A word from the management
The last few months have been very busy for the team of La Boîte Rouge VIF and its partners. We have welcomed new members within the team in order to support the development of the different productions.
Sarah Beauseigle
Creative and Production Project Manager Originally from Lac-Saint-Jean, Sarah has been a graphic designer for over 12 years. She completed an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree in art, option design at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi in 2005. She added to her training a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Université Laval. Since 2009, she has developed an expertise in branding and visual identity, more specifically in food packaging design over the past few years. Her artistic sensibility and her experience in co-creation related to identity expression will certainly be an asset for the productions of La Boîte Rouge VIF. Her multidisciplinary background as well as her artistic and professional skills will allow her to take part in various creative projects within the organization. sarah.beauseigle@laboiterougevif.com
Olivier « Bill » Bilodeau
Audiovisual Production Coordinator Graduate in Film Studies and Political Science from the University of Montreal and in Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke, Olivier worked at the Montreal international documentary festival from 2008 to 2011. During this experience, he was involved in the different selection committees, after being assistant programmer and assistant to the executive director. A sick fanatic of kaijū films and slashers, he co-founded the Quebec City Film Festival in 2011 and served as its director of programming and administration until January 2020. In addition to films, he spends his free time reading and feeding his mind with his dadas that are design and architecture. olivier.bilodeau@laboiterougevif.com
Andréa Tremblay
Cultural Project Managerhargée de projets culturels Member of the Mashteuiatsh community, Andréa completed a Bachelor’s degree in History as well as a certificate in International Relations at the University of Sherbrooke in 2020. She also holds a college diploma in Arts and Letters which allowed her to develop her skills in foreign languages. Always in search of new learning and eager to contribute to the sharing of her culture, she worked at the Musée amérindien de Mashteuiatsh and the Cultural Transmission Site Uashassihtsh for several years before joining the team of La Boîte Rouge VIF in February 2021. She is in charge of the development of cultural projects, particularly those related to the promotion of cultural practices and languages with a view to transmission and intergenerational exchanges. andrea.tremblay@laboiterougevif.com
We would like to remind that, despite the fact that the entire team has been teleworking for more than a year, we are still committed to our partners and are available to discuss your upcoming projects.
In the last few months
Nitinnu-aimin campaign for the promotion and valorization of the language with the Tshakapesh Institute
Mandated by Institut Tshakapesh, La Boîte Rouge VIF’s team has been working over the last few months on the development of a campaign for the promotion and valorization of the Innu language (Innu-aimun). This project includes the production and posting of nine videos and the launch of a contest in which the Innu population is invited to share its pride in learning, speaking and transmitting its language through the production of a short video.
More than $2,500 in prizes distributed among the 13 winners who will be announced in May 2021 at the closing event where artists and language ambassadors will be featured.
Site Web : https://concours-nitinnu-aimin.ca/
Page Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/institut.tshakapesh
Concertation workshops for the documentary Nitassinan / Terre Innue
Joséphine Bacon, in collaboration with Terre Innue, wishes to produce a documentary project presenting the history of the Innu nation, from the mythological past to a near future where the nation will have become autonomous and independent on its own territory: Nitassinan. In order to enrich the reflections surrounding the scripting of the documentary, the Terre Innue team approached La Boîte Rouge VIF to take care of the logistics surrounding the holding of these virtual workshops.
Three workshops were conducted in December 2020 and a collaborative effort has begun with the Aishkat Innuat group to have their weekly discussion meetings in February 2021 on different facets of this village of the future. A final workshop remains to be done in May with the communities of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, both in Labrador.
Despite the challenges of the virtual format, the participation of the people was excellent and very rich. We are very happy of this collaboration with Terre Innue and we are convinced of the success of this upcoming feature film.
Making the Garden an occupied territory / The First Nations Garden
The Boîte Rouge VIF, at the request of the First Nations Garden of the Montreal Botanical Garden, held a consultation with young adult members of the urban indigenous community of Montreal. The objective of this consultation was to define and guide the development of the Garden, which wishes to be more in line with the needs of the community and to accentuate its contribution to the well-being and cultural influence of the urban community. Since 2019, three consultation workshops have been held. A collaboration with the production company Yändata’ allowed for the making of a video clip presenting a guided tour of the Garden in order to contextualize the virtual workshops. The contribution of the participants was greatly appreciated. The final report was submitted in March 2021 to the person in charge of the Garden who will make sure that the proposed ideas are put into action.
Tipatshimu / Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam
Since the summer of 2020, La Boîte Rouge VIF has been accompanying the education sector of Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam (ITUM) in a documentation and development project concerning the history of the community’s takeover of the educational system. During the last few months, several research activities have taken place in the different existing archives (local, provincial and federal). In addition, interviews have been and will be conducted with the living memories of the community. An open line on the community radio was set up in order to inform the population and to allow them to contribute to this project which is of great importance and a source of pride for the community. In the coming year, we will begin the co-creation of permanent devices of valorization and transmission that will highlight the results of these researches.
Video of the recognition of the graduates of Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan
Since many organizations have had to adapt to the realities of the pandemic, the audiovisual sector has been heavily solicited. This is notably the case for the Education and Workforce Unit of Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan who called upon our services. Through a video, they wanted to recognize the efforts of the 2019-2020 graduates of the Nishkatsh Upahuatsh and Atusseun Meshkanau programs.
