media and with their program's coalition members. Would also be interested in meeting with the team for organization and campaign advice, and would like to reach out to other people in this field of activism on the teams behalf. Pledged $500 towards the impact campaign.
Dori Dempster - Get Your Drugs Tested
Interested in a screening in the Downtown East Side and would like to put up posters in their location and would like to promote on social media.
Elsbeth Mehrer - Mayor of Calgary, Jyoti Gondek's office
Will follow-up with a friend and artist who may have means to amplify.
Emily Bailey - YouthCO
Would like to host a screening and would hope to offer honorarium to have people come speak.
Esther Chetner
$600 towards impact campaign costs.
Ginetta Salvalaggio - Inner City Health and Wellness Program
Would like to get the film to the Royal Alexandra hospital as a learning tool and for use as a tool with other medical groups and associations she supports.
Jada-Gabrielle Pape - Drawing Wisdom
Would like to work with the team to find a way that she can use the film as an educational tool in her work and would like to do an interview about the film on her podcast. Donated the $250 they were sent by their band for Christmas to the impact campaign.
Jaqs Aquines - Citizen Artists YYC
Will host a screening and Elle-Maija and Dr. Tailfethers for a panel discussion with honorarium.
Jeremy Jones - Indian Residential School Survivors Society
Will bring the film to his organization to see how they can use the film and centre LQBTQ+ Indigenous and two-spirit voices in their discussions.
Jessica Hannon
Will do whatever she can to offer her time in supporting the film and spreading it and it's message. Pledged $100 towards the impact campaign.
Jolene Wesley- Kermode Friendship Society
Will pull in support and share with the staff and board at their organization, will also share with other organizations, including the BC Association of Friendship centres. Pledged $200 towards the impact campaign.
Kat Dodds - Hello Cool World
Offered free use of their Hello Cool World tools and platform and would like to discuss how their technology can best help the impact campaign with the team and the NFB.
Katie Mai - BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Will promote this to their medical community, starting with correctional health care staff, in order to improve the way they practice harm reduction during incarceration and after release. Will bring the film to the facilitated dialogues with healthcare staff they are hosting in the spring, which will be led by Indigenous folks aiming to identify and disrupt stigma. Will also share this with the Knowledge Translation and Exchange staff to explore how they can apply some KTE models to share this with healthcare professionals.
Kendrie Upton - DGC-BC
Will push out news about the film and screenings on social media.
Krista Butler - Megaphone
Pledged to share in the magazine, social media, and offered facilitation of a screening by one of their peer facilitators with lived experience of substance use who lead storytelling workshops aimed to increase compassion and build effective responses to the overdose crisis.
Kyla Prakash - Métis Nation of Alberta
Will promote the film at the Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA) Opioid Awareness and Naloxone Training workshops, on the MNA's Website, Youtube & social media pages. The MNA is in the beginning stages of planning an opioid symposium, and would like to explore screening the film there. Currently the MNA also has an opioid awareness course online on our website that can be used as a resource. Offered their contact info to anyone interested in presenting or being part of the opioid symposium.
Lara-Rose Duong - Cannabis for Harm Reduction
Will share about the film and events on social media and will speak with the founder of her org about having a screening and about having the filmmakers come to speak.
Leslie McBain - Moms Stop The Harm & BC Centre On Substance Use
Will bring the film to their AGM in May and promote the film and screenings on social media. Will leverage her connections with medical and government committees and organizations.
Mandy DeCecco-Kolebaba - Collaborative Strategies
Has already hosted a screening. Pledges to continue supporting the film wherever they can, would be interested in doing another screening, will continue working with indigenous recovery coaches.
Mary Barrol- Charity Village
Offered for CharityVillage to host a national virtual screening through their partnership with SMI in CharityVillage Presents - Films to Change the World. Pledged $500 towards the impact campaign.
Maryam Adrangi - Ben & Jerry's
Would like to bring the film to ben and jerry's staff and would like to maybe hold a screening with panel discussion and honorarium for speakers. Also has a program with employees donating to causes and would like to work with the team to see how they could best make use of that sort of financial contribution to the impact campaign. Would also like to find out with the film team how to help bring the film to educators with her experience of organizing in the teacher's union.
Megan Williamson - HIV Community Link
Has been in chat with the Cultural Instigators in Calgary to host a screening in Calgary, and is willing to promote local screenings on social media.
N'alaga Avis O'Brien - Nalaga Consulting
Has created cultural safety training for families and medical staff and would like to use the film as a part of their program. Would also like to use the film in treatment centres in BC that they work in as part of their work with Relapse Prevention from an Indigenous Perspective, as well as using the film in secondary school education.
Perry Stein - City of Lethbridge Indigenous Relations office
Would like to be engaged about amplifying the impact of this documentary.
Siobhan McCarthy - smi
Would like to help develop a study guide for the film.
Tawnya Plain Eagle - Piikani Nation Radio
Would like to pledge an in-depth coverage on their radio station/newspaper with interviews with Elle-Maija and Dr. Tailfeathers to dive into some of the benefits of Harm reduction continue this discussions for our audience to hear.
Tracy Suter - First Peoples’ House, University of Alberta
Will bring this to their Director at First Peoples House at University of Alberta and brainstorm how to get this documentary in front of anyone/everyone who can support. They will also bring it to the Edmonton Support Network and all their organizations.
Veronica Doleman - Keyano College
Pledged to talk with their college's student association to explore the possibility of a screening for their nursing and social work programs for students, faculty, and community members.
Yvonne Marcus - Vancouver Unitarians
Would like to sponsor a screening in Vancouver and have a panel discussion afterwards. Discussed the possibility of a hybrid in person / online screening
