Ililiwi Pimâtisîwin (Cree Life)

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Ililiwi Pimâtisîwin is an interview-led documentary that braids together the narratives of culture, oral/storytelling traditions, family roles, kinship, and language. An important aspect of Ililiwi and Eeyoud worldview are the six seasons - sikwan (early spring), milosakamin (late spring/break up), nipin (summer), takwakin (autumn), mikiskaw (freeze up), and pipon (winter) - and the ways in which they relate to the lives and identity of the Ililiwi and Eeyoud.

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The film will also illustrate the rich history of the Ililiwi and Eeyoud prior to European incursion into their lands, and how the inter-relationships with the settler population has altered both cultures over the past 350 years.

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To foster community collaboration, we will use as much local talent as possible in the production of four to six historical re-enactments that will encapsulate various eras and events of the past. Further to this, we will hire local service providers in duties such as catering, production assistants, and transportation as a way to create jobs, support families, and promote entrepreneurship.

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Through these re-enactments, along with historical footage, archival sources, interviews with Elders and other members of the community – both young and old – we aspire to document and preserve Ililiwi and Eeyoud culture, and present to the world a visual legacy of the Ililiwi and Eeyoud of Moose Factory and Moosonee.