Pauline Waterfall
Elder

Pauline Waterfall’s life exemplifies the exercise of sovereignty as a Heiltsuk woman. The Heiltsuk Nation is comprised of 23 Indian reserves. Pauline’s is Bella Bella, located on an island on the central coast of British Columbia. Archaeological evidence affirms Heiltsuk origin stories, placing them on the island at least 14,000 years—or 700 generations ago. Pauline attended day school in Bella Bella British Columbia until the age of twelve. She was then sent away to residential school. She did not return home for 15 years. Upon doing so she rediscovered and reclaimed her Heiltsuk heritage. Pauline participated in the renewal of their potlatch system after it’s 66-year ban, reclaiming and determining her own identity. An act of sovereignty. 

Pauline learned that the high school drop-out rate for her people was 98%. Attending high school at that time required going to urban schools outside of the community. Working with others, Pauline was able to establish the Bella Bella School Board in 1976, gaining local control of local education. She created Heiltsuk College which allowed Heiltsuk youth to complete high school at home and adults who had dropped out to return to their academic studies. For the first time in five generations, Pauline’s people were able to complete high school without being sent away. 

The college continued successfully with an 80% high school graduation rate and 700+ alumni graduated and progressing to post-secondary or career training. Pauline then returned to her own academic goals at the age of forty-five and graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the Indigenous Teachers Education Program at the University of British Columbia. She continued as an instructor at Heiltsuk College during which time she secured grant funding to revitalize the language, hiring fluent speakers and a curriculum writer. Pauline was a fluent speaker as a child and through her college language efforts began recovering her knowledge of the language. She was supported and inspired by an elder who called her every day to speak Heiltsuk to her. Choosing to speak your own language—exercising your sovereignty.

Hilistis, Pauline’s paternal grandmother, was one of 20 children, a third-generation residential school survivor, and a powerful Heiltsuk scholar. She witnessed the erosion of the culture and language and in response created the “Hilistis Society,” and gathered elders to share their knowledge. Pauline names Hilistis as her most influential mentor. She said her grandmother guided her back to claiming her “Heiltsukness” following indoctrination and displacement from educational and religious institutions. After her grandmother passed away, Pauline inherited her name. The translation of “Hilistis” means “starting on a journey and staying on course to completion.” The giving and receiving of names is an intimate act of personal and familial sovereignty. Certainly, both name holders stayed the course in their journey as knowledge keepers and teachers.

Max Johnson
ELDER

Chief Wakas Maxwell Johnson Sr. was born at Namu BC and is a member of the Heiltsuk Nation.  He was born on April 23, 1963 and lives in Bella Bella BC. He is a proud single dad of four children and two grandchildren. Through customary adoption, he is the grandfather to his grand nephew. He attended high school at Port Hardy and Bella Bella and completed his formal education at Heiltsuk College. He is a master artist and contributed to the painting of traditional artwork of the ceremonial Heiltsuk Big House.

He is a caretaker and custodian of the Big House. On December 20, 2019, he and his granddaughter Tori were arrested while they attempted to conduct business at the Bank of Montreal at Vancouver BC. Charges were laid and settled with the BC Tribunal and Canadian Human Rights Complaint and Office of Police Complaint Commissions. Max expressed that he wanted to educate people about the issues faced by First Nations people and their culture. Through his courage and determination, Max has created an awareness of and healing pathway regarding the problem of systemic racism of Indigenous people. He continues to be a major cultural leader through his art work, drumming, singing and practicing Heiltsuk ceremonies and practices.  

Sam McGuiness
DIRECTOR, EDITOR, SOUND DESIGNER

Sam McGuiness is a passionate media professional from Vancouver, Canada. Growing up on the unceded territory of the Musqueam people, Sam quickly developed an interest and curiosity in both storytelling and technology. Even starring in a series of embarrassingly bad lip synching videos with his older cousins. 
 
Over the next 15 years – Sam honed and developed his craft, building many friendships and memories along the way. Today – when he’s not involved in projects like this – Sam enjoys spending time with his 4 year old son, Henry – who’s favourite thing to do is to go fast.  

Zachary Rothman
PRODUCER, STORY EDITOR

Zachary Rothman was born in Winnipeg, learned to dream in a little town called Gimli on the shores of the inland sea sometimes known as Lake Winnipeg, and delighted in the art of canoeing under the northern lights of a Northwest Ontario sky. He is the grandson of Jewish refugees and a distant cousin to many.

Zac leads a team called EdTech, made up of passionate, talented, creative, caring and insightful humans at UBC Faculty of Medicine. Together they create films, podcasts, designs and virtual reality experiences.

Rothman has a diverse body of work as writer, producer and director -- including
documentary THE EDGE OF CARE, sci-fi film ALCHEMY and OTHER IMPERFECTIONS, and the biology series NEUROANATOMY.  Many of these films have won awards.  But no recognition has been as powerful and meaningful as the elder and knowledge keeper who said

"I and am so pleased with how you've been able to capture such a diverse spectrum of topics, challenges, differences and information braided together in such a respectful and meaningful way.  I am honoured to be a small part of this and say walas gayasixa for giving me the opportunity to share some of what I have been taught.  In brief, you have produced a magnificent masterpiece.”

Zachary Rothman is also a husband, a son, an uncle, a father and a storyteller, and currently produces a children’s story podcast (BEDTIME STORIES FOR THE DISCERNING CHILD) with his ten-year-old daughter.   He is still happiest on a tiny boat in big water, especially when he can convince his daughter to join him in paddled pirouettes across the calm water under the light of the rising stars.
 

Stephen Gillis
PRODUCER, STORY EDITOR

Stephen Gillis grew up in a small village of 150 people on the shores of Whycocomagh Bay on the traditional lands of the Mi’kmaq on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Growing up with only three TV channels and three older sisters that ruled them, he developed an active imagination leading to a love of performing and storytelling.

That love of storytelling brought him to the unceded and traditional territory of the Musqueam people, which he has been privileged to settle on for the past 25 years. The over 6000km move has led to a very fulfilling and award-winning career as a writer, director, and producer in film and podcasting, which includes the privilege of writing & directing two original feature-length documentaries for national broadcast.  

Stephen is also an accomplished high-performance youth hockey coach, mentoring and leading a diverse group of young women and men on and off the ice. A core component of this leadership training is the importance of community leadership and service. which includes raising tens of thousands for local charities, participating in the Orange Jersey Project for Truth and Reconciliation in sports, and the national Good Deeds Cup initiative.  

When not behind a camera or at the rink, Stephen can be found walking his rambunctious dog Chewy with his lovely partner while heading to a farmer’s market or somewhere with delicious snacks.  

Paul Milaire
AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHER

Paul Milaire lives with his family in the city of Richmond, located on the traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm peoples. Paul’s grandparents migrated to these lands in the early-to-mid 1900s from various parts of Europe and Asia.  In Paul’s work, he supports teachers and learners with the use of technology for medical education. Paul enjoys spending time with his two young children, playing sports and growing plants in his backyard.