One of Ours (2021) - full transcript

Everybody, I feel like
everybody heals differently

and everybody has a different
process of healing

and dealing with trauma,
and like,

events that have happened
with them.

I was trying to heal it
on my own.

Hi, Josiah! Smile, come on!

Come on! Wah!

Ah, he's not doing it.

Do you take the
responsibilities as parents

to raise,
promise to do all you can,

to help present Josiah
to know Jesus?



Yes, we do.

Qu'est-ce que tu penses, Jos?

Est-ce que tu surpris?

Qui est là? Qui est I?

Merci pour Bella Bella.

Thank you, Bella Bella.

I'm Black, I'm from Haiti.

I got adopted into a half
white-half Native family.

Because of that,
I got Native status.

This is the only life
I've known. This is day one.

Coming bowling with us?
What the heck?

Of course, you're coming
bowling with us.

It's always a toss up -
basketball, bowling,

basketball, bowling. Right?
Uh...



We go bowling like, once
every five years so it's,

so it's hard for us
to get good at it.

Literally, I haven't...

Happy adoption day, Everyone.
Woo-hoo!

Can you believe
it's been 22 and 23 years?

Like, how did that happen?

It only became fun when
I was born though, right?

The heck?!

Don, this chicken's
really good.

Unlike you,
you tell Mom everything.

I'm glad you like it.

Yo, you gotta get one of
these guys on your farm.

The all-black chickens.
Oh, yeah, yeah.

The Blacks are black meat
and everything.

I don't know where
they're from, but...

They're from Indonesia.
All right, let's go get one.

Yeah. Like, they're black,
black, black.

Even their meat is dark, dark,
dark purple.

So weird.
Yeah.

That doesn't look appetizing.
A black pig.

Black is beautiful!
All:

It's true.

I don't even know
what age I even like,

it hit me that I was adopted,
or nothin', like,

honestly, for the longest time,
I thought

I was just the same
as everybody else.

All I knew is I didn't
actually have a like,

a birth Mom and Dad,
and all that stuff.

Like, that's all I knew.

I knew, I knew something
was up because I was like,

I don't actually
have parents, like,

I'm living with somebody else.

Something that I didn't
know yet was just off,

and it was that like,
that connection,

that like full blood on
connection.

They never really made it seem
like if I was different,

or anything like that like...
I felt like, the same,

but I knew something
wasn't fully there.

Our adoption day tradition
has always been to say

that it's a very special time,
and we all get very cheesy,

so I'm trying not
to be cheesy, Josiah.

He's like, "Don't get cheesy."

Are we all gonna say one
thing we appreciate?

No that's Thanksgiving.

But anyways, our tradition
has always been just to say

that Mariah and Josiah
are amazing, and we love them,

and we're so happy that
they're in our family.

Don't drag it on.

We have to leave in
five minutes, for bowling.

Uh, okay. Goodbye.
Jos, don't run away!

No.
You're very fun.

Always give thanks to God

for giving Mariah and Josiah
to our family.

Always.

I think um,

you're much easier to look after

before you turn 26.

I agree.

Alright.

Okay, Jos, your turn.
Damian, your turn.

I've gotta thank Josiah
for toughening me up

and roughing me around
all until I was like, 13.

And now I'm immune.

Stronger, because of him.

And then, thanks for Mariah,

for showing me the other side
of siblings.

We didn't know what the hell
we were doing,

but it turned out pretty good.

We did not know what
the hell we were doing.

Nowadays, people have read
like, 19 books

before they even get pregnant,
and we didn't read anything,

we didn't know anything,
we didn't, had no idea.

Remember that time and
we had that quilt thing,

and it was one
of the few blankets.

Oh, and she got all
tangled up in it.

And she got tangled up in it
and her whole head

was wrapped in that quilt.
Oh, my God.

And she fell off the end
of the bed into a basket

with this thing wrapped
around her head.

I'm like, "Why does
she sound so muffled?"

All: What the heck?!

That's why you don't put
blanket on a baby!

That explains a lot.

We didn't have anything
there! No crib.

We had no nothing.
We literally,

were not going to Haiti
to try to find kids.

She landed in our laps.

Don: As a Heiltsuk person,

home will always be Bella Bella,

will always be the Heiltsuk
Nation.

The kids always knew that.

They knew that that's
where Daddy's from,

that's where our family all is.

I had 14 years to live immersed

in my Nation and my community,

and I haven't had that
opportunity ever since.

I watch it all from afar.

It didn't take the core
identity out of me.

This is Bella Bella.

And I still identify as a,

as a Heiltsuk person above,
above all else.

Look at Mama!

And I tried to instil that
connectedness to my children.

Welcome home.
That is beautiful!

You guys did a great job.

We go to Bella,
and like, they love us.

Papa can ring for service!

We've been part
of the family there.

They, they treat us like
one of their own, they,

it ain't no different.

So, I mean, they've always
just accepted us,

which is beautiful.

Hey!

Hey-hey-hey!

Oh! Ooh!
Yo, this guy!

He would've been like,
that's not my name.

Josiah: As long as I can
remember,

basketball has been the one
thing that I've played,

dreamt of.

It was very important to me,
like,

I played it from a young age,
I played on multiple teams,

I travelled all over with them.

I won a couple championships,
and whatnot.

Basketball was always like,
the one that stuck around,

like, no matter what else
I did, or whatever,

I'd always come back to
basketball at the end of the day.

It was a very important
piece of my life.

Don: So, Josiah got involved
with the high school team

and some community leagues,
and he just loved it

and he was really good at it.

And he got invited
to participate

in the Heiltsuk Nation um,
Junior All Native team.

The All Native basketball
tournament is a big deal

on the West Coast.
Basketball is,

is the sport that everybody
is really passionate about,

and it goes back a long ways,
like decades.

Teams would train all year,

they would bring all
of their village pride

to the tournament and
compete for their Nations.

So, this was a really cool
way for him

to get involved with people
from home, and sort of learn,

and connect,
and learn about the culture.

He played for two years

at the All Native basketball
tournament.

Until the third year,

somebody protested
his involvement,

and one of their rules was that

an individual had to be born

with at least one-eighth
Indigenous blood.

That is a type of a blood
quantum rule.

Josiah: They can't legally be
that, because I was adopted,

and it's, from,
from me being adopted,

it's pretty much the same
thing as if I had Native blood,

because it's not like if I had
a choice for this situation.

But they didn't want
to see it like that.

Don: And then, when they found
out that he was born Haitian

and we adopted him, they
said well, he can't play.

Female Reporter: Who is
Indigenous?

The question has been
at the centre

of a controversial decision
to deny Josiah Wilson

from playing in the All Native
basketball tournament.

He had already provided
his status card uh,

as proof that his is a
Registered Status Indian.

The family was shocked
when the 21 year old

was sent a letter barring
him from playing

in the All Native Basketball
Tournament.

Do you consider yourself
First Nations?

Yes, I do. I've been,
I've been part

of the community in Bella Bella,
the Heiltsuk community,

for a while now, and I was
a social worker out there

and I helped out with the kids,
and everything like that.

So, yeah, I do consider myself
part of their community.

I was actually shocked and hurt,
just knowing that

after two years of playing
for the All Native,

and they've seen me play before,
and then just boom,

they say that I can't play
for them,

I was actually very shocked
on that.

If they see that I'm adopted
and I have a Native status,

I feel like I should be allowed
to play.

You got this!

You're gonna break
things here.

It goes by the name.
Well, that's racist.

What?

Why do the Black kids
have to go last, huh?

Wait a minute, no, I go first!

Yeah, you literally put...

I put my name in first.

Okay! This looks promising, Dad!

Yeeahhhh!
Okay.

I told Mariah if she doesn't
get a strike

she can't come back home,
that's it.

