[poundmakers-lodge--Film-list-image]

1987 / 29 minutes

Directed by
Alanis Obomsawin
Country of production
Canada

Just north of the City of Edmonton lies Poundmaker’s Lodge, an addiction and mental-health facility specialising in treatment for Indigenous people. Founded in 1973 and still operational today, the Lodge’s programs and services are Indigenous-run and based in culturally appropriate recovery and healing techniques. Framing the short documentary with the words of the great Plains Cree Chief Pîhtokahanapiwiyin (Poundmaker), Alanis Obomsawin presents a frank examination of the root causes of substance abuse in Indigenous communities and how the absence of love and support – exacerbated by the impacts of colonialism and racism – created a legacy of alcoholism for some individuals.

In the 2023 RAI Film Fest , Lifetime Achievement Award – Alanis Obomsawin category