A film screening being held for both the Brock and wider Niagara community will document the loss and reclamation of Indigenous identity from the perspective of both a man and a river.

Hosted by Brock’s Water Resilience Lab, the free public screening of My Name is Wolastoq will take place Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Film House, 250 St. Paul St. in St. Catharines. The film will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Set in New Brunswick, the film follows the journey of a young Wolastoqew man as he explores and claims his Indigenous identity. At the same time, it follows the story of the Wolastoq river (officially known as the Saint John River).

The 45-minute documentary is partially narrated from the river’s point of view and supplemented with interviews from Indigenous Elders and Chiefs who are working to restore its original name, Wolastoq.

The event’s panellists and special guests will include, Brian Kon, Niagara Region’s Indigenous Relations Advisor, Ryanne Logan (BSc ’23), a Brock Faculty of Applied Health Sciences master’s student, and Sabrina Shawana, a founding member of the Strong Water Singers, who will also perform.

The discussion will be moderated by Brock doctoral student Hannah Lübker, whose research is focused on human dimensions of water resilience, knowledge co-production, art-science collaborations and empathy.

This event is relevant to anyone interested in exploring the erasure and revitalization of Indigenous languages and culture, human relationships to water and nature, history, geography and research being conducted at Brock University.

To book a free ticket or for more information, visit ExperienceBU.

To watch the trailer, visit the filmmaker’s website.