The Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society is incredibly proud to announce the first public screening of our very own documentary, Ahkameyimok: To Persevere. Taking place February 22nd, from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at the Garneau Theatre, this documentary highlights our community and shares a handful of heartwarming stories made at our organization.
The documentary explores the lasting impacts of colonization while featuring the important and impactful work of Bent Arrow. Told through the voices of Ashley Mincone, Mike Day, and Joanne Woods, this is a story about the people we serve and the importance of healing, belonging, and connecting to culture. We hope through the documentary you get a glimpse of harboring hope, belonging and the power of culturally grounded support.
Director and previous employee, Vernon Boldick, alongside A Squared Communications and TELUS Storyhive, worked tirelessly since 2023 to bring this project to life. Now, you’ll be able to see their efforts displayed on the big screen. When asked about his involvement in the documentary, Boldick got to explore the film in a deeper way and challenge his own fears.
“We all have this beautiful—and I think powerful—documentary that will reach out to people I will never know watched it. And they will all see it and be affected by it in different ways and hopefully be inspired by it and maybe even join Bent Arrow’s community or seek to have a Bent Arrow of their own.”
Boldick referenced a Buffalo Robe that hangs proudly on the first floor of the Parkdale office, and says as time goes on, this film can also be seen as a gift.
“I hope this documentary can be like that, a gift to an organization I love. A point in time etched out and commemorated. And maybe, just maybe, it will find itself on the next Buffalo Robe.”
What started as a simple email detailing a possible grant opportunity led to a collaborative effort and gave the opportunity to Boldick to continue his work with Bent Arrow, even after moving on with a different opportunity. This highlights what Bent Arrow is all about; community and togetherness.
“There is nothing brilliant or noble here on my part, I was just doing my job. But that’s often what Cheryl (Whiskeyjack) talks about, at Bent Arrow we show up. We show up on good days, we show up on bad days and we do our work.”
To learn more about the public screening, please visit our documentary page. Otherwise, you’ll be able to watch the documentary from your own couch in the fall of 2025 on Telus Optik. Stay tuned through our website, and social media channels for more details on its future release.