In this short film, we profile several Indigenous stories from Southwest Saskatchewan. These were shared as part of the art exhibition, Turning the Lens:  An Indigenous Archive Photo Project by Paul Seesequasis. Along with local stories about the Métis and the Nekaneet First Nation we also explore images of Indigenous peoples from the 1950’s -1960’s taken by photojournalist, Rosemary Gilliat Eaton, on loan from Libraries and Archives Canada. The exhibition also introduces local images including Maple Creek photographs from anthropologist John Bennett, on loan from the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat as well as photos from the private family collection of local Métis, Barb Parchman

Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Photo Project by Paul Seesequasis

celebrates the everyday life and ongoing resilience in Canadian Indigenous communities. Seesequasis, a Plains Cree writer, journalist and cultural activist based in Saskatoon collects archival images of everyday life among First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities from the 1920’s through the 1970’s. Sharing these on social media has resulted in the identification of the individuals, places, events and stories that had largely eluded institutional catalogues. The exhibition is an extension of this research project.

To learn more about the Métis history in Southwest Saskatchewan – watch another one of documentaries.