Join us while we read Call to Action #77 and view the 6-minute Indigenous-made film, First Stories - ati-wîcahsin (It's Getting Easier).

Film synopsis: In this short film, filmmaker Tessa Desnomie celebrates the life and times of her grandmother, Jane Merasty. Born and raised on the trapline, this Woodlands Cree woman has witnessed significant changes throughout her vigorous 80 years.

Join us while we read Call to Action #76 and view the 13-minute Indigenous-made film, Christmas at Moose Factory.

Film synopsis: This lyrical short documentary marked the directorial debut of legendary Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin. Filmed at a residential school in northern Ontario, it is composed entirely of drawings by young Cree children and stories told by the children themselves. Listening has been at the core of Obomsawin’s practice since the very beginning. “Documentary film,” she said in a 2017 interview, “is the one place that our people can speak for themselves. I feel that the documentaries that I’ve been working on have been very valuable for the people, for our people to look at ourselves… and through that be able to make changes that really count for the future of our children to come.”

Join us while we read Call to Action #75 and view the 6-minute Indigenous-made film, She and I.

Film synopsis: This short film is inspired by a stormy same-sex relationship in the Manawan community of the Atikamekw Nation, which led to a suicide.

Join us while we read Call to Action #74 and view the 9-minute Indigenous-made film, Indigenous Plant Diva.

Film synopsis: Kamala Todd's short film is a lyrical portrait of Cease Wyss, of the Squamish Nation. Wyss is a woman who understands the remarkable healing powers of the plants growing all over downtown Vancouver. Whether it's the secret curl of a fiddlehead, or the gentleness of comfrey, plants carry ageless wisdom with them, communicated through colour, texture, and form. Wyss has been listening to this unspoken language and is now passing this ancient and intimate connection down to her own daughter, Senaqwila.

Join us while we read Call to Action #73 and view the 3-minute Indigenous-made film, Vistas: Carrying Fire.

Film synopsis: This short film weaves together animation and live action to show how the fire of our spirit is passed from one camp and one generation to the next.

Join us while we read Call to Action #72 and view the 3-minute Indigenous-made film, Vistas: Button Blanket.

Film synopsis: This short impressionist documentary looks at the creation of a Button Blanket by integrating the performance of a traditional dance with the art of the West Coast Heiltsuk Nation.

Join us while we read Call to Action #71 and view the 4-minute Indigenous-made film, Vistas: Boxed In.

Film synopsis: In this short film, a young woman of mixed ancestry struggles with an Equal Opportunity Form that requires her to respond to the dilemma: Ethnicity - Choose One.

Join us while we read Call to Action #70 and view the 3-minute Indigenous-made film, Wapikoni Mobile 2008 - Two and Two.

Film synopsis: A man reads a newspaper; a tree falls. A copy machine hums; a tree falls. As the hours go by, a forest disappears.

Join us while we read Call to Action #69 and view the 3-minute Indigenous-made film, Wapikoni Mobile 2008 - Tshitashun (Number).

Film synopsis: In Betsiamites, everyone uses French instead of Innu for numbers. A charming film that will help you see why!

Join us while we read Call to Action #68 and view the 4-minute Indigenous-made film, Wapikoni Mobile 2008 - Netshishkatutau (The Encounter).

Film synopsis: An elder remembers an encounter that took place between Sept-Îles and Caniaspiscau during difficult times.

Join us while we read Call to Action #67 and view the 6-minute Indigenous-made film, Wapikoni Mobile 2008 - Masko Nimiwin (The Bear's Dance).

Film synopsis: The spectacular annual powwow at Manawan. Gilles Moar once saw a bear dancing, and this inspired him to pass his culture on to his daughter and the young in his community.

Join us while we read Call to Action #66 and view the 6-minute Indigenous-made film, Wapikoni Mobile 2008 - Ka Unian Uass (The Missing Child).

Film synopsis: A legend about a young boy’s quest for a friend who has disappeared.

Join us while we read Call to Action #65 and view the 4-minute Indigenous-made film, Innu-Aimun - The Innu Language.

Film synopsis: A beautiful music video featuring the talented group Uashtushkuau singing an emotional song, in Innu, about the importance of protecting Aboriginal languages.

Join us while we read Call to Action #64 and view the 6-minute Indigenous-made film, Wapikoni Mobile 2008 - Anikiwinik (The Trappers).

Film synopsis: From father to son, the Poucachiche family goes out hunting beaver, one of the traditional activities that mark the seasons for the Algonquin of Lac Simon.

Join us while we read Call to Action #63 and view the 5-minute Indigenous-made film, Wapikoni Mobile 2008 - Alone in the Abyss.

Film synopsis: Drugs. They sneak into your life, into your veins. You wake up and you're all alone in the depths. But the Earth keeps turning.

Join us while we read Call to Action #62 and view the 6-minute Indigenous-made film, Waseteg.

Film synopsis: Waseteg is the story of a young Mi'kmaq girl whose name means “the light from the dawn.” Sadly, her mother dies while giving birth and, though her father works very hard to provide for his family, Waseteg is surrounded by the bitterness and loneliness felt by her sisters.

As a young girl, Waseteg looks for solace in nature, and dreams of the stories she’s heard in the village – including one about Walqwan, the mysterious boy living across the river. Eventually, with the gentle care of the boy's grandmother, Waseteg succeeds in finding Walqwan, discovering the Spirit Path, and restoring love to her family.

A short story about dreams, courage, identity, creation and embracing our Elders, Waseteg showcases Phyllis Grant's signature style of bold lines, bright colours and simple movements. The film is beautifully narrated by legendary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin.

Join us while we read Call to Action #61 and view the 5-minute Indigenous-made film, Nunavut Animation Lab: Qalupalik.

