Hot Docs : Q A Club Native
Gisèle Gordon: Your film, CLUB NATIVE, explores an issue so many Canadians can relate to – the repercussions of marrying outside of your community. It is a difficult topic, but what shines through is the courage, strength and hope of the women from the Kahnawake reserve whom you interview. Listening to them made me tear up with sorrow, but also with happiness. How did you establish such a deep intimacy with these women?
Tracey Deer: All of the women in the film are either dear friends or family so I suppose the intimacy conveyed was, in part, a result of those established relationships. I however am amazed to this day at the candor they shared with me and I feel honoured by the amount of trust they granted me. There is definitely no “secret method” I can credit. It definitely feels bigger than anything I can do.
GG: The women all share the conflict of wanting to keep their culture and Nation alive by marrying within their community, but we can’t choose who we fall in love with. The Mohawk women who live on the reserve with their non-Native husbands talk about how tough it is on their relationships, but the couples seem to be very close. What is their secret to rising above?
TD: I think the secret in both of these successful relationships lies in the patience, understanding and respect of their partners. It takes time to break away from ideas that have been drilled into you since birth. It’s a hard road to reconcile your heart with your head. Their partners stuck it out, waiting for the fog to clear. I think that is the very definition of what love is all about.
GG: Your film doesn’t shy away from the racism of Canada’s colonial past, but you navigate the political through the joyful story of your sister having a child with her non-Native partner. It brings a very personal perspective to the abstract policies of the past and present. Was your film inspired by your sister’s pregnancy, or was the timing a happy accident?
TD: Everyone in the film is either related to me or is a close friend so I’ve been aware of their struggles for some time. For me this has also always been a contentious issue as I was growing up. Once my own sister found herself in love and, consequentially, in total panic, I felt compelled to do something. Her story, and the birth of my niece, were the final pieces of inspiration I needed to make the film.
GG: This film seems to paint a picture of a strong, close-knit and powerful community, but it also asks some tough questions. How did you, and the incredible women in the film, find the courage to speak so openly?
I think we all share the same vision of wanting our community, and our people, to be happier and healthier than we are right now. It’s time to start talking about this. There are so many of our people hurting and too many of them are being pushed away. We all hope for change and making this film is our effort to contribute to the decolonization of our people.
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