Metis filmmaker Gil Cardinal's TIKINAGAN is a provocative account of the native child welfare system. Tikinagan, the Cree word for the cradleboards on which native parents once carried their babies, is the name of a revolutionary native run child care agency operating out of Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario. Tikinagan workers realize that the welfare of children on their reservations is in peril - gas sniffing and alcoholism are major problems -, but they must confront the residue of bitterness and distrust left by years of conflict with provincial child welfare agencies.
Part of AS LONG AS THE RIVERS FLOW series
Public Jury Award, 1991 Nyon Documentary Festival
Eagle Spirit Award, 1991 American Indian Film Festival