Passages

>> HI, I'M ERIC FORD FROM MADE HERE.

PASSAGES FROM CAROLINE COAT TELL US THE STORY OF THREE WOMEN FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH OF QUEBEC WHO EMBARK ON A GRUELLING MILL TIE SPORT EXBEADDITION FOLLOWING THE RIVER IN NUNAVIC.

TRAVELING TOGETHER, THIS JOURNEY SOON BECOMES ONE OF SELF DISCOVERY.

THIS FILM IS PRESENTED IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH LANGUAGE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.

YOU CAN WATCH PASSAGES AND OTHER GREAT MADE HERE FILMS STREAMING ON VERMONTPUBLIC.ORG AND PBS APP.

ENJOY THE FILM AND THANKS FOR WATCHING.

>> YOU HAVE TO BE MENTALLY PREPARED FOR IT.

IT'S NOT EASY TASK.

YOU HAVE TO BE MENTALLY PREPARED.

>> HI.

>> HI, HOW ARE YOU?

>> I'M GOOD.

YOU?

>> GOOD.

REALLY GOOD.

ARE YOU IN KUDUAC NOW?

>> YES, I AM.

>> OH, WOW.

>> MY GRANDPA HELPS CREATE THE PARK AND HE TALKS ABOUT IT SO OFTEN.

SO NOW I CAN FINALLY EXPERIENCE IT FIRSTHAND AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.

AND I LIVE A MAJORITY OF MY LIFE NOW IN THE CITY.

SO I THINK IT WILL BE A REALLY NICE COMING BACK.

OKAY.

CAUSE I'M FROM KUDUAC.

THE POPULATION, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IS A LITTLE LESS THAN 3,000.

THE COLLEGE I GO TO HAS 6,000 STUDENTS WHICH BLOWS MY MIND AND VERY DAUNTING.

IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT.

I STRUGGLE.

BUT I DO IT TO SHOW THAT EVEN WE CAN SUCCEED IN A SYSTEM THAT ASSUMES YOU WOULD NEVER EVEN BE A PART OF IT, YOU KNOW?

>> I DON'T WANT TO BE THE -- ON A TRIP, YOU KNOW?

>> NICE TO MEET YOU.

>> HI.

>> NICE TO MEET YOU FINALLY.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

>> CHRISTINE.

KATRINA CHRISTINE.

>> YOU ARE FROM HERE?

>> YEAH.

>> OKAY.

AWESOME.

SO YOU ARE ALREADY HERE?

YOU WERE ALREADY HERE?

>> YEAH.

YES.

YEAH.

I GOT HERE TWO DAYS BEFORE I FINISHED SCHOOL.

>> FOR THE TRACKING PART, WE NEED TEN DAYS.

>> OH, MY GOD.

OH, WOW.

OKAY, NOW THIS IS REAL.

>> ARE WE READY?

WE'RE READY?

>> I GUESS SO.

>> OH, YEAH.

>> SO ONE THING IS THAT WE'RE HERE LATER THAN WE EXPECTED.

IT'S NORMALLY THE END OF OUR DAY.

FOR TODAY, WE HAVE A BIG DAY AHEAD.

>> PROBABLY TO REACH THE BASE CAMP.

BUT FIRST WE HAVE CHALLENGE.

AND ALSO, WE WISH WE CAN DO LIKE 13 KILOMETERS.

13.

JUST MAYBE MENTION HOW YOU FEEL AND WE'LL DO ADJUSTMENT IF THE WEIGHT IS TOO HEAVY, WE CAN MANAGE TO CLIP EVERYTHING IN THE BAGS.

LET'S GET THIS STARTED.

>> OKAY.

GOOD?

ONE STEP AT A TIME.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE STABLE.

DEEPER.

ONE STEP.

ANOTHER STEP.

WE GOT IT.

WE GOT IT.

>> WOW.

I SAW A FISHY.

>> CHANGE A LOT OF THAT.

PUTS IT DIFFERENTLY.

>> IT'S A TREAT.

>> LET'S TRY.

