Atəm kʷaθ nan (Namesake) is a tremendously emotional and necessary documentary, showing us how lost some communities are in their efforts to recognise and respect Indigenous people. If we could all live with the attitude of the Tla’amin Nation, we would be a lot better off for it – A marvellous and invaluable film.
When the Tla’amin Nation requests a name change for the city of Powell River, B.C.—named for Israel Wood Powell, a key figure in the creation of the Indian residential school system—it ignites a heated debate about whose history is told and respected.
Few films will make you have such a wide range of emotions as t̓agəm Eileen Francis and ƛɛsla Dr Evan Adams‘ təm kʷaθ nan (Namesake). From sadness to the pain that those from the Tla’amin territory have gone through, to hope of what the future holds in renaming the city, to utter anger and despair at those who try to stop them.
Naming things is a human thing to do; it connects us in some way to whatever we have named. These names go on for centuries in stories and songs. They can become important to more than just family; they can mean something to a wide breadth of people, and it’s special. A name means so much more than one can ever truly imagine, and in the case of Atəm kʷaθ nan (Namesake), it can mean something that needs to be erased and replaced with something generations down the line can accept and be proud of.
Starting off in an almost educational tone, Atəm kʷaθ nan (Namesake) shows how indigenous people in Canada have been treated and explains what certain words mean to the Tla’amin Nation. It’s an interesting, but also important introduction, as it shows the average viewer just how important nature and life are to these people. We see how important the meaning of names are to this culture, how names are passed down from family members to just because someone took up the drums to help start playing music, a fact that the Tla’amin had no songs left of their own to keep playing, due to what happened in the region. They have to take songs and make them their own just to have something. Then we truly begin the documentary as we are introduced properly to the community.
We learn the heartbreaking truth of their history in the area: once a population of thousands, it was reduced to 188. Unfathomable numbers that have no defence (or so you would think and more on that later. Francis and Adams take their time to show us the efforts in which the Tla’amin Nation are asking for one fairly simple thing: for the city to acknowledge its past, out of respect for those who came before “settlers,” and to change the city name.
We even learn about the townfolk’s history, specifically the former mayor who was all in on respecting the Tla’amin’s traditions, so easy slam dunk, then, right? This will be a feel-good, positive doc that shows how two communities came together for the greater, reasonable, and respectful good.
Wrong, horribly, stunningly wrong. Atəm kʷaθ nan (Namesake) takes a turn that you almost sensed coming from the little comments here and there when the community of Powell River were spoken to. Little snippy, ignorant comments that then unravel into full-blown misinformation, denialism and frankly, in this current climate, Trumpism antics from those against this change.
We are left not only open-jawed at the audacity of those against the name change, but in fact, these people then start to deny that the proven horrific deaths at the Residential schools that Israel Wood Powell created even happened. They start their own “polls that only invite specific people to voice an opinion on to make it as lopsided as possible. You couldn’t write it; worst of all, however, is the utter cowardice of the city council. Too afraid to be attacked by those in their own community for doing the right thing, they do the thing all politicians are good at. Kicking the “problem” down the road for the next lot.
Yet, despite all of this, Francis and Adams try their level best to keep things as balanced as possible, and importantly show how this only galvanises the Tla’amin Nation and those on their side to join together to celebrate their culture, to be compassionate at almost all times (we get a cheeky shredding ceremony, which brought a wide smile to the face). You fall for these people who want to live peacefully, with everyone, to share and enjoy in as respectful a manner as conceivably possible, even in the face of racism and denialism.
In the end, that is what stays with you. Not the bigoted nonsense from the few, but the love from the many, you are captivated by how open they are, how accessible they make every step of this journey, not just for the viewer, but their wider community. Despite the lack of empathy awarded to them by people who should know better, they double down in Atəm kʷaθ nan (Namesake) and, goodness, you are enriched for seeing it.
Atəm kʷaθ nan (Namesake) is an essential watch to show those who change and progress still need to be pushed heavily, as the challenges that the Tla’amin Nation experiences to this very day are nothing short of abysmal.
★★★★★
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