Becoming Nakuset: A Panel Discussion
Feb 08, 2021 - Feb 08, 2021
Becoming Nakuset is an intimate film that shares the story of Nakuset, an Indigenous survivor of the 60s scoop who was adopted into an affluent Jewish family in Montreal. Nakuset guides us through the emotional journey of rediscovering her past and re-shaping her life by sharing personal archives and interviews. Nakuset's story highlights not only her own strength and resilience but also her love for her Bubbe who supported her, and for the Native Women's Shelter that has become the focus of her career. The Segal Centre had the pleasure and privilege of working with Nakuset during our Children of God project.
The 12-minute screening will be followed by a panel discussion focused on navigating the pain of trauma in order to reclaim one’s identity within a system of oppression upheld by centuries of colonialism. This under-examined piece of Canada's history is essential to explore and learn from, as the effects of our past continue to impact Indigenous communities and shape Canada's future. Join us as we learn more about Nakuset's journey that hopefully will inspire us all to understand our past more fully in order to re-imagine our future.
Presented in collaboration with Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom
BIOS
Rabbi Lisa Grushcow (Moderator)
Lisa Grushcow received her B.A. from McGill University in 1996. She was then named a Rhodes Scholar and spent three years at Oxford University, where she earned a masters degree in Judaism and Christianity in Greco-Roman World, and then a doctorate. She was ordained a rabbi in 2003 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, where she studied as a Wexner Graduate Fellow.
Upon graduation, Rabbi Grushcow joined Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City, where she served as Associate Rabbi. She held this position until July 1, 2012 when she assumed the role of Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El-Beth-Sholom in Montreal. She edited ‘The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality”, contributed to ‘The Torah: A Women’s Commentary’, and is widely published online and in print.
In 2015, The Jewish Daily Forward nominated Rabbi Lisa Grushcow as one of the 33 America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis, and in 2019 she was profiled in the New York Times.
Nakuset (Panelist)
Nakuset, the Executive Director of the Native Women's Shelter of Montréal, is Cree from Lac la Ronge, Saskatchewan. She has three beautiful boys, Kistin, Mahkisis and Mahihkan. She was adopted by a Jewish family in Montreal and draws on her adoptee experience in her advocacy work for Indigenous children in care. Nakuset created, produced and hosted the television series Indigenous Power, she was voted “Woman of the Year 2014” by the Montreal Council of Women, and she is the Indigenous columnist for MaTV’s CityLife. Nakuset was featured in Real Talk on Race, the award winning CBC series. In 2017, she was selected by the CKX City Series as a speaker/shift disturber due to the work she does to shift the status quo for urban Aboriginal women. In November 2017, she was a speaker for TEDxMontrealWomen.In 2018, she testified for 3 days at the Viens Commission, a public inquiry into the discrimination of Indigenous people of Quebec. She testified in June, 2018 at the MMIW Inquiry in Calgary. In February 2019, she presented at WE Day. She was recently featured in the “End of 2010’s interview for Global” to discuss the past decade work with the urban Indigenous community. She is honoured to spearheaded and run the Cabot Square project since its inception and to co-found Resilience Montreal. She is dedicated to improving the lives of urban Indigenous people.
Victoria Anderson-Gardner (Panelist)
Victoria Anderson-Gardner is an award winning Ojibwe filmmaker from Eagle Lake First Nation, Ontario. They completed their thesis film for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree under the School of Image Arts at Ryerson University. Victoria is focused on creating Indigenous content, showcasing underrepresented communities and using their skills as a filmmaker to educate. With over 4 years of experience in the film industry, Victoria is a director and producer who has worked and assisted on a variety of productions which include Tenaya (TIFF’s Big Pitch Audience Choice Award 2020), Becoming Nakuset (CBC Gem and Loud Roar Productions short doc, won the Best Short Film, Audience Choice Award at imagineNATIVE 2020), The Hurt That Binds Us (Voices With Impact short doc; won Best Documentary at the Ryerson University Film Festival), Mni Wiconi: Mitakuyelo (imagineNATIVE and Netflix commissioned short doc), In Search of a Perfect World (CBC Docs POV hosted by Peter Mansbridge, credited as additional director), and The Inconvenient Indian (directed by Michelle Latimer, credited as production assistant). They currently sit as an Advisory Board member for Art With Impact where they sit on the jury for their monthly film competitions, is a brand ambassador for the Indigenous led charity called Indspire, and is the Indigenous Achievement Tutor at Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Thunder Bay.
Daniel Milner (Panelist)
Daniel Milner was born in Winnipeg Manitoba in 1973. He was adopted after his first year on this earth to a blond blue-eyed family who already had a child. They did not keep Daniel and he was returned to care. Not long after, he was then adopted by a family living in Montreal and grew up there.