təm kʷaθ nan (Namesake)

Directed by ƛɛsla Dr. Evan Adams & t̓agəm Eileen Francis, produced by Peg Campbell

In the coastal community known as Powell River, a request from their First Nations neighbours to change the city’s name sets off a deeply contentious conversation between Tla’amin Nation and their neighbouring city… whose name honours a man instrumental in the establishment of residential schools in BC and other ongoing colonial harms. The communities’ responses spotlights the divide in Indigenous and settler perspectives on Canadian history, and how far away we are from reconciliation. Namesake shows what change can happen over time - through disagreement, willingness to move forward together, deep listening, and creating a unified vision for shared dignity.