Darlene and Truckhouse (2023)
To the press, a Mi'kmaw grandmother's stance against Alton Gas was a stand for treaty rights.
Behind the headlines, it was the key to her reconnection, sobriety, and healing.
Runtime: 06:48 | English, Mi'kmaq
Behind the headlines, it was the key to her reconnection, sobriety, and healing.
Runtime: 06:48 | English, Mi'kmaq
Short Documentary
Lunenburg Doc Fest 2023 | Official Selection
World Water Film Festival 2024 (Hosted by Columbia University) | Official Selection
‘25 Genesis International Film Festival: Documentary | Quarter-Finalist
World Water Film Festival 2024 (Hosted by Columbia University) | Official Selection
‘25 Genesis International Film Festival: Documentary | Quarter-Finalist
Writers/Directors/Editors: Audrey Chan, Ry Pembroke
Synposis
The film opens with a sunrise over the Shubenacadie river.
Thunderbird Swooping Down Woman, also known as Darlene Gilbert, muses:
"If it wasn't for a fight like this, who would've known if I would've come into that space ever, right?"
In an interview, Darlene identifies herself as a Mi’kmaw grandmother, land and water protector, and activist. Darlene shares that she is a Sixties Scoop survivor, identifying the various ways that this traumatic experience has impacted her in adulthood. As the film shifts to Darlene making the drive up towards Shubenacadie, she recalls how she came to join the Alton Gas resistance and how it prompted her return to sobriety. After recovering from some medical challenges, she says she never left the frontlines – that is, until she was arrested. Upon her arrival at the Treaty Truckhouse site, Darlene recounts significant moments in her journey towards frontlines activism: she brings up her confrontation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, her arrest, and the decommissioning of Alton Gas, announced in 2021. The film moves through a series of headlines, but looks behind them to learn the truth of Darlene's frontlines experience – a series of moments enabling Darlene to reconnect to her roots, find sobriety, and further her healing journey. “It brought me back to me,” Darlene concludes, looking across the river.
Thunderbird Swooping Down Woman, also known as Darlene Gilbert, muses:
"If it wasn't for a fight like this, who would've known if I would've come into that space ever, right?"
In an interview, Darlene identifies herself as a Mi’kmaw grandmother, land and water protector, and activist. Darlene shares that she is a Sixties Scoop survivor, identifying the various ways that this traumatic experience has impacted her in adulthood. As the film shifts to Darlene making the drive up towards Shubenacadie, she recalls how she came to join the Alton Gas resistance and how it prompted her return to sobriety. After recovering from some medical challenges, she says she never left the frontlines – that is, until she was arrested. Upon her arrival at the Treaty Truckhouse site, Darlene recounts significant moments in her journey towards frontlines activism: she brings up her confrontation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, her arrest, and the decommissioning of Alton Gas, announced in 2021. The film moves through a series of headlines, but looks behind them to learn the truth of Darlene's frontlines experience – a series of moments enabling Darlene to reconnect to her roots, find sobriety, and further her healing journey. “It brought me back to me,” Darlene concludes, looking across the river.
Directors’ Statement
Both of us met Darlene in 2019 during our first year of living in Kjipuktuk.
Over the years, we've witnessed the tireless frontlines work that she has done and continues to do. We know Darlene as a leader and public figure in the resistance against Alton Gas. We also know her as a grandmother, a sister, and a community member.
The majority of news coverage on the Alton Gas dispute focuses on an overarching political battle, framing those on the frontlines as people there for the cause and the cause only. But Darlene has shared that her frontlines work is what keeps her balanced. It's helped her “find connection with mother earth, learn ceremony, get reconnected to [her] people.” She considers her care for the Truckhouse “more of a healing journey than a fight.” We wanted to create this film to honour Darlene's relationship with her work, healing, and herself.
In many ways, Darlene and Truckhouse is a film about Darlene. It is also our own small way of saying wela'lin – thank you, for all you do, to make the world a better place.
Over the years, we've witnessed the tireless frontlines work that she has done and continues to do. We know Darlene as a leader and public figure in the resistance against Alton Gas. We also know her as a grandmother, a sister, and a community member.
The majority of news coverage on the Alton Gas dispute focuses on an overarching political battle, framing those on the frontlines as people there for the cause and the cause only. But Darlene has shared that her frontlines work is what keeps her balanced. It's helped her “find connection with mother earth, learn ceremony, get reconnected to [her] people.” She considers her care for the Truckhouse “more of a healing journey than a fight.” We wanted to create this film to honour Darlene's relationship with her work, healing, and herself.
In many ways, Darlene and Truckhouse is a film about Darlene. It is also our own small way of saying wela'lin – thank you, for all you do, to make the world a better place.
Darlene Gilbert
Darlene Gilbert is a Mi'kmaw grandmother, land and water protector, and activist based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Mi'kma'ki. She is from Annapolis Valley First Nations. Darlene's mother is a residential school survivor and she herself is a Sixties Scoop survivor. As she processes her experiences of colonial violence, she has found frontlines activism, land defence and water protection to be a major outlet in her healing process. Becoming part of the Alton Gas resistance enabled Darlene to reconnect with Mi'kmaw culture and community, something that was stolen from her in the displacement of the Sixties Scoop. It also prompted her to reach sobriety and begin to heal from years of trauma inflicted either directly or indirectly through colonial violence. In 2023, Darlene continues her work as an activist in Kjipuktuk, leading yearly marches and public ceremonies. She continues to develop a deeper relationship with her community and thrives in the ongoing journey of healing.
The Sixties Scoop refers to a period in Canadian history when the mass displacement of Indigenous youth was facilitated by the Canadian government. Indigenous children across the country were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in state care. Despite its name, the practice is understood to have been commonplace from the mid-1950s to the 1980s.
The Sixties Scoop refers to a period in Canadian history when the mass displacement of Indigenous youth was facilitated by the Canadian government. Indigenous children across the country were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in state care. Despite its name, the practice is understood to have been commonplace from the mid-1950s to the 1980s.
To read more about the Sixties Scoop, visit https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/sixties_scoop/
Screener available upon request