Coming Home (Wanna Icipus Kupi)

Director’s Notes:
As Indigenous storytellers, we carry the responsibilities to share our truth, our culture, and our history, with hopes to impact and educate future generations. While directing Coming Home (Wanna Icipus Kupi), it was an honour to speak with an array of strong and resilient members from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, as well as the inspiring Indigenous creators, cast and crew of the Little Bird series.

As someone who only briefly heard about the Sixties Scoop growing up, it was shocking to learn of the many stories of those who were personally affected by the Sixties Scoop, and the realization of how this Canadian history has been hidden from the world for decades. When I joined the Coming Home team, my goal for the film was to illuminate the truth for this history that has long been silenced, while providing a platform for survivors to share their stories; for them to feel heard and hopefully further heal from sharing their journey.

We are living in a vital point in history, witnessing this powerful movement of Indigenous people reclaiming their stories and narrative sovereignty. I also wanted to dive into these themes through highlighting the impactful work from the Little Bird creators, showcasing their Indigenous talent. Little Bird’s story reflects many of our families and communities, as it shares the resilience of our people and those impacted by the ongoing Child Welfare systems.

Personally, I have friends and family who survived the Sixties Scoop and Residential Schools, and today my family continues to be directly affected by the current child welfare system. Growing up, my culture and identity was not shared with me due to the impacts of colonization nor was it ever portrayed to me in a positive way through the media, which led me to embark on a solo journey of reconnecting to culture, to community and to spirit. As an Indigenous storyteller, I use the tools and gifts I was given to teach all people about our stories, history, and culture. Narrative sovereignty is at the core of the work that I pursue. Having the ability to tell our own stories from an Indigenous lens to encourage collective healing.

Visual Aesthetic:
Shooting in communities was essential to establish Coming Home’s core themes of land, family, and (re)connection. Images of the land are present to illustrate our connection to the land and how “coming home” is also coming home to oneself, to the land and to Mother Earth. While archival elements (including period AIM advertisements, interviews and news footage), establishes the Sixties Scoop realities and the dominant cultural mindset that allowed these policies. Interwoven with moments from the Little Bird set, and deeply personal interviews — Coming Home unfolds the connections between past and present; lived experiences and story. Layered with music composed by Indigenous musician, Wyler Wolf and songs by Jason Burnstick.

Audience:
I hope people will have a better understanding of the Sixties Scoop, the impacts, and the current child welfare system, and how these systems continue to displace and hurt our children and Indigenous families today. I want audiences to gain a deeper understanding of the work that Indigenous creators have been tirelessly undertaking to create spaces for Indigenous Sovereignty. I hope Indigenous people will be inspired and feel empowered to join this movement of narrative sovereignty. I hope our non-Indigenous brothers and sisters will take this opportunity to learn, educate, and open more space for Indigenous creatives by having a better understanding of the importance of our stories being shared by our people, for our people.

Miigwetch,
Erica Daniels