Beacon Project

 
 

The Beacon Project (2016 - 2022) was a series of multimedia creations in collaboration with Indigenous communities along The Great Trail—Metepenagiag First Nation, New Brunswick, Pasqua, Standing Buffalo, Sakimay and Cowessess First Nations, Saskatchewan and Fort Smith and Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories. A companion project to the feature documentary 500 Days in the Wild — the five-year, 24,000 km ecological and reconciliation pilgrimage of filmmaker Dianne Whelan — The Beacon Project engaged youth, artists, Elders and Grandmothers in a collaborative process of listening and sharing. The films emerged out of shared reflection, dialogue and kinship, and are an honouring of Indigenous worldview as we continue our journey into the future. You can now watch the three documentaries via CBC Gem:

Indigenous Knowledge & the Water Grandmother

Stories Along the Qu'Appelle Valley

Stories Along Slave River

I contributed to this project as a collaborator in sound, taking on the roles of composer, recordist, audio editor and youth sound mentor. Nia:wen, thank you Dianne Whalen, Ann Verrall, Elder Jane Dragon, Angus & Dorothy Beaulieu, Earl Evans, Lynn Napier, Dianne Dul, Lois Edge, Julie Beaver, Julie Lys, Elder Lorraine Yuzicapi, Elder Harold Henderson, Danna Henderson, Janine Windolph, Jhaik WindyHair, Holly Rae Yuzicapi, David Roman, Cecelia Brooks, Elder Howard Augustine, Elder Jeannie Bartibogue, Marie Kryszko, Sacred Wolf Singers. Thank you as well to Canada Council for the Arts, CBC Gem and all the organizations that supported this journey.