Oh, maybe, maybe, maybe! Oh!

Mariah: I'm very proud
of my parents for like,

making those choices that
they made in their life

to adopt two, beautiful,
great kids from Haiti,

and then, um, having two
of their own as well,

and then like, being able to,

to bond and to be stronger
as a family,

I think that's awesome
how that story played out.

Don: Adoption is,
certainly in my world view,

it's a very powerful thing.

I was so close!

Don: We were young and naive,

not knowing what we were
getting ourselves into.

Ended up moving to Haiti.

The chapter of our lives
in Haiti

still reverberates today

because we ended up starting
our family down there

and adopting our two kids.

Don: Bumpy ride, but we're at...

at Numerson's compound
in Léogâne.

Don: I had a nursing degree;
she was a teacher.

We thought we could do some
good in the world

and we looked for opportunities,

so we both ended up
working in the hospital.

Don: In my culture,
in the Heiltsuk culture,

adoption has been a very
important part of our culture.

It's the way we grow our
families and,

and strengthen ties
between communities,

so adoption was nothing
strange or new, to me.

Doesn't matter how you
have your children,

you just love them. You,
you would do anything for them.

Don: There's the family
that we're born into,

there's the family
that we married into.

Okay, avec la, okay.

Don: Even though my ex-wife
and I are divorced,

we still act like a family

because we love these kids
so much.

Eh, dansez-vous!

I mean, it was a good night,
though. I ain't gonna lie

like, we had fun, to an extent.

I mean, they had fun. I had...

You didn't have fun?

Hmm, I enjoyed seeing
my Grandma.

So, I haven't seen her in like
three and a half, four months.

So, it was definitely a good
thing for me to see her.

Dad asked if my Grandma was
there, I already told, um,

I would've dipped out so quick.
I wouldn't have stayed.

My Grandma, she's my OG, yo!
Yeah?

Ever since my Grandpa
passed away,

I just had to be there
for her and like,

my Grandpa was the, my day one.
Yo, like,

I'll show you my Grandpa, y'all.

This man,

he's straight Native,
you know what I'm sayin',

like, this is my Dad's Dad.

I could straight up
consider them like,

a second set of parents,
pretty much.

Maybe even a third or fourth
set of parents, if you wanna,

go, like that,
but that's another story.

From the moment that,

honestly, from the moment that
my parents got separated,

'til like, 'til now, yo,
my Grandma, my Grandpa

have been like, literally
the closest, beside my homies.

Oh, yeah, this is, this is my,

this is one of the first times
Papa ever went to Haiti.

I think this is like, their
only time they've ever went.

That was like, one thing
I was actually upset

when he passed away is like,

he really wanted to go back
to Haiti again.

You know, he was definitely
one of a guy, one of a kind guy,

like, yeah, he was special.

He was really special to me.

I saw this guy downtown,
this white guy,

with the worst dreads.
I was just like, "Oh, my God."

He was white?

First of all, white people
shouldn't have dreads, but-

That's what I'm saying, white
people don't get dreads.

But-
Yo, they're ugly.

Because their hair doesn't
lock, right, properly.

But also, they were really
hideous looking.

So disrespectful. So racist.

That's, yeah,
he shouldn't be wearing...

So racist to have red dreads
like that, you ugly ass.

I think...

I like, keeping hollers to
be like, "Who does your hair?"

Uh huh! I know!

All I'm saying is that,
fuck all that other shit,

my Mom knows what she's doin'.

We don't need all those
extra tools.

Y'all got money though?
If y'all got money,

you can come,
you know what I'm saying?

Exactly, you gonna pay me?
Ten percent for the boy,

you know, 90% for her,
you know what I'm saying?

Oh, ten, okay,
that sounds fair.

Trying to make you look good.
Price you pay to be beautiful.

Well, it shouldn't hurt
to be beautiful.

Well, I know, it shouldn't,

but tell that to every woman
who waxes her legs.

You're gonna be so handsome
after this.

The thing that he said then,
and he said as he got older,

Dad shouldn't have left us.

Everybody leaves.

Our divorce was extremely
hard on him

and he has taken that on
as a bit of an abandonment.

And so, then being rejected by
the Indigenous community

and that basketball community
that had been important to him,

there's been a lot there
that he has to work through.

Everybody's always looking
for where do they belong

in the world, and that was
a place he belonged, right.

Andrew Chang: What about
this stings the most,

I mean, this idea that you're,
you're not Native enough

to participate
in the tournament?

Even though I have status

and I've been part of the
community for a long time now,

and I lived out there
with my Grandma,

just not being able to go up
there this year with the boys,

to see them,
everything just hurts.

It made a scar on me,
you know what I'm saying,

like, it definitely let a mark.

Who are you to tell me
that I ain't Native?

Don: As a Black person adopted
by a non-Black family,

he's already had to contend
with that side

of his identity
and figure out who he was.

He came into our family by
adoption and not by birth,

doesn't make him any less
legitimately Heiltsuk.

The blood quantum rule,

if you carry it to
its logical conclusion,

it will eliminate and erase
Indigenous people down the road.

That's a colonial concept

that has been imposed
on Indigenous people.

Pam: Kinship and family
is so important to us.

It's nobody else's business
to tell us

who belongs and who doesn't.

It's kind of one of the last
things we have to protect

is who we are, and our way
of life, and you know,

kinship and that part
of our identity

is crucial to our survival.

Don: I decided I wouldn't
let it pass

and tried to engage
some communication

with the All Native Basketball
Tournament committee,

and they wouldn't talk.

So, I took it to the British
Columbia Human Rights Tribunal

and lodged a formal complaint.

Teacher: So, it's important
to read the question over

a couple of times.
Especially on a final exam.

So, 12,000, arrears were,
divide that by 12 months.

The adjustment amount
would have been $1000.

So on future test or exams
ask yourself

what period am I preparing
this financial statement...?

Josiah: It was very traumatic,

like it just had me questioning
so much and just like,

it just had me all fucked up.

It was around that time too,
was when I really started

becoming a stoner, and whatnot.

I definitely used weed like,

to cope with a bunch
of that bullshit.

Doing that, that was definitely
keeping me distracted

and whatnot, and trying not to
think of all this negativity,

and all that bullshit,
and all that.

Yeah, a lot of like,
the fats, and lipids

and like, the toxins
that you would find.

Like, I don't know, like you
don't get the heavy tars

from burning it,
like when you smoke a bong,

or when you smoke a joint.

You can like, feel the like,
heavy kind of resins and tars.

Whereas you do this, it's
already, it's all kind of,

all that stuff's been removed,
so, you're just kinda getting

all the good stuff
in one little bunch.

Josiah: I'll be flying like,
in February though,

because I have to go to a
basketball tournament in BC,

for like, this whole thing.
Yeah.

So, it's like maybe.
I don't know if I'm gonna stay

up for the whole tournament,
yet.

I just wanna go see my cousins
and my homies,

and all that stuff, the family.

And then, deal with the stuff
I gotta deal with.

It's crazy how packed it gets.
It's wild.

It's honestly a good time
though, it's just like,

a huge gathering of like,
Native clans,

just to play ball.
It's honestly like,

it's a good time,
that's all it is.

But I mean, that's what it was.

It was supposed to be,
but they fucked up.

But who knows.

Only time can tell, I guess.

Don: A washing ceremony
is a way, culturally,

we take away the negative
influence and impact

of a bad experience on someone

and we wash it off of the trauma

and the negativity of that.

Yo, what's goin' on?
How you doin', Big Papa?

What's goin' on?
I'm good, man. How ya doin'?

Good to see you.
You too, Boss.

What ya doin'?
Man, we're just goin' up to Rupert.

You playin'?
No, not this year.

