Epic journey of Cree youth charted in new documentary

Over a year ago today, six young men and their guide set out on snowshoes in temperatures reaching minus 50, walking to Ottawa in support of the Idle No More movement.

When they reached the capital on March 25, 2013, they were several hundred strong.

Tonight a documentary film called The Journey ofNishiyuupremieresin Whapmagoostui, where the 1500km walk began.

• Cree walkers meet minister at end of Idle No More trek
• Maamuitaau'sseries on the walkers, calledWe're Still Here (Cree with English subtitles)
• Attawapiskat First Nation walkers trek to Ottawa with message
• Visit cbc.ca Aboriginal

Whapmagoostui Youth Chief Ben Masty shot and edited the film, which is produced by the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay.

"This is not a political movie. It's a personal journey with the walkers," says Masty. "I purposely left out the political dealings behind why they walked."

"It was more to document what they went through and what it's like to walk as our ancestors used to do. I wanted to show the people in the community that this was an important event in the history of our Cree culture."

"With this walk, they [the youth] want to demonstrate that we still hold it and want to preserve the traditions...one elder even said, 'you guys are going all the way to Ottawa. In my lifetime I have never walked such a distance in a short amount of time.'"

"So this is something that's really important, that needs to be preserved as well, that the youth are still trying to hold on to our traditions and customs as Cree people."

The film will be shown at 7 p.m. tonight in Whapmagoostui, following a community feast. Masty says he's hoping the film will eventually be shared with all the other Quebec Cree communities, and perhaps entered into film festivals as well.