IRSI is thrilled to be supporting the work of acclaimed filmmaker Helen Haig-Brown. A member of the Tŝilhqot'in Nation, Haig-Brown received international acclaim and won several awards for “Edge of the Knife”, her first narrative feature film, which was made entirely in the Haida language. She is now at work on her next major project, an exploration of the Chilcotin War of 1864. She expects the project to take several years to complete and is currently embarking on an extensive research phase, which will include oral history research within the community and combing archives in Canada and internationally. In support of the archival work, IRSI is facilitating connections between Helen and research partners at UBC, including the First Nations Curriculum Concentration at the iSchool and other relevant archival sites at UBC, as well as helping to source research funding. IRSI is also in the process of co-developing an MOU with project partners.
This project is close to Helen’s own heart as it explores a treasured piece of her Nation’s history. As she did with Edge of the Knife, Helen will work in close collaboration with her community throughout the process and intends to shoot in the Tŝilhqot'in language when the time comes.