RELAW: Living Indigenous Laws

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have governed their territories according to their own laws – safeguarding land, air, water and communities to sustain their cultures and economies. Drawing on the lessons learned over two decades of work with Indigenous peoples on Indigenous law-based approaches to land use planning, impact assessment and other aspects of environmental governance, in 2016 West Coast launched the RELAW program (Revitalizing Indigenous Law for Land, Air and Water).

Kamala Todd

Director

Also Directed by Kamala Todd

Indigenous Plant Diva

Kamala Todd's short film is a lyrical portrait of Cease Wyss, of the Squamish Nation. Wyss is a woman who understands the remarkable healing powers of the plants growing all over downtown Vancouver. Whether it's the secret curl of a fiddlehead, or the gentleness of comfrey, plants carry ageless wisdom with them, communicated through colour, texture, and form. Wyss has been listening to this unspoken language and is now passing this ancient and intimate connection down to her own daughter, Senaqwila.

Know Your Place: Reflections of the Indigenous City

Director Kamala Todd reflects on the land she is occupying and notions of livability.

MYURBANEYES

A film about urbanity and Indigeneity dedicated to Kamala Todd's child.

Stó:lo — Big River

Larry Grant and Sonny McHalsie share their stories of the River.

Redwire Magazine and Native Hip Hop in Vancouver

A piece about Redwire Magazine (now Redwire Media) made for CTV's youth zine First Story, highlighting Indigenous hip hop artists in Vancouver.

Cedar and Bamboo

Cedar and Bamboo is a thought-provoking documentary about the unique relationships shared by early Chinese immigrants and Aboriginal peoples on Canada’s west coast. The documentary recounts the life experiences of four descendants of mixed heritage. Set in BC, their stories reveal the difficult circumstances of Aboriginal peoples and early Chinese immigrants.

Digging Up the Last Spike

"Digging Up the Last Spike" is a video from Kamala Todd's installation piece at the exhibition Hexsa'a̱m: To Be Here Always, shown at the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery in 2019. It documents Todd's journey to the Kingcome Inlet fish farms via boat, the only access to the remote area.

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