I'm playing.
You're playing?

Josiah: When my dad first told
me about the washing ceremony,

I was like, "What?"

I ani't never heard of
something like that before,

but then he explained it to me,
and I was like, you know what,

this could be something
we could do.

Over there, I don't know
if you can see the lights,

there's like, that's the city,
Bella Bella.

But like, we just take them up,
and now we're goin',

now we're goin' like, up north.

It's like, it's Natives.

Jos!

Oh, come here, kid!
Oh, my God!

I've been lookin' for you
this whole time.

How you doin', girl?
Good.

The Rupert people that kicked
me outta this shit,

saying I can't play because
I'm Black, know what I'm sayin'.

But they didn't say those words,
but

we all know that's what
they meant.

See a Black man dunkin'
around and stuff like that,

and actually you know, you
can't play, bro.

But it is what it is,
you know what I'm sayin'.

That's why we on this trip.

Not knowin' what's poppin'.

Producer: So is it that
you just like,

you wanna meet people.

Yeah, the main thing. I just
wanna see who these niggas is.

Oh, y'all didn't hear about
that, huh? Y'all didn't hear,

you didn't hear what
was happenin' with that?

What happened?
Oh!

Yeah, we're not getting it
no more.

It's like, 'cause I didn't
come up last year

because of my surgery, like,
as if it was my fault right,

because you know like,
I planned to get surgery.

So, if you can't do that man,
you a bum nigga.

That's all I'm saying.

But hey, like I said,

we'll see what happens
when we get up there.

I'd like to call on the

Intermediate Coach and Manager.

So, you know, we had a problem
with getting Josiah

on the basketball team,

and we're thankful
for all our people

for standing up for Josiah,
the Hereditary Chiefs,

Tribal Council,
and all our people.

You know, he was adopted
in the traditional way

and we've always accepted him

and we're so thankful for him
to be coming to play

with his team, the young men
that he played with

over the time at the All Native
Tournament.

We all know that
Josiah's from Haiti,

that's where he's originally
from,

but he only knows Heiltsuk,
you know,

and that's the important part.

So, we wanted to
do this here today

because the All Native
Tournament committee

wouldn't allow us to do it in

the All Native Tournament,

which is unfortunate.

So, if we can stand up
in front of our people

and just let him know
how happy we are to,

to have him back here today.

He knows how much you care
for him,

because he can feel it.

You know, he knows he's
around family right now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I just wanted to say
thank you to all of you,

for all the support
and all the love

that you guys have shown
throughout the last four years

since I got kicked out.

Um, it's been hard on me
and my family,

and I know it's been hard on
my teammates and my community,

but I just wanted to say that
you guys stood behind me

and was with me the whole time,

so I just wanted to say
thank you a lot, for that.

It means the world to me.

For those of you that don't
know the words of this song,

it says "We are Heiltsuk,
We are strong."

"We are proud.
We are good-looking." Woo!

So, that's to you, Josiah.

Thank you very much.
Thank you so much. Thank you.

Man: It's just tough for him
because he got robbed.

Like, it hurts him.
Like, he'll never forget this.

He got robbed of what,
three years now?

Josiah: Four.
Four years,

four years of basketball.

One of things that got him
excited was to go to the...

All Native, to us,
is the biggest thing for us.

It's the most exciting thing,
one time of the year.

We call it second Christmas,
right, like,

that's how much we love
the All Native.

He got an unfair shot right,
like,

that's all he's ever known
is Heiltsuk.

He's never known, really,
his other side until... what?

Until I was older.
Yeah, yeah.

Even then it wasn't like,
I didn't,

I didn't know them the same
was as I did for Bella Bella.

Like, I'd go to Haiti,
but it was like,

my Mom's Grandma has
an orphanage over there,

so it's not like I'm going
to see my blood family.

Like, they all passed away,
and stuff like that.

So, I mean, I don't,
when I go to Haiti, it's a trip,

it's a vacation for me,
you know what I'm saying?

When I come out here,
yeah, it's a vacation,

but I'm coming out here
to see family and stuff,

so, it's, it's two different
ways I see it.

It's good to see you though,
man.

You too. Good to see you.

Glad you're good.
Thank you, you too.

At least you didn't get that
bad of a depression anyway.

Could've went a whole
different way.

Mm-hmm.
Right?

Wasn't too bad, like...
At least you stayed positive.

Mm-hmm. I tried to,
That's the good part.

As much as I could. It was an
honour being on their team.

Our team.
Our team.

Yeah, our team.

Amen.

Don: Coming to Prince Rupert
is a bit of an ordeal.

If there was going to be
a public apology,

that totally makes it worth it
to come all this way.

What is disappointing
is the lack of willingness

to take accountability
for what they've done to him,

to his family, to his Nation,

to our elected leadership.

They actually threatened
to ban the Heiltsuk team

if we included something
like a welcome back gesture,

for Josiah, and or,
a washing ceremony.

Defence! Defence!

Let's go! Go!
Woo!

Defence! Defence!

They're switching everything.
That's what we've gotta do

every time on that top side,
right.

We've gotta make them make
decisions, right.

If you're having
to pick up the ball,

they're making sloppy
passes now.

Continue to fight through.
Call those screws.

Count on everything.

Josiah: This was like the big,
the big year for me,

you know what I'm saying,
like I,

I got a couple years they said
I couldn't play.

Like, just a lot of work,
and time,

and effort came to like,
this year.

And then, I thought they
was gonna do the ceremony

and all that,
and now they're not.

Nothing. They didn't even
follow through with nothing.

Other than saying that
I can come back and play.

They put a big damper on me,
like,

I've low-key kind of lost
hope for it.

Like, I don't, I have no idea
what's happening anymore.

Man, you playing?
Huh? Not this year,

I got surgery over the summer,
so I'm in recovery.

It's alright.

It's, in the cold it
hurts because I mean,

I've got a metal pole
in my foot,

so when I get cold out
I feel it a lot,

but right now, I'm okay.

It's just more recovery,

but hopefully I'll be playing
next year.

Hello.
Hey, what's up, man?

How ya doin'?
How ya doin'? Good.

I'm good. How you doing?
I like your trainers.

I'm not, not on TV right now,
but it will be.

We're filming for the future.

Filming for the future?
Yeah, man.

That's cool.
Yeah, I know. That's lit.

Check out my nigger, Mark.
Ha ha.

My nigga...

What the hell?

Josiah: Honestly,
it's gotten to the point

where everybody be using
the word nigger nowadays,

like I know so many people that
ain't niggers, they be like,

bro, you the pastiest thing
alive, what do you mean?

They all used the word,
trust me.

I've kind of just accepted it.

I'm guessing, yes.

Don: Any dip in there, Ken,
for veggies?

Whoa!

I don't know what that is.

White people food.
Mm-hmm.

You are what you eat.

Oh, brother!

Oh!
How are you?

Oh, it's nice to see you.
It's good to see you, too.

You doin' okay?
Yeah. So am I.

Good stuff. Yeah.
Uh huh.

Well, I'm happy to see you.

Do you know what time
I've been up since?

I know but...

Yeah, a 12, 24-hour boat ride.
Good.

Initially when I booked
my flight,

there was this plan that there
would be something happening

actually with the tournament
itself, like some sort of,

they would provide some time
before, after, or during a game,

sort of officially
with the tournament.

With the committee refusing

to acknowledge anything
publicly,

it doesn't feel done to me,
but that's frustrating.

How long did it, what time
were you guys there,

like half an hour?
Where, in Bella?

No, no in like...
The room?

The ceremony, yeah.
What about, not the ceremony,

but you know what I mean.
I don't even know.

Couple minutes, like,
10, 20 minutes maybe.

Okay.
It wasn't the longest thing.

