a multi-channel experimental film exploring memory through nakoda and blackfoot landscapes, weaving together song, movement, and story. death has become a familiar presence in my life, yet what remains are the memories—embedded in the land, water, and body. growing up on the prairies and within the community, i was immersed in my yethka roots.

i often think about the loved ones who are no longer here in the physical world. as we lose people over time, grief unfolds across a lifetime. this film is one way i honor those who have passed. through song, landscape, movement, and story, i remain in relationship with them, carrying their memory forward and allowing their presence to continue living within the work. by intertwining these elements, the work evokes the past, calls us to remain present, and carries us toward the future.

the songs unfold in sequence. the first is performed by the chiniki lake singers, founded by my great-grandfather, frank powderface sr., alongside his cousins, sons, and nephews. the film's mountain and water landscapes are drawn from the places where I spent much of my childhood. the featured song is performed by my uncle, frank powderface jr., who speaks about his grief in an interview featured in the film. the second song is a dirge performed by gloria miguel (kuna/rappahannock), who was born in brooklyn and raised within an urban indigenous community of singers, dancers, and performers.

when these songs are sung, stories are remembered, and the landscape becomes a witness—grounding us in where we are, who we are, and where we come from. in their repetition, these songs keep both memory and those who came before us alive.