Fri, Jan 6 / 7pm
FREE ADMISSION
Directed by Michelle St. John
2016, Canada, 50 min
Introduction and Q&A with host Ryan McMahon and Director
Michelle St. John.
In towns throughout Ontario, there are startling reminders of the colonization of Indigenous territories and the displacement of First Nations people. Anishinaabe comedian and activist Ryan McMahon takes us to his hometown of Fort Frances and down its main drag, which is called Colonization Road. Similar streets have similar names in towns and cities across the province, direct reminders of the Public Lands Act of 1853 and its severe impact on First Nations, their treaties and their land in the name of “Canadian settlement.” On his journey through Ontario, McMahon explores the history of these roads, meets with settlers in solidarity and raises significant questions about “reconciliation” and what it means to “decolonize.”
Presented in partnership with The Decolonizing Lens, a monthly film and discussion series that features the work and words of Indigenous filmmakers. All screenings are free and open to everyone. The Decolonizing Lens is supported by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the Women’s and Gender Studies program at the University of Manitoba.
