The Northern Lights

The Spirit Within looks at Native spirituality programs which have been set up in western Canadian federal penal institutions and in some provincial institutions. The programs which are led by Native elders and assisted by liaison officers, include workshops and ceremonies which help to put the Native prison inmate back in touch with himself, his culture and his spirituality. The film deals with the impact of the programs and in particular that of the sweat lodge. The Spirit Within also serves as an introduction to the kind of life faced by Native inmates. (Awards: Oklahoma City; Oakland; Minneapolis.)

Windswept prairies, sloping coulees and stretches of open sky - this is the home of the Kainai Blood Nation, in the heart of southern Alberta. Filmmaker Loretta Sarah Todd takes viewers on a visually lush journey, exploring the significance of land, memory and knowledge in Kainai life. The catalyst for this expressionistic journey is the return of belongings of the Kainai, collected by Europeans during colonial times and kept in distant museums. As the community's elders examine the objects and share stories first-hand, they reveal how the rich threads of Kainai life thrive from one generation to the next. From their traditions and language to their sacred beliefs, this is a powerful continuum of culture that cannot be contained in a glass exhibit case. Stylistically blending sound, colour, light and words, this film explores the collective memory of the Kainai that resonates so deeply in their land and their storytelling traditions. Intertwining past, present and future, Kainayssini Imanistaisiwa: The People Go On is an eloquent testament to Kainai history, governance and existence.

François Paulette has devoted more than 25 years of his life to resolving a battle that is more than a century old. Senior negotiator for the Smith's Landing First Nation, Paulette is determined to see the Canadian government honour promises made to the Thebatthi (Chipewyan) people in an 1899 treaty. Shot in northern Alberta and Ottawa, Honour of the Crown is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the turbulent final years of this fight. Plunged into seemingly endless negotiations, Paulette and his brother, Chief Jerry Paulette, struggle to reclaim nine tracts of land and $33 million in compensation. Featuring interviews with tribal, provincial and federal government representatives, this documentary provides a rare glimpse into one community's success in settling a one-hundred-year-old treaty obligation of the Crown.