A Cree Approach profiles groundbreaking language keeper, March 5 to 8 at VIFF Centre
Vancouver-based Tristin Greyeyes finds inspiration in her grandmother’s story in documentary at GEMFest
A Cree Approach
A Cree Approach screens at the VIFF Centre on March 7. GEMFest runs March 5 to 8
THE LATE TRAILBLAZER Freda Ahenakew, a nêhiyaw (Cree) woman, dedicated her life to saving the once-threatened nēhiyawēwin language. But that’s just the beginning of her remarkable story, as told in A Cree Approach, the new documentary by her granddaughter, Vancouver-based Tristin Greyeyes.
The film, years in the making, began as part of Greyeyes’ long journey to understand why Cree isn’t her first language.
We learn Ahenakew’s story, from attending residential school in her teenage years to dropping out to get married and have children. She returned to academics in 1968, attending high school at the same time as several of her kids—and didn’t stop there. She went on to study at the University of Saskatchewan, receiving her bachelor of education in 1979, and later earning a master’s degree from the University of Manitoba.
By 1998, she had been recognized with the Order of Canada. That was in part for her celebrated master’s thesis, also published as the book Cree Language Structures: A Cree Approach, a foundational guide to Plains Cree grammar.
And while achieving all this, she was providing for her 12 children and others who came into her care.
In the film, all of this work done by Tristin’s grandmother deeply inspires her to reclaim her heritage. The documentary screens the day before International Women’s Day.
It joins 35 films from 13 countries at the 21st annual Gender Equity in Media Festival (GEMFest), returning to the VIFF Centre. Other locally helmed films include the teen-horror twist Foreigner and the documentary Have You Heard Judi Singh?.
A Cree Approach is also set to screen in April at the Sundar Prize Film Festival in Surrey. 
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