Native Enough

The Project

Native Enough is a 7-minute art film that narrates Indigenous youth experiences. Created for the inaugural Indigenous Transmedia Fellowship, this dramatic short film describes the internal and external struggles of being labelled a perfect native, confronting themes like stereotypes, blood quantum, and family expectations placed on young people. It stars Caitlyn Murphy-Eagleson and Dave Monday as two people struggling with their own individual identities. Audiences follow them as they share their emotional journey of being Indigenous youths in the modern-day world. The film describes how negative effects of stereotyping and misrepresentation continues to shape Indigenous identities across Canada. It ends on a message of hope, with the characters exerting a means of control over this narrative and being leading voices that tell their own stories. Over the span of three months, the Indigenous Transmedia Fellowship team spent a lot of time together discussing difficult topics, such as media representation, intergenerational trauma, and Indigenous history. The film not only presents to the viewer how Indigenous people are portrayed in an archaic way, but also how they continue to be burdened and shaped by how they see themselves. Native Enough features the production talents of each of the Fellows and Creative Producer, including writing workshops, cinematography, editing, scoring, and music.

The Artists

• Sage Petahtegoose

• Mykelti Knott

• Jacob Rogers

• Morgan Pannunzio

• Mathew Magneson

• Evan Bowman

• Caitlyn Murphy-Eagleson

• Dave Monday

• Deanne Hupfield

• John Hupfield

Humber Indigenous Education & Engagement and Humber Galleries are pleased to partner together on the Indigenous Transmedia Fellowship. This program is for students who self-identify as First Nation (status and non-status), Métis, Inuit, as well as international members of an Indigenous nation. It brings visibility and support to the Indigenous community, while also fostering engagement and collaboration among creative peers. In 2020, under the mentorship of Humber staff, five students were selected to develop their talents in film installation, digital media, graphic design, and storytelling, resulting in the creation of Native Enough, a 7-minute art film.

Acknowledgements

• Exhibition Sponsor

  

The 2020 ITF team would like to thank Humber Indigenous Education & Engagement, Humber Galleries, and the Faculty of Media and Creative Arts for their ongoing support.