APFA Media and Video Gallery

For Press Releases - click here.		For Photo Gallery - click here.
Videos
To view the videos below, click on either the 'Dial Up' or 'High Speed' links. If you are unsure of your connection, please choose the 'Dial Up' link.
Reclaiming Our Children			Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Part I 1 Background 2 Chief Stewart Phillip 3 APFA Transition    Coordinator View: Dial Up High Speed	Part 2 4 Elder 5 Board of Directors &    Political Committee 6 Métis Nation 7 Urban Aboriginal People View: Dial Up High Speed	Part 3 8 Youth 9 Conclusion View: Dial Up High Speed	FASD 1 Lifelong Disabilities 2 'Holes in the Brain' 3 Ordering Fast Food View: Dial Up High Speed

'Reclaiming Our Children' Video/DVD - Running Time 17 minutes, 30 seconds
The Aboriginal Peoples Family Accord (APFA) featured an interview with Lower Nicola Indian Band elder Mae Moses-Voght for their video/DVD production entitled 'Reclaiming Our Children.'

"Many elders have raised their children, their grandchildren and even play a big role in raising their great grandchildren," said APFA Communication Coordinator Dan Odenbach who produced the video/DVD. "Grandmothers are the glue which holds many families together and keeps their children in their communities. These caring individuals are often the unsung heroes.

"Mae provided us with some valuable insights into how elders view child welfare," he added.

The APFA tapped into Kla-How-Ya Communications to complete an informational VHS video/DVD about upcoming changes to the child welfare system.

"The First Nations Friendship Centre in Vernon contracted out their post-production through editor Tricia Cooney," explains Odenbach. "This is my first video since college and linear editing is a lot more user-friendly than the system we used before. Tricia did a great job of explaining what options would be best for this production."

The APFA has sent out hundreds of VHS videos and some DVDs to First Nation bands, friendship centres, Métis Nation organizations, Ministry of Children and Family Development offices and MLA offices. The video, entitled 'Reclaiming Our Children,' is roughly 11 minutes in length and there's an additional four-minute bonus segment on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

"I wanted to include a section on FASD. But because we're dealing with so much information, to include the FASD segment in the overall video would have made it too long," explains Odenbach. "This isn't an episode of Friends. The rule of thumb is to keep corporate videos to under 11 minutes. People don't like watching informational videos much longer than that."

To not inflate the budget, shooting sites had to keep within a couple-hours drive of the Central Okanagan. The most popular shooting site was at Turtle Island Gallery, across the alley from Prospera Place.

"It was so easy to shoot in there," said cameraman Bryon McLuckie. "Everywhere you turn, it's another great background."

Turtle Island Gallery owner Georgette Johnson graciously offered her premises for the non-profit project. APFA Board of Directors Chair Debbie Abbott, urban representative Marg Ahdemar and APFA Political Committee Chair Chief Bob Pasco were all interviewed at Turtle Island Gallery which features an array of beautiful First Nations art and decor.

Transition Coordinator Eliza Terbasket was videotaped in the foyer of the Westbank First Nation office with a background of art featuring children's handprints. Métis Nation board member Donna Wright was taped in the former Kelowna Métis Association office on Leon Ave.

Since the subject matter is basically talking heads, footage of children was used to break up the interviews. Cameramen Rick Sagayadan and McLuckie provided footage of healthy children playing to remind viewers of the goal of the APFA.

From the Merritt area, two youth and one elder were interviewed about their opinions and experience about the child welfare system. One youth, who grew up in a non-Aboriginal environment, said it was tough to go back to her First Nation community as a young woman. The elder recalled a story about a First Nation mother who committed suicide after her child was taken into foster care.

The three main points to Reclaiming Our Children are:

• Aboriginal People must reclaim our inherent right for jurisdiction over our children
• The wellness of Aboriginal communities rests on the mental and physical health of our children
• Changing the child welfare system won't happen overnight

Since the video tapes are less than 20 minutes in length, they are virtually useless for recording TV shows, much less a movie.

"After watching the video, the APFA would appreciate the viewer please pass it along to a fellow member of your community," requests Odenbach.

There will be more than 900 VHS videos and about 120 DVDs produced and distributed throughout the B.C. Interior. The bulk of the duplication budget went into VHS copies as more than 95 percent of homes have video machines as opposed to about 45 percent which own DVD players. However, DVD players will eventually be more popular than videotape machines.

Photo Gallery - Click to view photos:

Back to top