WHERE THE SPIRIT LIVES is a 90-minute full length motion picture, written,
produced, and directed by and starring award winning talents. It is a
powerful story that should sensitize even the most hardened viewer to the
shameful treatment of Native Americans, in this case children. The film/
video fosters an understanding of the concepts of culture,
resocialization, social control, racism, stereotypes, marginality, label,
and power.
Two Native American children, Asokomi and Pita, are legally
abducted by Canadian government agent Taggert in accordance with
Regulation 31 of the Indian Act of 1925.
"You can't stay ignorant savages forever," Taggart tells the
mother, who cannot save her desperately screaming children. They
are flown to the King George Indian Boarding School to eradicate
their Indian heritage.
The school, operated by the Anglican and Roman Catholic Church,
requires all children to obey strict rules or suffer punishment.
Asokomi and Pita are given Christian names, Amelia and Abraham,
forced to follow the Church's way of worship, and forbidden to
speak their native language or talk about their Indian way of
life.
A new teacher, Miss Kathleen Williamsbury, arrives at the school.
Her idealistic and kinder treatment of the children is immediately
corrected by the school's administrator, Reverend Buckley: "These
children come to us from a dead culture. It's like a millstone
around their neck. Our job is to remove this burden and give them
their freedom."
Amelia refuses to give up her Indian way of worship, for which she
is punished repeatedly, and eventually tries to escape. To break
her rebellious spirit, Reverend Buckley concocts the false story
(telling only Miss Williamsbury) that Amelia's parents have died
of a plague in their village, necessitating an evacuation. Miss
Williamsbury, believing the story, genuinely grieves with Amelia
and relays the supposed tragedy through an interpreter. Believing
she no longer has her family or her people, Amelia mourns in her
traditional Indian way, after which she becomes resigned to a new
reality and decides to cooperate with the school.
In time, Amelia becomes a model student and is recommended for
adoption by a wealthy widow. Amelia meets her and is eventually
agreeable to the adoption arrangement, mistakenly assuming that
her brother will go with her.
Unexpectedly, Amelia's father arrives at the school to take his
children home. Miss Williamsbury listens in dismay as Reverend
Buckley lies to the father, telling him the children are no longer
at the school, and sends him away. The teacher confronts Reverend
Buckley, who argues effectively that, if Amelia learns the truth,
she will return to a pagan world and, once again, become a savage.
Apparently convinced that Amelia will be better off with the
widow, Miss Williamsbury remains silent and chooses not to
interfere with the adoption process.
A few days later, agent Taggert arrives at the school with the
body of a sexually abused girl, Amelia's friend, who had run away
from the school. A Christian service is held, but that same night
Amelia gives the body an Indian burial (on scaffolding) with help
from her school friends. Enfuriated, Reverend Buckley orders a
teacher to whip the two boys involved, one of whom is Amelia's
brother. Abraham resists and the teacher is attacked and beaten to
death.
At this time, one of the children hears Miss Williamsbury and
Reverend Buckley talking, learns that Amelia's parents are really
alive, and brings her the unbelievable news. Finally convinced she
has been deceived, Amelia runs away with her brother. Meanwhile,
Miss Williamsbury, feeling the shame, belatedly decides to visit
Amelia and tell her the truth. Learning they have escaped, she
rides out and catches up to them but not to bring them back.
Miss Williamsbury calls out to a betrayed Amelia, who sharply
corrects her name to Asokomi, having reclaimed her Indian name and
identity. Miss Williamsbury asks forgiveness and hands Asokomi the
Bible, saying "these are not lies." Asokomi accepts and then
reciprocates with a token of conciliation. The viewer is left with
the understanding, from an earlier scene, that "being an Indian is
a feeling that don't die."
[The VHS video may be rented from Washington State University
Media Materials Services (509)335-5618]