Mothering and Care Work in Indigenous Cinema from Québec

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Abstract

The recent media focus on unmarked graves at former residential schools throughout Canada has brought fresh discussion of the particular role played by these institutions in the physical and cultural genocide of First Nations peoples. Yet, beyond the residential schools, the shattering of intergenerational ties has been pursued with purpose through manifold attacks on women, mothers, and children, as well as through the suppression of broader communities of care. This article provides a condensed overview of the institutionalized violence targeting First Nations women and children, supporting the notion that, in this context, mothering and care work become intrinsic modes of resistance to genocide. The article goes on to examine cinematic representations that contribute to decolonizing Indigenous motherhood. While important recent work by “relève autochtone” filmmakers pays tribute to strong Indigenous mothers, this article first looks at the roots of this decolonial turn in First Nations’ maternal representation, returning to the corpus of Alanis Obomsawin. It then analyzes two relève autochtone films, Mohawk filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau’s Le Dep (2015) and Chloé Leriche’s Avant les rues (2016), arguing that, while these films may at first seem in some ways complicit with settler stereotypes, they ultimately present a broader, empowering understanding of mothering and care in First Nations communities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)149-176
Number of pages28
JournalQuebec Studies
Volume75
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2023

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