Dawnland: A Documentary about Cultural Survival and Stolen Children by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip

Abstract

Reviewed by: Dawnland: A Documentary about Cultural Survival and Stolen Children by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip Ashley Elizabeth Smith (bio) Dawnland: A Documentary about Cultural Survival and Stolen Children by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip Directors Upstander Project, 2018 "YOU CAN'T HEAL SOMEONE THAT'S GONE THROUGH HELL," Passamaquoddy elder Georgina Sappier-Richardson proclaims to the Commissioners of the Maine Wabanaki-State Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). "Where was the state that was supposed to have been our guardians? . . . And how come it took so long for you all to get a group together and to see if they can help us?" Georgina's words at the beginning of Dawnland introduce viewers to the issue of stolen children and the possibilities for healing and reconciliation in Indian country. Dawnland is a powerful feature-length documentary film about the systematic disruption of Wabanaki lifeways as told through the work of the TRC. From 2013 until 2015, the TRC investigated how the Maine Child Welfare System has treated Wabanaki people since 1978. Invited by Wabanaki people, the filmmakers document the historic process of the first Indigenous-initiated and government-backed commission in the United States. The film explores key questions about cultural survival and tribal sovereignty, Indigenous resiliency, and the roles of non-Indigenous individuals and governments in processes for truth, healing, and change. Guided by TRC commissioner gkisedtanamoogk (Mashpee Wampanoag) and Esther Anne (Passamaquoddy), cofounder of the Native-led organization for change Maine-Wabanaki REACH, viewers travel through Wabanaki homelands alongside the TRC commissioners and staff as they meet with tribal members and gather stories about their experiences with Maine's Child Welfare system. Weaving together historical footage of Indian Child Welfare hearings and Indian boarding schools, clips of Wabanaki people's heart-wrenching statements, and shots of enduring cultural practices, the film locates Wabanaki experiences within a national context of assimilation policies and cultural genocide while simultaneously highlighting Indigenous survivance. The film asks viewers to consider what it might take for settler-states to transition from occupier to neighbor, especially when the [End Page 203] transition requires confronting white privilege. It shows the critical importance for government-supported processes to focus on Indigenous community needs and follow Indigenous protocols. Dawnland is remarkable for the number of Indigenous people who contributed to its production, including coproducer N. Bruce Duthu (Houma); renowned singer and composer Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora), who contributed original music; award-winning documentary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki), and artist and educator Geo Neptune (Passamaquoddy), who consulted on the project; and Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy), senior advisor. The film features Wabanaki people, places, stories, and cultural practices well beyond its focus on the TRC. Yet, despite this Indigenous involvement, only one Wabanaki person appears in the key role of narrator and interpreter of events in the film; otherwise the non-Wabanaki commissioners hold this role. While the narrators offer vital insights, given the diversity of Wabanaki communities some perspectives on the TRC process may not be represented in the film. At a final community event, commissioner Sandy White Hawk (Sicangu Lakota) tells the crowd that through their investigative process the TRC learned about the incredible strength of the Wabanaki people. I can attest to this strength from my own experiences among Wabanaki peoples in Maine. Yet, as I reflect on the scenes where Wabanaki individuals recount some of their most traumatic memories, I wonder whether viewers be able to recognize this strength after watching this film. Or will they see Indigenous people as victims? While the film does significant work to juxtapose painful, emotional footage of storytelling with scenes of cultural vibrancy through community events, cultural practices, and shots of multigenerational families, some viewers may need additional guidance to access the overarching themes of cultural survivance and tribal sovereignty. Winner of multiple awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Research, Dawnland raises awareness about the violent assimilationist state practices aimed at Indigenous families, while posing key questions about possibilities for healing and reconciliation. The film amplifies Wabanaki people's stories beyond the TRC's final report to the state and five tribes. With proper contextualization to highlight Wabanaki diplomacy, resistance, sovereignty, and vitality, the film has broad educational potential...