No, but it was nice.
It was just a quick thing.

Oh, that's good!

No, I am so grateful
for what they did.

Because I just wish
I could've been there.

That's awesome. Yeah, me too.
That would've been neat.

I'm not, I didn't really
miss the like,

19-hour ferry ride,
to be honest.

You didn't miss nothin'.

Thank you, thank you,
thank you

to everybody for coming
and being here today.

Something that my daughter
and I talk about all the time

that we're lacking,
we're missing here

is just this family connections.

Love you all, and thank you
for supporting my boy,

and with what he's been
going through.

It's been a very um, it's been
quite the rollercoaster.

Yes.

Yeah, I'm glad we can
all be here.

And Liette, flying all the way
from Calgary today,

Li getting up at four
in the morning.

See, your parents,

you might think your parents
might love you a bit.

Yeah.

I think it's, I feel like
maybe it's in the summertime.

Huh?

I think it's maybe
in the summertime,

but I have no idea. I'll have
to check when I get back.

Okay.

Jasmine.

Jasmine can you come here
for a minute, please?

They're struggling without
you.

They'd like to hear Creole,

so can you two talk
about something?

Or hey, you and my Dad
go ahead.

Yeah, you and Don go ahead,

because you guys
are better than me.

I understand. I understand
it; I don't speak.

Uh, A, took me out of
my beautiful country

and brought me to the Badlands.

Nobody speaks Creole here, yo,
how am I supposed to speak?

Because we wanted them to have
that linguistic connections.

So, it's ironic like,
I speak English, French,

Haitian Creole,
uh, a fair amount of Spanish,

and American Sign Language,

and tiny bit of Heiltsuk.

I just wish I could speak
my original,

my Aboriginal language
better than I speak it,

but no opportunity.
I had way more opportunity

to learn other languages
than my own.

And that's what they did
to me.

They took me out of my native
language place

and brought me up.

Josiah, that's why you speak
French, and then,

when you go back to Haiti,
people can understand you.

Well, they look at me like,
man,

what are you talkin' about?
Yeah.

It's sad. It's not the same.

Oh, that flash was...!

Did it work?

Okay, Josiah is the hard one
to see.

Don: My opinion, they're
just failing to recognize

the human beings on the other
side of those rules.

Rules are, they're necessary,

you can't have a functional
tournament without rules,

but on the other hand,

there's sort of a rigidity

and a lack of compassion

regarding who is on the other
side of those rules.

This whole experience has
been eye-opening, you know.

Tell me about it.
Indigenous politics are,

are complicated to begin with,

and then you add Nation
allegiances

and personalities,

it's all, it is what it is.

Wow that sun is really
killing you.

It's hitting my eye,
like right in my eyes.

Jos, you're gonna get black.

Hopefully.

You're gonna get darker.
Hopefully.

See, if you keep wearing
that jacket you're,

you're gonna run out
of Vitamin D.

You need the sun on your skin
to get Vitamin D.

I'll take medicine.

This is, this is your doctor
father speaking to you.

He might know a thing or two.
I think you guys need

a little bit more Vitamin D,
than me.

Josiah: It was nice
to be back and see

all the homies and everything,
but at the same time,

it was like, I don't know
if I wanna be part

of such a negative thing,
you know?

Don: Our Hereditary Chiefs
are not satisfied

at leaving it there.

Their desire and preference is

to have a proper washing
ceremony for Josiah done

in Bella Bella,
in the fall of 2019,

to do it in our own territory.

In some ways, it's gonna be
that much more powerful.

Ariane, this one's even
better! Come check this!

Hey, Mariah,
I'm in a really big rush.

I have leave in 10 minutes.
Man!

Josiah was the cutest one
out of all four of us.

Then, I don't know
what happened.

At least he's actually legit
smiling 'cause like,

there are times that honestly,

smiling for Josiah
was like, not a thing.

I guess every child
that gets adopted,

they seem to have
different reactions.

Sometimes they have different
way of coping

through different situations,
and for Josiah,

he's never really been great
at expressing himself.

Liette: That's Josiah
with his Papa.

That's who he was closest to.

I guess probably
his favourite person.

They always knew, and we always
talked about it,

and we talked about how they
came to join our family.

Mariah always had her
biological father in Haiti;

we used to be able to go
and visit him

and spend time with him.
And Josiah,

both of his birth parents
had passed away,

so there was definitely
a sense of, sort of,

a real sense of loss
in his life.

I think that's pretty normal
for adoptive kids

to have to work through that in
various stages of their life,

as they mature.

It's like an onion, you don't
just deal with it once.

Josiah: I didn't even get
to really talk to my Mama

because I mean,
she passed away so quick.

I've always just had an image
that my Mama and my Papa

are always watching over me.
So, I mean,

I believe they're
watching over me.

Anything that my biological
children would have

according to Canadian law,

my adoptive children
also have the right too.

So, that's why
they all have status,

and people are like, "Oh, I
never thought of it that way."

And I think the other thing
is like, Indigeneity

is not necessarily blood.
Blood, right.

It's not blood, it's like,
involvement in your community.

It's like, informing people,
it's having like a pride

and like, knowing your culture.
Yeah.

It's not just,
"Oh, I'm full Native,

"I'm 100%," like,
that's kind of weird.

Blood just doesn't constitute
being an Indigenous person,

fully to me.

And a lot of like,
our questions about um,

being Heiltsuk are always gonna
come back to us being,

white passing.
Yeah.

For sure, because to me,
I do feel

a responsibility to my community

but I also almost feel like
I don't have a say,

and I don't want to centre
myself in these discussions.

What is this white girl doing?

Talking about our issues,

centring yourself on our issues,

when she's not living
the same experiences as us.

Obviously, in terms of like,
my ancestry and my Dad,

like I am in Indigenous person
but I don't look like one.

I can very easily navigate
like, the world,

in way that I could pretend
that I am not Indigenous at all.

I had this teacher
in elementary, I think,

that didn't believe me
I was First Nations,

for some reason,
just super strange.

And like, the next day
I brought my status card

to school, she was like,
"Oh, like..." you know,

because I don't look it, right.
So, I mean, it does happen.

But there's a sense of like,
resentfulness

when it comes to being white.
Do I personally want

to identify more with
or whatever, right.

And it's a tough question
and I feel like I always

kind of struggle with it.

Josiah, you were very cute.
We were watching baby pictures.

I know I was cute.
Y'all always tell me that.

Why you always so mad?
Just be happy.

Yeah, and I was lying on the
ground and you were next to me,

Josiah, and I just put my arm
around you like,

"Josiah," just gonna lie there.

Josiah, you actually
used to love me.

You were always, you were
playing trucks in my face,

and you were trying to get
me to play trucks.

Yeah, yeah, the keyword,
they keyword, "loved".

Isn't that sad, though?
No, not really.

I'm sad about it.

Like, I remember in high
school, he would like,

protect me from like, the big,
scary people who would like,

make fun of me, or they would
like, say things to me

that were offensive,
and he'd be like,

"Oh, you're gonna talk
to my sister like that?

And " And kinda like,
scare them away."

So, he definitely cares
about me and I know that.

If anything happens in this
thing, you know what I'm sayin',

it ain't 'cause of her,
it's 'cause of me.

Josiah.
So just know.

This would not have
happened without Dad

and us pushing you to do it
to begin with.

My nigga, it would've
happened either way.

You know why?

'Cause the world needs
to know that I am...

This is not your attitude!

You're just stunting
for cameras.

I'm just talking outta my ass.
Stunting for the camera.

Always talking outta my ass.
She's been knowing that shit.

Okay, well, you promised me
a hug from this morning.

No, I didn't.
Yeah, ya did.

My nigger...
If I change numbers.

Yeah, you did! You promised. Oh.