>> RIGHT OFF THE BAT, SHE SEEMED VERY FRIENDLY.

VERY MOTHERLY TOO.

AND I KIND OF RELATED TO HER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE EXPEDITION.

I WAS NOT HAVING THE EASIEST TIME.

SHE MADE ME FEEL A LOT MORE CONFIDENT THAT IF SHE COULD DO IT, I COULD DO IT.

>> I'M DONE.

DONE.

>> I CAN TAKE OFF MY BAG?

>> YES, TAKE OFF YOUR BAG.

IT'S FOR GOOD.

>> REALLY THIS PART THAT'S GOT TO BE PINNED DOWN.

>> GOOD NIGHT.

SLEEP TIGHT.

AND DON'T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE.

>> WE WON'T.

>> I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

>> MY DREAM WAS ME GOING THROUGH THE FIRST DAY AGAIN.

IT KEPT RESTARTING AFTER I'D BREAK A BONE.

SO I'D BE LIKE JUMPING THROUGH A DIFFERENT THING AND I'D BREAK MY FEMUR OR MY ARM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND IT WOULD RESTART OVER AGAIN.

IT'S PRETTY BAD.

BUT THEN THE NEXT DAY I DREAMT I WOKE UP LATER THAN EVERYONE.

SO EVERYONE WAS WAITING FOR ME TO GET UP AND GET READY.

AND LAST NIGHT, I DREAMT I WAS BACK HOME AND HAD A STEADY JOB AND GOT A PROMOTION OR SPONSORED BY SOMEONE.

I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT.

IT WAS GOOD.

I'M DOING A LOT BETTER THAN THE FIRST DAY.

>> ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO.

>> THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT LEAVING THAT WAS BOTH TEMPTING AND NOT.

BUT I DON'T KNOW.

I JUST HAD TO STAY.

I NEEDED TO STAY.

>> THIS EXPEDITION HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER I FOUND OUT SOME TERRIBLE NEWS.

I LOST SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME.

AND I WAS MOURNING.

IT WAS VERY UNEXPECTED.

I SPOKE TO THEM THE NIGHT BEFORE I FOUND OUT.

AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME BUT I DID NOT WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT IT.

BECAUSE I FELT LIKE NO ONE WAS GOING TO UNDERSTAND.

SO THEN I'D HAVE TO EXPLAIN.

I'M 21.

AND THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR OTHER INMATES TO EXPERIENCE.

IT'S GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE I'M NEARLY NUMB.

A LITTLE WHILE AGO I FREAKED OUT.

ONE OF ANY FRIENDS SAID DID YOU HEAR?

AND I TOOK THAT AS SOMEONE HAD DIED.

THAT'S NOT NORMAL.

BUT IT IS UP NORTH.

I HAVE MY MOM'S TRAUMA AND IT GOES BACK AND BACK.

AND I'M CARRYING IT.

IF I HAVE KIDS, I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO CUT THE LINE HERE.

>> AT SCHOOL DOWN SOUTH, I KIND OF LEARNT TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE OR BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH THEM AND THEN SAY I MENTION IT AND BACK HOME OR EASE INTO IT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO REACT.

>> BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH, THERE WAS ONE'S TRUST.

AND IT WAS ABUSED.

THIS IS A TWO SIED STORY.

AND FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD, BOTH SIDES NEED TO RECOGNIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WENT WRONG , TO UNDERSTAND WHAT BROKE AND THAT TAKES A LOT OF VULNERABILITY.

WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT IT AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN HEARD.

WE WERE SO OPEN AND WILLING TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO LIVE ON THIS LAND AND HOW TO SURVIVE AND WHAT TO EAT, WHATNOT TO EAT.

WHAT TO DO AND WHATNOT TO DO.

AND NOW WE'RE NOT THE ONES TO LISTEN TO OR TO BE HEARD.

BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE DO OR WHAT WE SAY.

I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.

TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

I THINK IN THAT FORM IT CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED RECONCILIATION BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.

>> YOU HAVE THIS RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT THERE.

