Private Project

Rotinonhsión:ni Ironworkers

On May 10th, 2013, the crowning spire of the One World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York was set in place marking the completion of the first of six towers planned as replacements for those destroyed on September 11th, 2001. Atop that tower stood the latest generation of Haudenosaunee ironworkers to follow in the footsteps of Indigenous families who, for the last 150 years, have helped create some of North America’s most iconic landmarks. Beginning in the 1880s, the industry quickly became a principal source of employment for Haudenosaunee men who travelled to jobs throughout Canada and the northeastern United States. In New York City specifically, ironworking ensured a steady stream of stable employment that encouraged families to relocate to the city. By the 1920s Haudenosaunee families from Ahkwesáhsne and Kahnawà:ke began relocating to Brooklyn where they opened a string of boarding houses and established the new community of “Little Caughnawaga.” Together, ironworking and “Little Caughnawaga” became a nexus between Haudenosaunee nationhood, family life, labour activism, and self-determination.

  • Carlee Kawinehta Loft
    Director
  • Allan Downey
    Director
  • Carlee Kawinehta Loft
    Writer
  • Allan Downey
    Writer
  • Saki Murotani (Animator)
    Producer
    The Double-Headed Serpent (Museum of Vancouver)
  • Don Patrick Martin (Music)
    Credits
  • Marcy Maracle (Artwork contribution)
    Credits
  • Martin Akwiranoron Loft (Artwork contribution)
    Credits
  • Victoria Ransom (Artwork contribution)
    Credits
  • Project Type:
    Animation
  • Genres:
    Animation, Historical Film, Animated Documentary, Indigenous Film
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 21 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 30, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Animation
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • American Indian Film Festival Best Animated Short
    San Francisco
    United States
    November 6, 2020
    Best Animated Short
Distribution Information
  • Independent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Internet
Director Biography - Carlee Kawinehta Loft, Allan Downey

Carlee Kawinehta Loft is a motivated and community-minded, Kanien’kehá:ka woman. Carlee works with and for her community as the Youth Engagement coordinator at Kahnawake Collective Impact. Carlee is passionate about art, community action, cultural revitalization, and youth empowerment. She strongly believes we each play an invaluable role in shaping the world for the next seven generations; this includes the responsibility to do what we can to empower each other – youth especially – to join in crafting a world we are proud of.

Allan Downey is Dakelh, Nak’azdli Whut’en, and an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University. Author of The Creator’s Game (2018), Allan is a recent recipient of the 2019 Canada Prize and a Fulbright Fellowship to Columbia University where he continued to advance his research focused on the history of Indigenous nationhood, sovereignty, and self-determination. Beyond his research and teaching activities, one of Allan’s greatest passions is working with Indigenous youth and he volunteers for several Indigenous communities and youth organizations throughout the year.

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