Now, hey, listen to me.
I love you.

Get outta here!
Gotta get one more!

Come on! That was your turn!

Oh, can I get one on
the, when I'm back?

We'll see how ya did!

Tevan: See what I mean
by tough love?

Anyway, I love him.
He's my brother, so.

And he puts on like,
a brave face for everything,

like he won't, even like,

I don't think I've seen him cry

since probably
my Grandpa passed away,

and even that was like,
one tear. He just like,

he might have cried
in private and stuff,

but he's like, like really,
really private

and he doesn't really share
his emotions, at least with us.

Jesus loves me

Yes, he does love me

Liette: Ah, ici, Ariane.
Ariane! Hey.

Hey. Ariane!

Don: That's not nice.

Hold up. Hi, hi, hi!

Ah!
Yeah! Ah!

Whoa, Jos!

Um, I've asked you a few times

but can you talk about your Dad?

I mean, we can maybe talk
about him. Not today.

Not today?
Maybe another day.

Okay.

I don't know we,
we had our differences.

You know, I dunno, stuff
happened in the past.

We kinda, I kinda just didn't
accept stuff

and got upset.

And I, I just kinda did
my own thing, really.

But... I dunno,
life happens, really.

We fight too much, honestly.
Like, I, I'm honestly,

I'm just an instigator
with my family.

I'm always starting
some shit, yo.

I don't even know why half
the time, I just, I dunno,

I'm an instigator
for some reason.

I'm always, there's always
some shit goin' down

and I'm always in the middle
of it.

It's always Josiah
and this, Josiah and that.

But so, we figured out
that like,

the best thing for us,

I just stay away from them
and we all be good.

I don't go out instigating
everybody,

just like really
my siblings mainly.

But I don't know, there's
something about the way

they react it just,
oh, it gets me.

Makes me happy. I dunno.

Me and Mariah, we had thing
goin' on when we was kids

like, we was like, we was
honestly OG's and then,

these white things came around.

Changed the whole game.

And who? What are,
what are white things?

Ariane and Tevan! Yeah.

Me and Mariah, Liette and Don,

were living good, y'all.
Know what I'm saying?

Life was good.
We was out in Vancouver

doing our thing, me and Mariah
would eat some Cheerios

behind the toilet
at like 5:00 a.m. sometimes,

you know. Just the way it was,
you know what I'm saying, like.

And then we had some more kids.

Well, not we, but them. What?

And then the house
just got packed, like,

people everywhere and always
just, there was so much,

there was just too much goin'
on all the time.

Like, there was just never
a quiet place.

It was kind of annoying
honestly, sometimes.

Honestly, I think ever since
my Grandpa passed away really,

I was definitely that hurt,
that hurt a lot.

But he was like the main,
he kept me in order, yo.

He, he didn't like when I,
when I fought with the,

with the other kids,
and stuff like that.

So, he'd always keep me
straight. He'd be like, "Hey!"

Whenever I'd start some shit,
he'd be like, "Josiah!"

So, like, he kept me in order.
And then, like...

don't mean I don't like him,
though.

He's always gonna be my blood
and whatnot,

but that dude piss me off
sometimes. I tell ya that.

Josiah: I might be playing now.

So, I don't know what's
happening really,

but I was on the phone
with them just now, so.

We'll see what happens.

Okay. So, you'd be playing
with the Heiltsuk team?

Yeah, I guess so.
Okay, yo, um,

I got a call today saying
that they want me to play

for the tournament now.

Liette: Okay. Bella Bella?

Yeah, but I'm figuring it out.
Like, I messaged him.

I messaged the coach yesterday
and he's like,

"Oh, I'll get back to you
this afternoon, so."

I would, I mean,
I would love to see you play

in the tournament.
That would just go.

Yeah, I mean, I'm cool
with just going too,

but alright, okay.

I know, but it's better
if you can play.

Let's get it!
How does it feel?

I mean, I don't know.
Good, I guess.

I don't really have emotions
for it. Doesn't really faze me.

It is what it is.

It was meant to happen.
I don't know.

I'm not gonna say that like,
I'm overly excited or like,

out of joy just for the... no.

Cool, I'm playing ball.

That's that.

Oh, it be like that, though.
It be like that.

I just, I literally
was chilling one day

and I seen a nigger
and I was like,

that kid right there,
that's my bro.

And that's how it went.
Is that how it went?

Pretty much.
Yo, literally like,

ever since we was young

we either was gonna become
athletes

or was gonna get into the music
industry or something.

Like, I mean, we stuck by.

For the longest time we were
straight, we played,

we played sports. Like,
the weed and all this shit,

the lifestyle you guys see now,
man,

this came like years after
fucking high school, bro.

Yeah, no I'm going back now.
What, to play?

Yeah. I got a call today.
Have fun with your lungs.

Fuck me.

Better start that cardio.
Better play half court, then.

Oh, Josiah, you're actually
trying to hoop again?

Hoop?
Oh, like, it's goin' down.

Like, I'm going up.
Yikes.

I wanna come watch.
WE should just go to watch.

Fuck you, guys.

Can I just say, bro, I'm sorry,
I'll give you a hoop mix tape.

When he plays he's gonna beyond
fitted out of his mind too,

so like, you know, like...

I don't work out,
I don't run, I don't hoop,

I barely eat, I smoke weed.

Whadda ya mean ya barely?
That shit.

Um,

I think it's definitely like
harder when you're younger

'cause you're a little bit
more unappreciative.

'Cause I mean, for me,
'cause I was always thinking

that I still wanted my family
there

and this wasn't really my
family here until like,

I grew up and I started
appreciating

what they actually do for me.

But for the most part
it's pretty good.

It's kinda, it's kind of,
with the all Native shit,

I don't, I didn't really
know any different,

you know what I'm sayin',
like this is how it was.

Like, I had no other choice.

So, it's like, it is what it is.

But like, I don't know,

I'm not even gonna talk bad
about my parents or nothing,

like I fucks with them but...

I don't know there's definitely,

I dunno, something different
about it, y'all.

Something's weird about it.

I don't think me personally,
I would do adoption though.

Just from knowing
how I went through.

I don't think I would
personally.

I've always thought about doing
it just because I feel like,

okay, yeah, there are those
struggling kids out there,

and all that, that want,
like that need a family,

but at the same time it's like,

I don't know if I wanna
do that to a kid.

Like, I don't know, it's that
weird feeling like yeah,

no, there's all the love and
everything there, but like...

It's not the same.

I feel like there's different
energy it being like,

your legit blood,
you know what I'm saying.

And I could be wrong,
but I mean, that's how I feel.

I just feel like there's something
different there that's like...

I just felt like it's like,

like especially like for us,

you're not really gonna
know what that real Mom

love feel like, or real Dad
love feel like.

'Cause you know how whenever...

Straight from your own blood,
you know what I mean.

Cuz, you know, how every
Mother says there's like,

that motherly love? Like...
Yeah. We don't have that.

What mother? I don't know?
I haven't met. Cool.

What is it, like you know
what I mean? Like, you know.

I got the love that I got.

And I'm not saying it
was shitty,

I'm not saying there's like,
any better or wrong way,

but I mean like...
You only knew one thing.

Yeah, so I mean, you never,
It was regular.

There's a feel, there's
a tension, or something.

Yeah.
At the end of the day,

you know like, we're different

There's that image of niggers,
you know what I'm saying,

and I am a nigger.
And the way that I dress.

Like, the people,
like just my lifestyle,

I've got that image portrayed
around me, so it's like.

And then you've got my siblings
that are the good white kids,

you know what I'm saying.
So, it's like,

am I competing against them,
or what? Like...

I'm not gonna say they treated
us differently, but I just,

I don't know, just like,
the energy around us,

and like at times I've just,
I've noticed some.

