Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises by Alanis Obomsawin is a documentary that deserves to be seen in order to discover who the Abenaki are, but also to meet the families who live there, learn about their struggles against the injustices of the Indian Act as well as their magnificent practice of basketry! This is a human and empathetic film that shows us the strength, courage, and resilience of the Abenaki people.

Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises has a special significance for me. Not only was this the first time I had the chance to see Abenakis on the big screen, but being an Abenaki from Odanak, this film allowed me to view my community from a different perspective. Even though I never had the chance to live there, to recognize the majority of the Abenakis in the film, to discover their history, to see images and archival photos, all of that was for me, an individual who is reconnecting with my culture, a significant moment.

Alanis is a close family friend, she was the one who celebrated the first steps of my two children. She is an extraordinary person, and I believe her films are national treasures that we should all take the time to watch.

Xavier Watso

Teacher and Abenaki activist