Film synopsis: This animated short tells the story of Qalupalik, a part-human sea monster that lives deep in the Arctic Ocean and preys on children who do not listen to their parents or elders. That is the fate of Angutii, a young boy who refuses to help out in his family's camp, opting instead to play by the shoreline. But one day, Qalupalik seizes him and drags him away. Angutii's father, a great hunter, must then embark on a lengthy kayak journey to try and bring his son home.

Join us while we read Call to Action #60 and view the 7-minute Indigenous-made film, Nunavut Animation Lab: Lumaajuuq.

Film synopsis: This animated short by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril tells a tragic and twisted story about the dangers of revenge. A cruel mother mistreats her son, feeding him dog meat and forcing him to sleep in the cold. A loon, who tells the boy that his mother blinded him, helps the child regain his eyesight. Then the boy seeks revenge, releasing his mother's lifeline as she harpoons a whale and watching her drown. Based on a portion of the epic Inuit legend "The Blind Boy and the Loon."

Join us while we read Call to Action #59 and view the 4-minute Indigenous-made film, As I Am.

Film synopsis: This short experimental documentary challenges stereotypes about Indigenous people in the workplace. Featuring portraits set to a powerful poem by Mohawk writer Janet Marie Rogers, the film urges viewers to go beyond their preconceived notions. As I Am is a celebration of Indigenous people's pride in their work and culture.

Join us while we read Call to Action #58 and view the 4-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories from Our Land 1.5: Tide.

Film synopsis: This beautiful short film captures the majesty of ice sculpted by wind and water. By using time-lapse imagery, Iqaluit filmmaker Ericka Chemko reveals the dynamic intertidal dance of water and ice in the Arctic.

Join us while we read Call to Action #57 and view the 3-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories From Our Land 1.5: Nippaq.

Film synopsis: In this short film, hunter Joshua Atagooyuk stands by a seal's breathing hole. He hunches over, silent, waiting. The sun crosses the sky, hours pass, yet Atagooyuk remains, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Join us while we read Call to Action #56 and view the 5-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories from Our Land 1.5: Family Making Sleds.

Film synopsis: This short documentary filmed in Pangnirtung features 2 elders reminiscing about the dances held in their community 50 years ago. One of the elders is master accordion player Simeonie Keenainak, and soon he's making toe-tapping music with his instrument. In this celebration of the pleasures of music and dance, Keenainak plays for the enjoyment of friends, family, and the community at large.

Join us while we read Call to Action #55 and view the 5-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories from Our Land 1.5: If You Want to Get Married... You Have to Learn How to Build an Igloo!

Film synopsis: In the spirit of the 1949 NFB classic How to Build an Igloo, this short film records Dean Ittuksarjuat as he constructs the traditional Inuit home. From the first cut of the snow knife, to the carving of the entrance after the last block of snow has been placed on the roof, this is an inside-and-out look at the entire fascinating process.

Join us while we read Call to Action #54 and view the 5-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories from Our Land 1.5: Family Making Sleds.

Film synopsis: This short film portrays a family working together to make sleds. While the father expertly threads rope through runners and slats, expertly tying knots to hold them together, his wife and child work on their own stylized sleds. The film pays homage to the craft, while also capturing the sheer joy of downhill sled racing.

Join us while we read Call to Action #53 and view the 6-minute Indigenous-made film, The People of the Kattawapiskak River - Six Months Later.

Film synopsis: Six months following the events of her documentary The People of the Kattawapiskak River, Alanis Obomsawin returns to the Cree community of Attawapiskat in northern Ontario, whose severe housing crisis in 2011 made international headlines. While the public outcry resulted in some short-term relief for the most in need, Obomsawin reveals that the crisis persists in the isolated First Nation. Relief homes sent to the community are not equipped to deal with the harsh winter, as overcrowding and homelessness remain daily realities. Despite their ordeals, the residents of Attawapiskat remain strong, united in love and a belief that a better future must be achieved.

Join us while we read Call to Action #52 and view the 8-minute Indigenous-made film, Kaspar (Inspired by the Life of Kaspar Hauser).

Film synopsis: This animated short by Diane Obomsawin tells the story of Kaspar, a young man who discovers life - and light - after spending his entire life in a dark cave with a small wooden horse as only company. Based on the story of Kaspar Hauser, the famous 19th century orphan who has inspired countless artists.

Join us while we read Call to Action #51 and view the 7-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories from Our Land Vol. 2 - The Vending Machine.

Film synopsis: This short film tells the story of an Inuk entrepreneur operating a lonely airport vending machine in Canada's second most northerly community.

Join us while we read Call to Action #50 and view the 10-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories from Our Land Vol. 2 - Strength, Flexibility, and Endurance.

Film synopsis: This short film explores why Inuit games were more than just fun to pass the time; it required the athletes to be in peak physical condition to perform these ancient feats of strength.

Join us while we read Call to Action #49 and view the 9-minute Indigenous-made film, Stories from Our Land Vol. 2 - Finding Home.

Film synopsis: This short film chronicles filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk's emotional journey to Nunavut to connect with the land of her ancestors and with her Inuk father, whom she has not seen in over 20 years. Nyla's return to her Igloolik birthplace culminates with a lesson on lighting a qulliq, the traditional Inuit oil lamp.

Join us while we read Call to Action #48 and view the 4-minute Indigenous-made film, Andrew Dawes: Dynamic Range.

Film synopsis: This short film pays tribute to distinguished violinist Andrew Dawes, one of the finest violinists Canada has ever produced. Dawes is known for his technical excellence, musical integrity, and exciting performances. In a career spanning half a century, he has inspired listeners, students, and fellow musicians around the globe. Here, poetic images bring to life Dawes' early years, as he muses on the ineffability of music and the discipline required to become an accomplished player.