But I don't know,
I guess it is what it is.

Don: Back home in Bella Bella,

when we were growing up,
if you did something wrong

with your fishing skills,
or whatever,

you got called a farmer.

So, I never dreamed
I would be doing this.

But it matches my philosophy
of raising your own food

and I'm a meat eater,

so I like the idea of knowing
where it comes from.

I grew up in the 70s,
in Bella Bella.

When I was growing up,

most of my exposure to religion
was the United Church

because we lived literally
across the street

from the United Church building.

Missionaries have been
involved in,

in my Nation since the 1800's
or maybe even earlier.

There had been uh, influence

of more Evangelical Christianity

that had some kind of
an impact on social norms

or social values becoming a
little bit more conservative

in that domain.

Religion became a bigger
thing for me

after I left Bella Bella and um,

left and went away
for high school

and got more deeply involved.

If you were LGBT,

which I actually didn't
know that I was

when I left Bella Bella
at age 14,

it took about a year
before I consciously realized

that I was gay,

but I couldn't accept it.

And just as I became aware
that I was gay,

there was this big debate over
whether you were acceptable

as a person, or not.

And so, I wasn't about
to come out of the closet.

And then I got in my
relationship with my ex-wife,

with Liette, and we fell in love

and it was legit,
and got married,

because that's just what
you did back in those,

in those circles.

You didn't prolong
a relationship um,

and move in together
without being married.

That was prohibited
by the church.

And that kinda took
precedence over my,

my Heiltsuk identity.

Um, and it wasn't until
13 years into marriage

when I just couldn't,
couldn't um,

pretend to be something
that I wasn't anymore,

and then, came out and
we separated and divorced,

and sorted all of that out
afterwards.

Come here, Bella.

But I feel like I was railroaded

into that path of life

where you had to just follow
the evangelical

uh, script.

I've completely discarded
and rejected all of that

because I feel like
it was so damaging.

Like, why can't you be
who you are?

If there is a Creator,

the Creator made me who
and what I am,

and I'm not, I'm not gonna
try to mess with that.

Don: As a gay man
with two partners,

a polyamorous triad
relationship,

well, that's my family.

In a lot of ways,
I, I live with that decision

to not come out of the closet
for so many years,

and how it impacted people,

especially Liette
and my children,

but on the other hand, like,
she's a remarkable person.

I, I just think I, I,
I don't know,

I won the lottery
of the universe

having her as the Mother
of my children,

because she's done
such a good job

getting through all of that,
moving on with her life,

while maintaining a
relationship with someone who,

in a lot of ways,
although unintentionally,

it was a betrayal.

So, you know, I feel bad
about that, even to this day,

I probably will
to the day I die.

So, in a lot of ways,
I felt very unburdened.

And then, in other ways,
by doing so,

I just destroyed someone's life,

namely my ex-wife, right,

and threatened the sort of
psychological stability

and well-being of my children
by initiating a divorce.

I don't doubt that Josiah
loves me.

I, I know he does,

um, but whether it's a,

it's a conflicted thing
that he has to go through,

that's his journey.

My, my journey was
conflicted as well.

So, I, I just hope that
eventually at some point

or other, he just comes
to realize that you don't,

you don't always get
to pick your family.

Sometimes you do,
but you don't usually.

So, it is what it is.

This is Bella Bella.

Honestly, for me, this is
the closest I get to Haiti,

'cause like, you've got water,
the weather's beautiful,

you got a little bit
of sunshine.

Calgary, you got nothin'
of that.

So, I mean, honestly,
feel, being here,

I'm like, this is like,
pretty much my second,

I'd say this is probably like
second closest home to Haiti.

So, for me, it's definitely
a vibe coming out here.

And I mean, just my Grandpa,
like, my Grandpa was like,

really the backbone of me
and all that.

So, just being here is like,
it just make,

I feel like I'm closer to him,
and all that.

And I mean like, his burial
is over there, so,

I mean, yeah, no,
I flex with this place.

It's definitely,
it's definitely a spot.

Like, these people are homies;
they family, and all that.

So, it's dope.

I dunno, growing up,
after my parents got a divorce,

I was a really difficult child.

Went through a bunch
of rough stages.

Fucked shit up.
Was really angry.

Just not happy with life
and just everything.

So um, ever since then,

I definitely pushed away
from my parents,

and I just like, I don't know,

I definitely made it a weird
situation with them, like,

from like, the age of probably
like, 12, 13,

'til I was like,

shit like, 18, 19,

maybe 20, 21,
something like that.

I was just a, I was just a shit.

They pretty much like, ignited
the rowdiness in my life, yo.

If anything, it was on them.
I blame you!

Like, if it wasn't for them,
yo, I was a chill kid.

Somewhat chill,
you know what I'm saying.

Like, I was somewhat chill.
Life might've been different;

life might've not been
different.

Who knows what would've happened

if I didn't go through the way,
life as I did,

you know what I'm saying, so.

And I've said
this multiple times,

if you ask me when I see
a family, I see,

I picture Mama, Papa,
junior, and sissy,

alls chillin' under one roof,
you know what I'm saying.

That's how, that's how when,
and if you asked me

when I was 10 years old
or when I was younger.

If you ask me now, if you
ask me in like, 50 years,

when you ask me when I see a
family, that's what I see, like.

Or you could've asked me how,
how I would've wanted it to go,

I would've been like, no, don't,
like there's no break-ups,

like, shut the fuck up,
like, that's stupid.

But I mean, I, I can't tell
them to do that, you know.

So, it is what it is,
but yeah, no, yeah,

no that's pretty much it, like.

So, how did your, what
was the conversation like,

when your Dad, like,
came out to you guys?

I don't know,
you'd have to ask him.

I try not to keep... remember
that shit in my life.

I just toss that all out really.
I don't, I don't care about it.

Like, you'd have to ask him
if you really wanna know.

He could tell you, probably.
I honestly probably left

halfway through. I did,
I did leave halfway through,

so I really wouldn't know.
Really?

Yeah, I just, I was like,
nigger this is stupid as fuck,

like you're breaking up with my
Mom? Like, alright peace out.

I was just pissed off
and I left.

So, if you wanna know,
you can ask him, but...

I just dipped out.

It took him a lot of work
to get me to like,

start talking up again,
because I would not talk to him,

I wouldn't answer his calls. Um,

I was just disappointed.

Coming from my situation,
not having parents

and just like having a Mom
pass away and all that shit,

and just finally getting
a family and all that,

and then, that just not working
on it and all that shit,

I'm not saying it's my fault,
but it's just fucked up.

So, I mean, it was
just the whole thing

that was kinda fucked up for me.

But yeah, that's kinda
why I just do my thing,

'cause like, I dunno,
it's kinda fucked up still.

I'm still, it's all fucked up.

I ain't gonna say I ain't
got love for the man.

You know, he helped me get my,
beat this case.

You know, we filed for the
right shit and all that, man.

We out here, doing shit
and all that, so,

so I definitely still have love

and I still fucks with that
nigger for that shit.

No, that was a lot,
you know what I'm saying,

it was a long process.

The fact that he did that,
you know, means he's like,

his heart is in the right
place and he want,

he wants to do good, but...

with the big picture,

we both standing on different
corners of the temple, so.

Don't mean we're enemies,
or nothin'.

Mariah: Can someone call Josiah,
please? Dad?

Can you call? I can't call.
Why?

'Cause I don't know.

I don't think he's gonna
answer.

Dad, can you call Jos?

Don: Procession in starts at 10.

And it's five after nine now.

So, we're all here now
just waiting on you.

Okay, okay.

A bientôt. Okay, bye.

Josiah: Why is my whole
family spread out?

Tevan's right there,
Mariah's over there,

Liette's over there. Who knows
where everybody's at, man?