In addition to making a concrete gesture and taking part in the movement of commitment to school perseverance, a working committee composed of members of the council’s personnel as well as the Caisse Desjardins du Pekuakami awarded scholarships to students from the community.
https://www.facebook.com/Pekuakamiulnuatsh/posts/854122295416239
Upcomming events
Webinar: Dialogue between the teaching community of the health network, First Peoples and the University of Montreal
Caroline Larue, Amélie Blanchet-Garneau, Joannie Gill, Jean-François Vachon
Indigenous health care is based on trainings that have little or no awareness of the socio-economic challenges, systemic discrimination, trivialized racism and colonial history faced by the communities. The consequences for indigenous health are numerous, even to the point of ignoring their needs.
The project aims to initiate a dialogue with the teaching community of the University of Montreal, which trains health care workers, on the subject of discrimination and systemic racism encountered by First Peoples in healthcare institutions in Quebec and Canada.
Four online actions will have a transformative impact on the teaching and student community. Discussion with key individuals will deepen the true meaning of equity to imagine quality programs, social justice interventions, and different and concrete ways to support health equity for Indigenous peoples.
Landscape of Hope with Vivek Venkatesh and Concordia University
Vivek Venkatesh of Concordia University and Elisabeth Kaine of the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Transmission among First Peoples as a Dynamic of Well-Being and Empowerment have been awarded a grant to carry out a project with young people from ethnic minority communities in the city of Montreal and First Nations.
The project is currently under development, but steps have already been taken with our two partners, the Native Friendship Centre of Saguenay and the Health and Collective Wellness sector of the Ilnu community of Mashteuiatsh.
This collaboration will allow the group of young people to be motivated and to gain access to certain community spaces of Mashteuiatsh for the eventual stages of the project. Through these collaborations, the participants will be trained in audiovisual recording using their cell phones. Thereafter, they will be invited to record and take into account their social and cultural surroundings. A co-creation phase with the participants will close the whole process with a festive event highlighting their work.
Linguistic camps
Over the next few weeks, La Boîte Rouge VIF is launching its linguistic camps project which will be held in four nations. This project, funded by Canadian Heritage, aims to allow youth to explore concepts that are important to them in the language of their nation. They will meet people with whom they can explore these concepts in greater depth.
The camp is also an opportunity for young people to create audiovisual content with tools that are easily adaptable to cell phones. The goal is for them to be able to record good quality content with accessible equipment and in an ultra-light format. They will be able to be more in the action and adapt quicker to the situations they will encounter during their shooting.
After a short training session on the equipment provided to them, the participants will go out to film and will be assisted by members of the BRV team, particularly when it comes to scripting and editing the footage. If necessary, they will be able to count on the help of linguists from their community. The audiovisual productions will be a few minutes long and will focus on the concepts chosen and explored by each youth. The productions will be broadcast in the fall of 2021.
Communication training
“Getting heard, getting understood and getting listened to” on May 12 and 19, 2021.
La Boîte Rouge VIF offers a training to artists, craftpersons or cultural animators of the First Peoples who wish to improve their knowledge in communication and their ease in front of school groups, tourist groups or others.
The 3-hour virtual training is offered in collaboration with Culture Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and local Emploi-Québec centers.
There is still time to register for the training on May 19.
Visit this page for more information (French only): https://www.laboiterougevif.com/annonces/
News from our members
Exhibition at La Pulperie
Our colleagues, Marie-Christine Girard and Marilyne Soucy as well as Jimmy Fortin and Sarah Beauseigle participated in the realization of the exhibition dedicated to Michel Fedak, an artist from Saguenay (Arvida sector) and displayed at the Pulperie of Chicoutimi this summer.
Keen observer, Michel Fedak is a sculptor in popular art whose works are inspired by everyday life. Like a journey into the artist’s studio, this retrospective offers the opportunity to discover nearly one hundred of his works, each more colorful than the last.
The tour is complemented by a catalog that highlights Michel Fedak’s prolific career and all the creations presented in the exhibition.
Video for the Petapan project
In order to give voice to the members of the school team, partners and indigenous parents who are working together to make the Petapan project an inspiring model, La Boîte Rouge VIF has produced a video based on a sharing of practices made during the 4th colloquium on school perseverance and success among First Peoples at UQAC. This video presents practices integrating languages and cultures at École des Quatre-Vents through collective activities, Innu and Atikamekw classes, teaching, daycare services and support to parents.
It is in a spirit of gathering and cultural sharing that this video will soon be available. Thank you to the Centre de services scolaires des Rives-du-Saguenay, the Saguenay Native Friendship Centre and the Nikanite First Nations Centre for helping to promote the Petapan model.
Here are our project partners:
Isabelle Boivin : Director of Educational Services, CSS des Rives-du-Saguenay
Claudette Awashish : Director of the Saguenay Native Friendship Centre
Émilie Lavoie : Director of École des Quatre-Vents
Stéphanie Guay : social worker at École des Quatre-Vents
Text by Christine Couture, Professor at the Science of Education Department, Didactics of science and technology at the primary level, member of the UNESCO Chair in cultural transmission among First Peoples as a dynamic of well-being and empowerment.
The BRV in video production!
The team of La Boîte Rouge VIF is collaborating with the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation in the development and implementation of a web platform related to health. This project includes the production of culinary capsules promoting healthy eating and Wolastoqey culinary traditions.
This production solicits the participation of Jean-Frederic Lavoie and Maxime Lizotte, chef owner at Wigwam | Private Home Chef and creator of the Origine boréale products, by Wigwam, both members of the Nation.
