Big Bear : Rain or shine, the show must go on

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Grey skies, pounding rain and muddy roads might have dampened spirits, but had little effect on the determination of the film production crew of Big Bear, currently shooting on the Pasqua Reserve.

Battling unpredictable elements that made the steep winding roads down into the Pasqua Valley almost impassible and a northeast wind that made filming conditions next to impossible, were challenges faced by actors, film crew and acclaimed director Gil Cardinal. The gang was determined to stay on schedule and under budget.

As unit publicist Sarah Gilbert from Montreal explained, nothing short of a tornado would stop a major film production of this size.

"Time is money in film-making and because of tight booking and schedules for the actors and actresses, a huge cast, crew and different set locations throughout May, June and July, rescheduling would be a logistical nightmare."

"The show must go on," said Cardinal.

But not everyone was unhappy with the inclement weather. Tick, the set's camp dog, was more than happy to join the crew for a snack in the shelter of the tents and the Montreal contingent was clearly amazed by the fresh clean smell of untouched prairie saturated by rain water.

Everyone involved, from the extras to the producers, were fully aware of that history was in the making, a two part, four hour television series about the visionary Plains Cree Chief, Big Bear, that would be chalking up a significant number of firsts in this country.

Big Bear is the first ever joint film collaboration between Saskatchewan and Quebec, the first large budget production made from a totally Native perspective, by and for Aboriginal people, and the first major movie in Canada ever to be filmed on a reserve.

"It's a film idea whose time has come for Native people living in this so-called renaissance period, when we are finally taking to film and screen to tell our own stories from a totally Native perspective," said actor Kennetch Charlette, who plays the character Lone Man.

"The Cree are great story tellers. They love to tell a story and the time has come to take this oral tradition and put it on film, utilize the power of the film industry to help revitalize our own culture," he said.

"Fifty years from now, people will be referring to this film as a real piece of history, a milestone that gave more Native people a real incentive to get into the movie making business, a movie that helped to give us a voice. And who better to capture the history and spirituality of the people, than the people themselves," added Charlette.

Big Bear, the epic story of a powerful leader, is being brought to life on the Pasqua First Nation, located in the beautiful QuiAppelle Valley in Saskatchewan where the historic signing of Treaty 6 and the Battle of Frenchman's Butte will be recreated.

Produced by Saskatchewan's Blue Hill Productions, Quebec's Tele-Action Productions and Kanata Productions, in association with CBC, the four hour mini-series, which will be aired on television in December. It is based on Saskatchewan born writer Rudy Wiebe's award winning novel, The Temptations of Big Bear. It tells the story of one of the most respected and misunderstood heroes in Canadian history.

Big Bear was more preoccupied with how the Plains Cree would survive after the disappearance of the bison, than with waging war. He was a pacifist who wanted to negotiate with the federal government to ensure better and more comprehensive treaty packages for his people and, according to actor Gordon Tootoosis, he laid the real foundations for all First Nations organizations today.

Branded a troublemaker after refusing to sign a treaty or accept a reserve, Big Bear, who had strained to hold his people together and keep their ancestral hunting and land rights intact, was found to be guilty by his association with Louis Riel. His tribe was eventually starved into signing Treaty 6 and he lost control over his young warriors, who killed nine settlers at Frog Lake and burne Fort Pitt before being forced to surrender at Loon Lake.

The young warriors were hanged and Big Bear, convicted of treason, was sentenced to three years in the Stoney Penitentiary in Manitoba. Released after two years, he died a year later on Poundmaker Reserve near North Battleford

The film, which has been eight years in the planning for producers Claudio Luca, Colin Nuale, Doug Cutknife and Dorothy Schreiber, is based on a contemporary screenplay. Keeping the whole production firmly rooted in the Native perspective has been the main thrust, heart and spiritual centre of the movie.

"It's our story," said Doug Cutknife, of Blue Hills Productions, and a Plains Cree from the Battleford area in Saskatchewan.

"We know what we're doing, we're not going to mess it up. It's not Hollywood, not just role playing, it's a part of ourselves."

And the fact that it's being shot on a reserve adds a special sense to the production, as well as being a major economic initiative for the people in the Pasqua community.

Big Bear is probably the biggest event in Saskatchewan this year, a major piece of work for the CBC and a very positive step forward for Saskatchewan people.

Part of the beauty of being a Cree actor in an almost all Cree cast is that we have a very relaxed set," said Michael Greyeyes, who plays Wandering Spirit, leader of the Rattler Lodge. "It's a story about the Cree people and the fact that an unprecedented number of actors are Saskatchewan Cree is very important, something that Gil Cardinal was very aware of when he was casting. It's totally unique and brings in a whole different take on the cultural perspective."

"The fact that he has the same perspective makes for a smoother path. You're not butting heads, and, in a weird way, it's not about cultural issues at all. We can just concentrate on making a great film, get down to acting," said Greyeyes.

Gordon Tootoosis, the only actor who was ever considered for the role of Big Bear, expressed how pleased he was to beworking with such an excellent cast.

"We're really turning the tables around on the old Westerns," said Tootoosis. "The Cree characters are all speaking Cree in this movie, which is heard as English for the audience and all the other characters are speaking Jabberwocky [a meaningless gibberish] which really reverses the situation and shows how it must have been for our people back in the days of Big Bear, when all the treaty negotiations and linguistic misunderstandings took place in English."

Tootoosis, co-starring with actress Tantoo Cardinal, who plays one of Big Bear's three wives, said the role of Big Bear was extremely challenging, and one that he had a very personal connection with.

The actor, who grew up on Poundmaker Reserve where Big Bear died, remembers a childhood steeped in Cree lore and fascinating stories about his hero.

He said the impact of the film for Aboriginal people would be nothing but positive, especially for those involved in the film industry. The profile of this great visionary would certainly be raised in the general public awareness and in the Canadian education system. Big Bear is a Native hero with a stature equal to Sitting Bull or Louis Riel who up until now has been relatively unknown in the main stream.

"Many of the issues he dealt with are still the same and it's a privilege to do this film about a man who was so truly a visionary leader, so kind and intelligent, with an uncanny foresight to really see what was happening to his culture and way of life, a man who wanted to negotiate a better deal for all the people, not just his own band," said Tootoosis. "The power of Big Bear is with us today as we make this film, and wherever he is, I hope he approves of what we're doing. I hope he likes it too, I'm sure he's with us."