>> I WOKE UP LIKE A TINY BIT BEFORE YOU CALLED.

I WAS LIKE OH, WE HAVE ANOTHER HOUR.

GOOD MORNING, GUYS.

>> AND THEN I'M JUST LIKE -- >> 450.

>> I DON'T KNOW.

IT'S GOING TO SOUND LIKE SUCH A CLICHE I GUESS.

I'M THE ELDEST CHILD IN MY FAMILY ANYWAY.

SO I HAVEN'T -- I DON'T HAVE AN OLDER SIBLING.

IF I WERE TO KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE WHAT I FEEL FOR CHRISTINE.

>> SOMEHOW AND SOME WAY, WE JUST CLICKED RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

>> THAT FISH IS BIG.

>> I TRUSTED HER A LOT.

I TRUSTED HER A LOT.

HER AND I WOULD TALK AND TALK AND LAUGH AND LAUGH.

I WASN'T THE MOST TALKATIVE PEOPLE OF THE OH, YOU GOT ONE.

YOU GOT ONE.

I SAW IT.

YEAH.

WHEN WE WERE CROSSING STRONGER STREAMS, SHE WOULD WAIT.

BREAK THE WATER SO IT WOULDN'T BE SO TOUGH ON ME.

IT WAS LIKE COME ON.

>> FIVE MINUTES OF FIGHTING.

SHE FOUGHT FOR LIKE FIVE MINUTES.

>> YOU ALWAYS GO WITH YOUR DAD.

>> SORRY DAD.

>> DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE FISH TO SHOW UP.

>> THAT'S YOUR LUCKY CHARM.

YOU KEEP THAT ONE.

>> I GOT TO CATCH UP WITH HER.

>> .

>> GOOD JOB.

>> EVEN THIS I WAS TOO IMPRESSED.

>> SHE'S A GOOD STORY TELLER.

>> IT'S KIND OF A FUN STORY TO TELL.

KIND OF TERRIFYING AT THE SAME TIME.

THERE'S SO MANY WAYS THAT COULD HAVE GONE INCREDIBLY WRONG.

>> I REMEMBER SEEING THE BOAT AND THEN I SAW THE SKY AND THEN I WAS IN THE WATER.

THE CURRENT WAS TAKING US AWAY FROM THE BOAT.

AND I COULD HEAR CHRISTINE SCREAMING LIKE GRAB THE BOAT, GRAB THE BOAT.

AND I WAS DRAGGED DOWN AGAIN.

LIKE I THINK ABOUT WHEN I CAME BACK UP TO THE SURFACE, I DIDN'T SEE DOE THE SECOND TIME.

THAT'S WHEN I WAS SWIMMING LIKE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.

DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.

JUST GET TO THE BOAT.

I COULD STILL HEAR CHRISTINE SCREAMING GET ON THE BOAT.

SHE PULLED ME UP, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW.

AND IT WAS SO RELIEVING SEEING DOE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAFT ONCE I WAS ON.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF SEEING SOMEONE YOU THOUGHT COULD HAVE BEEN GREATLY INJURED.

>> I GUESS IF I'M COMPLETELY HONEST, AFTER THE DAY DOE AND I FELL OUT, I COMPLETELY LOST ANY MOTIVATION I HAD TO CONTINUE.

AND WE GOT BACK ON.

>> I SPY SOMETHING GREEN.

>> BOTTLE?

>> NO.

>> THE WATER.

>> YEAH.

>> WE'VE BEEN STARRING AT IT ALL DAY.

>> AFTER THAT, I UNDERSTOOD HOW SHE FELT.

AND SHE UNDERSTOOD HOW I FELT.

SO WE SPOKE A LOT ON THAT BOAT.

>> WHAT A TIMING.

>> I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHERE I TRUST THEM.

I TRUST YOU GUYS.

>> I FEEL LIKE SPENDING SO LONG OUT ON THE LAND WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED.

I HAD THE SHITTIEST YEAR.

I FEEL LIKE I'VE GOTTEN BACK ON MY FEET.

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