Get someone to come talk
to you.

We're turning a page on some
of the dark chapters

in our people's history,

and we're coming together
here to celebrate

the opening of our new.

Our people have been waiting
for this moment

for a long, long time,

and it was the belief
of our Elders

that it was the missionaries
who intentionally destroyed

the last Big House

that stood here
in our community,

our territory.

The churches that were here
at the time.

So, how ironic is it
that we're here on a Sunday

celebrating this again.

Okay.

Why did you ask me
to do your hair?

Especially living here,
in Bella Bella,

like now that I just moved here,
I'm like okay,

there's no hair product
stuff here.

I'm like, like literally
the only Black people

in Bella Bella.

So, then like, who taught
you to, to do hair?

Honestly, YouTube.

Yeah.

YouTube, more than anything.
I'm not perfect at it.

Mariah: My Mom did my hair
a lot.

Um, my Dad would a lot
of ponytails, too.

I guess growing up

we didn't really um, like me,

I, I wasn't taught exactly like,

how to do like,
cornrows and things like that.

Um, but now I find that
I've been practicing

doing a few things,
so they're not super perfect,

but I've been, I've been
practicing because I'm like,

oh, when I have my own children,

I wanna try this,
and I would love to do that.

So, I kinda feel sometimes
like I've sorta missed out.

A little disappointed that
I'm like, oh, yeah,

I didn't get to learn to braid
hair, and all that,

at a young age,

or have that many people
teach me

how to braid hair.

Um, but now I guess like,
it's better...

to do, late than never.

So, I'm learning,
little by little.

Um, I'm so happy
that I moved here,

but I'm also like, ooh,
I hope I don't like lose,

like, lose my Black-ness
a little bit.

Yeah?
You know,

like I'm loving like,
the culture that I'm learning

and um,

and I do, I do take a lot
of pride into,

into my heritage and um,

especially the Heiltsuk side.

It's amazing just to learn
a lot of,

a lot of things.
Like, especially this weekend,

like there's a lot of things
I didn't know.

Um, and it's kinda been,

but I feel like this weekend
also has kinda been

a bit of a emotional,
emotional rollercoaster;

a bit of a struggle, too,

like just being there
for Josiah.

Um,

and also actually, even just
being there for my family.

And just knowing like,

the hardship that we actually
did face, and the stress,

and the negativity,
and all that.

I think my Grandpa
would be really proud,

how my Dad really, really
fought for, for his family.

And to make sure that our
culture is not disrespected,

um, and that we really
uplift those that are,

that are our own.

I noticed that Josiah
can be a little mean...

Mm-hmm.
Towards you.

I don't know, I think
it's 'cause since I've,

I think it's since, probably
since I've been dating girls,

probably is where he's...

Well, he kind of did the same
with my Dad, like,

it took him a long time
when my Dad came out,

and everything. It was like,
super hard on him

and it took a long time
to get where he is today,

where he can kinda be part
of like,

when we have family dinners
and stuff.

But like, he was really angry
for a while.

So, I'm assuming that's
probably the same thing.

They've really embraced,

you know, my identity
and everything, and they,

they just,

yeah, they didn't make it
a big deal.

So, yeah, that's,
that's kinda how I like it.

For sure.

Thank you.

Mariah: I was more sad
than devastated,

when Mom and Dad, they both
sat us down and said

that they were, they were gonna
separate and then,

they were getting a divorce,
and that they couldn't,

they couldn't be together
anymore, and everything.

No, we have to take one
at a time, you guys.

Aha!
Okay. Ready?

Don: We need Josiah here, too.

Mariah: Tim's ears take up
half the thing.

Okay, let's go.

This is the crazy thing

when I don't get to come home
that often,

and like even just remembering
landmarks.

Like, when I know that,
there's an opening in the trees,

you can sort of see this little

pathway that goes in.

Mariah: All those years,
and everything, and having to,

having to pluck the courage
to, to tell his family.

Like, I know that was like,
super difficult for him,

for sure.

Mariah: That was more sad
than you know, like,

my Dad saying that he was gay.

I knew he was still my father
and everything,

and that my love for,
for him never changed.

1 and 46.
Okay.

Wait. So if we see the number -
what happens?

We're good.

And if we don't see
the same number?

I'm still trying to wrap
my head around

why you don't wanna be,

why you didn't wanna go with
the, with the Grave Island,

just 'cause I know how you
felt about your Grandpa.

And how close you two were.
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.
I dunno.

I have no, I don't really
have a reason for it

other than I didn't wanna go.

That's mainly it.

Are you gonna try to go
by yourself, or what?

I dunno, we'll see.

There's definitely a reason
to but not with them.

I dunno.

My Grandpa and I used
to fuck around all the time.

We would, we were always
just joking,

and always getting ourselves
into some kinda trouble.

What, no matter what sorta
stuff it was,

it was always something.

But my uh, I dunno,

I honour him like, every day.
I pray to this guy.

I dunno. I have multiple
pictures in my,

just stuff of his in my room
in my house, so I dunno,

I don't really have, yeah.

And like, I don't
like graveyards, yo.

Liette: Is it good, Papa?
Yep, really good.

Yeah. We're doing
things together.

Liette: Ohhh.
Don: That's very nice.

Don: Josiah, ou sommes-nous,
maintenant?

A Bella Bella!

Don: What about Papa,
any famous last words?

Yes, I'd like to say
that I'm very happy

that my Grandkids are here,

and Christmas and the New Year.

I'm just happy to be here
with our family

and I'm looking forward to all
that God has in store for us

in the next,
in the year 2000 and beyond.

All: Happy New Year!

Cheers! Cheers!

Cheers! Cheers!
Cheers!

I hadn't been to see my Dad's
grave for quite a while,

so that was really meaningful.

And the fact that I had
my four kids with me, um,

that is uh, a rare event.

I was telling my kids
about my Dad's sense of humour,

and he always used to say
this phrase

about in the future,

he goes, "When I'm in the
graveyard pushing up daisies..."

and I'm like, I said,

we need to bring some
daisies over here

and plant them around his grave.

But they actually take over,
so we might not do that,

But...

kinda lightened the mood
a little bit

and talked about his, his humour

about when he would talk
about when he was gone.

So, and of course,

the kids knew him very well
and remembered his humour,

so we got just to share
some memories, yeah.

Um, Jos was supposed to come.

Um, he just,
he decided not to.

So, you know, we,
we let him process things

how he processes them.

He's, he tries to be such
a tough guy.

And he, and in a way,
in a lot of ways, he is.

He's been through a lot in,
in his life.

But um, he's also a very
sensitive human being,

and so, sometimes
it's just too much.

And he and my Dad
were particularly close.

So, for him to go

and sort of relive that,

and have all of those emotions
brought up again,

I guess he just wasn't
in the space to do it.

So, that, that's okay.

Um, he'll have other
opportunities, so.

Yeah.
Yeah.

Don: The whole purpose
of this washing ceremony

is to mark a moment in time,

and what we are doing
as your family

and as your community
is standing um,

with you.
Mm-hmm.

Is to make a statement

so that you have this moment
in time

that you can think back to,

and you will remember that
from that moment forward,

you don't have to hold on
to any of that stuff.

Mm-hmm.
Any of it. Okay.

Just keep in mind,
a lot of the reasons

why people are so good to us
is because of your Papa.

Mm-hmm.

And how much they really
esteemed him

and they love that they had
for your Papa,

they're now, that's what they
hold for you, now.

So, don't forget.
Yep.

Okay?
Mm-hmm.

So, this is how important
it is.

And why this washing ceremony
means so much to me,

that they're gonna do this
for you.

Okay.
Okay?

So... do you have any,
do you have any questions?

