A new documentary film chronicling over five decades of the WSANEC School Board's history near Brentwood Bay is set for its first public theatrical screening on June 28 and 29.
I,SETEN E TTE CESE SXENANs TENEW – Walking In Two Worlds, a 2024 feature-length film, tells the story of the former Saanich Indian School Board and its enduring legacy.
The documentary, co-produced and co-directed by Emily Olsen, honours the work of the late Philip Paul, whose 1990 documentary captured an earlier chapter of the board's story.
"Paul was also involved with the school board for many years,” said Olsen. "I thought, what if we got to celebrate what's happened in the years since, so I had this idea and I pitched it to the board and we were in a position to be able to do some work around the history of the school board."
Olsen, who currently works in WSB's Human Resources, initially envisioned a small video project, but under the direction of filmmaker Benjamin Joel Cran of Lot2 Media, a Victoria-based B.C. film production company, it blossomed into a full-fledged and moving documentary.
According to the feature film's synopsis, Walking In Two Worlds traces the evolution of Indigenous education, from the days of the Tsartlip Indian Day School to the present, celebrating the accomplishments born from the dreams and wishes of the WSANEC Elders.
The film highlights the WSANEC community's unwavering commitment to supporting their children's education, rooted in the SENCOTEN language and WSANEC knowledge systems driven by the principles of "Indian Control of Indian Education" advocated by the Elders.
They replaced the existing day school with one of the first Indigenous-run school boards in Canada, a direct response to the colonial school system, which sought to suppress Indigenous identity.
The WSANEC School Board was established to provide a learning environment grounded in WSANEC language, culture and values. This stood in stark contrast to the previous system, which aimed to disconnect children from their heritage.
After the documentary's completion in August 2024, it was first screened within the WSANEC school community.
"We're also interested in sort of decolonizing how we do things, so we wanted to bring the community in to see it first," Olsen explained.
She expressed excitement about the documentary's first public theatrical debut, after two private screenings held in May.
"It's been a big endeavour and such a collaborative effort with so many different families and people who have worked here over the years," Olsen said. "It's really honouring the community and celebrating an extremely beautiful piece of work that highlights SEONCOTEN language."
Walking In Two Worlds will be screened at Star Cinema in Sidney on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at eventbrite.ca.
