Films, people open our eyes real wide..

Films, people open our eyes real wide
Ken Herar, The Times
Published: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I was invited to attend Mission's World Community Film Festival late last month at Heritage Park Centre by festival organizer chair Elena Edwards.
The three-day event featured 36 compelling documentaries, addressing issues of social justice, global water supply, food security, human rights and environmental concerns.
I had an interest in viewing the Fallen Feather which was showcasing on the Sunday afternoon. But, at the last minute my plans unfortunately altered. The 94-minute film directed by Randy Bezeau in 2008, examined how First Nations were forced and placed into residential schools.
The First Nations community has always had a vibrant existence in Mission. After the mid-1980s, many families went home to their original communities.
I attended elementary and junior high school with many fine First Nation students. Looking through my Hatzic yearbook it's not difficult to notice that many excelled in athletics and academics.
Mission established itself as a powerhouse in soccer and basketball due to the dedication of many First Nations athletes.
I always enjoyed visiting the annual powwow at the Mission fairgrounds that attracted thousands of spectators.
I still recall hearing the loud sounds of the beating of those drums from miles away.
First Nation's culture, is fascinating and the Fallen Feather exposes a dark side of Canadian history.
St. Mary's Residential School - established in 1861 - was where thousands of First Nations children left their homes and communities from all parts of Canada to attend school in east Mission.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a long-waited apology in the House of Commons on June 11, 2008, for those who went to the school during a tough time.
"I stand before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian residential schools. The treatment of children in these schools is a sad chapter in our history. For more than a century, Indian Residential Schools separated more than 150,000 aboriginal children from their families and communities.
"Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, 'to kill the Indian in the child.'
"Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country", said Harper.
St. Mary's has since closed and several people were charged with sexual abuse over the decades.
Festival organizers were excited about the response and are already working on bringing it back next year.
Some of the amazing speakers included: John Werring of the David Suzuki Foundation, Joy Foy of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Ava Waxman of the Council of Canadians, and Helen Spiegalman of Zerowaste Vancouver.
The festival also included many social and environmental groups who displayed valuable and relevant information.
The World Community Film Festival is B.C.'s largest running international film festival on social issues. It was established in 1990 and travels to communities across Canada.
Since, I was unable to attend the movie portion, I was fortunate enough to attend their supper where I met Elena Edwards and Tracy Lyster, two inspiring Mission residents who are trying to promote social awareness through programs such as these.
"Those who attended were moved and inspired by what they watched and were encouraged to become more involved in shaping the future of their community," said Edwards.
"For me, one of the highlights of the weekend was when filmmaker Jannica Hoskins joined up with Eddie Gardener of the Sto:lo Nation and native drummers from various bands and hosted a healing ceremony following the Fallen Feather," she said.
"The films have the power to reveal fundamental truths about our relationship with the land and with each other, and make it clear that we must remain connected with nature," said Lyster.
KenHerar@gmail.com