I ain't, I ain't talking
though, that's it.

No, you don't have to.

That's it.
That's, I'm out of here.

I'm just tired.

I don't even wanna be here
anymore, like this is...

Pam: Today, we want
to thank the Hemas

and the Tribal Council,

for giving us the opportunity
to uplift Josiah today

in our Great House.

Josiah is of Haitian ancestry
by birth

and was adopted by my brother,
Don, and his wife, Liette,

when he was months old,

when they were living in Haiti.

In 2015,
Josiah received a letter

that banned him
from participating

in the tournament
to a blood quantum rule.

This was devastating to Josiah,
and in turn,

to our family
and our Nation as a whole.

Blood quantum was a policy
enacted by the government

to eventually abolish us
as Indigenous people.

So, as we began to figure out

how we could challenge
this further,

we decided that this
was about a human right.

This was about
our Heiltsuk right,

our Indigenous rights as people.

In the end, we ended up
settling the matter;

that rule was taken away,

it no longer exists within
the All Native committee.

Pam: Your story has helped
others who have been adopted

and to have brought
into their place,

to be reaffirmed that
you are one of ours.

That's never been
a question for us,

and we want you
to recognize that today

and really sink that.

My Son was born

in a rural hospital in Haiti

and he was orphaned
at age four days.

When he was two weeks old,

I got him discharged
into the care of a lady,

an American lady
that was living there.

Never thinking

that I was gonna have anything
more to do with it.

And when Josiah
was two months old,

my Mother and Father came
from home

to visit us down there.

And we have a photo

of my father holding Josiah

when he was a two-month-old
infant,

and he didn't know at that time

that this was his future
Grandson

until a few months later,

we told him

that we were gonna move ahead
with an adoption

of that little baby.

And he said,

"I just knew

that was my Grandson
that I was holding,"

and it seems like
from that moment onwards,

the two of them had such a bond.

And for me, this whole story

of what he has been through,

it just shines a light on
our right as Heiltsuk

to exercise our sovereignty

to decide who is one of us.

Just like any nation
has the right to do that,

we have the right to do that.

Thank you.

See what they're doing for you?

Josiah: Healing is um,

a necessary process
of any kind of damage

done to anybody.

You just can't rush it.

Everybody heals
at a different pace.

My family, I guess they
would've thought that

the washing ceremony

would help with trauma
and everything,

and it was really nice,

and it was really good,
and I appreciate it a lot.

When that happened,
we just took another turn.

He was like, "I got you."

If it wasn't for him,

I probably wouldn't be here
right now, honestly.

You know, I definitely just,
I appreciate him for that.

Josiah: Even though, yeah,
okay, I was mad,

or like yeah, we didn't,
we hadn't talked,

and all that kind of stuff,

like, we still on good terms.
Like, I still got love.

It's like, it's just life tings,
I guess.

It's gonna take time.
Like, it's not something

that I'm gonna forget about
and just move on about

within the next couple days,
or whatever.

I'm gonna still think
about this for a long time.

Whatever it is, you just gotta
let that person heal

at their pace
and just let them do them.

Though Josiah's story is unique,
it represents

the many layers
to our identities

and where we belong
in the world.

Joining me now
to talk about "One of Ours"

are former
Canadian basketball player

and First Nation councilman
Michael Linklater

and US Representative
Sharice Davids.

Hi, yeah, thanks for having me.
I'm so happy to be here.

What were both of your thoughts
and/or takeaways

upon watching the film?

I appreciated that we had to

not just explore
ideas of identity

but also explore

the concept
of healing from trauma.

I was very, very, uh, touched

by the heavy topics
that were brought up,

but also the beauty
in things like ceremony

and communities coming together
to support each other.

Yes, coping and healing.

Uh, Michael,
what were your thoughts?

I really felt for Josiah,

his journey, the struggles,

the adversity
that he had to face.

You can really
empathize with him

and where he's coming from
and what he's gone through,

but I think
one of the most important things

that I would like
to kind of shine some light on

is the fact that, you know,

they're indigenous
to a different place.

Let's just take, you know,
a non-indigenous family

adopting somebody
who is indigenous.

I think it's really important

that you have your...
Your family structure

and the culture of your family,

but it's really important
to honor where you come from.

Josiah was not confused
about who he was

and where his place was
within the Heiltsuk community

until he was told
he was different,

and how does
our view of ourselves change

with outside influence?

A-And should it?

I have thought a lot about

what it means to be native.

You know, I am... I am Ho-Chunk,

which is a tribe in Wisconsin.

The thing
that struck me the most

was it wasn't just Josiah
that... that felt really solid

in his, uh, place in...
In his community.

It was the leaders
of his community.

It was the other tribal,
uh, members.

It was the folks
on the basketball team.

Even when it comes to,
um, you know,

other, like, external factors

or making reference to,

let's just say,
basketball teams,

you decide who becomes
a part of your team,

and that's your team.

Uh, and it's the same thing
for nations.

Nations who...
Who have that sovereignty

over themselves
as First Peoples,

they're the ones
that decide that.

The blood quantum...

You know,
that's a colonial construct.

It was a construct
designed to eradicate us

in hopes that
we would eventually fall off,

where there is no blood quantum

for us
to identify as who we are.

My great-great-grandmother
was Choctaw,

and so...
My great-great-grandmother Ari.

I remember
always being discouraged

from following up on that

because, like, "Well,
you can't go to a reservation"

because you have to prove
this amount of, you know,

"'blood, '" so to speak,
which... which comes up a lot,

which I didn't even recognize
as a huge, you know,

colonialist kind of,
like, stigma, you know?

When you look at different
religions or different beliefs,

you don't necessarily
have to, like,

come from where that religion
or belief was founded

in order to practice
that way of life.

Even Josiah's white siblings
struggle with identity

because they don't
"look" indigenous.

Is too much importance
placed on appearance

as a part of identity
and belonging in our society?

There are a lot of,
uh, constructs around

who should be considered
native or indigenous

here in North America,

and this story
is a great example

of having to deal with
issues of identity.

What is the modern Native
experience in North America?

We just don't get to see that
that often.

Truly, truly.

What are your thoughts
on representation

of indigenous people in media,
as well as people like Josiah,

whose identities
are less identifiable?

The only time you see
indigenous people in the media,

majority of the time,
it's for negative things.

You rarely see
the positive things,

and there are so many
wonderful things

that indigenous people do.

It speaks
to the misrepresentation

and the under-representation
of minorities.

I do think that we're in a time

of racial reckoning and also
a historical acknowledgement

of how our country
got to the place

that we are in now.

The film shines a spotlight

on the themes of identity
and belonging.

How do you personally
define identity?

It's a lifetime journey
full of twists and turns

and one that is shaped
by your... your circumstances.

I have certainly, um,
become more solid

in... in who I am
in a number of different ways

since, uh,
since getting into Congress.

I have learned a lot.

I have seen a lot of things

that I never would've seen
if I weren't in this position.

You know, there's constant
changes within your identity,

and as you grow,

and I think even
looking at Josiah's father,

you know, he didn't identify

or even really recognize
he was gay

'til a long time
throughout his life.

I think that identity
is constantly searching

in where you belong
and where you fit

or where you feel
most comfortable

is where you'll...
You'll identify.

Michael, Representative Davids,
thanks for digging into the...

The intersectionalities
of identity.

It's been a pleasure
having you both.

Thank you so much
for having me today.

Thanks so much
for inviting me to this.

This was such
a great conversation.

Films like "One of Ours,"

which force us to challenge
the way we perceive each other,

are the exact kind of stories
we need to see more of.

Thanks so much for watching
"Can We Talk About This?"

Join me next time
for another compelling film

and riveting convo.

I'm Jordan Carlos.
Goodbye for now.