Indian Horse (2017) Movie Script
The scariest
memories
is being taken away.
I was taken when I
was six years old.
I didn't understand
why...
When we spoke our
language, we were punished.
...would hit me
with a broom.
...always punished
for, um...
for speaking our language.
...drove out of
here crying.
A lot of crying families.
...because I was so scared.
These
people talk all the time,
and expected me to do the same.
Told me many hearts beating
together
makes us stronger.
They said I should tell my
story,
that you can't understand where
you're going
if you don't understand where
you've been.
The coughing sick.
He got it from school.
We're going where the white man
can't find the boys.
My brother ran away from the
school.
The white officers wouldn't
stop looking for him.
My parents had been taken to
school as children,
and they were never the same.
My grandmother insisted
we head north, to our family's
ancestral land.
It's a beautiful place.
I told you I would take you to a
safe place.
We are all spirit. We are part
of this lake.
The white missionaries named
this place
God's Lake.
That's what they call it.
And we call it
Manitou Gameeng.
But now, no one is here.
Why?
She's telling stories.
Non.
It's true.
What would happen to them?
A powerful presence
drove them away.
But our people said prayers in
the Old Talk
Carried Spirit Plates into the
trees
and your great-grandfather laid
a tobacco offering high up on
that cliff.
The spirits of the lake are
pleased we are here.
That's blasphemy.
We've gotta give thanks to
Jesus.
Your Jesus never fished these
waters.
I'm never going to the school.
Then make sure they never catch
you.
They won't.
I run too fast.
And... I'll hit 'em with stones.
Wait.
That one's special.
You should keep it.
My people are the
Anishinabeg,
the Fish Clan of the Northern
Ojibway.
We sprang forth intact
from the womb of our mother,
the Earth...
Our cheekbones cut from the
granite ridges
that rise above our homeland.
Her heartbeat thrums in our
ears.
We were her stewards and
protectors...
but we were forced
beyond the influence of our
legends.
We will honor him.
We will care for him.
We will take him to the high
place
like the ancestors did long time
ago.
He's our son. Not yours.
We're taking him to the priests
so he can get to heaven.
You'll be taken be the white
man's drink
and never come back.
You'll never come back.
Come with us?
I won't come.
Look after Saul.
We'll be back soon.
Mama!
Papa!
I watched and waited...
through fall,
till the sky turned to the
pale, washed-out blue
of early winter.
Where did my parents go?
They are not coming back.
We must leave.
Go down to Minaki, that's where
my relatives live.
It's a three day journey, we'll
stay there for winter.
If we stay here, we will die.
We must leave.
I never saw my parents
again...
and I still don't know what
happened to them.
"Keewatin"...
that's the name of the North
Wind.
The old ones gave it a name
because they believed it was
alive,
a being, like all things.
It descended upon us like a
slap of a hand...
sudden and vindictive.
Nookmis!
There is a road up ahead.
What about you?
With all my being, I will stay
warm.
We've got to keep moving.
Chew on this, it will help.
Almost there.
Almost there.
We made it, there's the road.
Don't stop.
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis...
Nookmis.
Nookmis!
You have to leave her, son.
Nookmis!
She's gone.
Calm down, son.
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
I read once
there are holes in the universe
that swallow all light,
all bodies.
In what seemed like an instant,
the world I had known was
replaced
by an ominous black cloud.
That's mine.
That's mine! That's mine!
Sit still. Sit still.
Sit still.
Stop it.
Stand up.
Stand! Now!
What's your name?
Saul.
You speak English. Very good.
My father taught me.
And he gave you a fine Biblical
name.
What is your name?
I want to go home.
In English, please.
Let's try again. What's your
name?
Do you know it?
Lonnie.
You'll need something more
suitable than that.
All right, from now on, your
name is Aaron.
Tell him.
He says your new name is Aaron.
I have a name. My father's.
Lonnie.
He says his...
He says "Lonnie" is his dad's
name.
The Lord God is your father now.
Your human father has nothing
more to offer you.
He's a trapper.
He says he's a trapper.
He's a heathen.
He's Ojibway.
Aaron, our goal here
is to help you succeed in this
world,
so you have to learn English.
Sorry, son.
That's a good boy.
Sorry, Father.
You're
disgusting.
Look at this.
Look at the filthy mess you
made.
Enough.
That's no help to him.
Who are you to say?
Leave this to me.
Gather your sheets
and take them to the laundry.
Give us this day our
daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass
against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and
of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Just like home.
At least you don't have to chew
it.
Good morning, Father.
I don't like it.
No.
You have to go back. You have to
go back.
No, Katherine.
Here she comes. Let go.
Hey. No! No!
No, no. I don't want to go back
down there.
That's enough. Sit down.
Turn around. Eat your food,
or you'll be sent downstairs.
You know where she goes.
Yes, Sister.
Louder.
Yes, Sister.
Behold the Lamb of God...
behold He who takest away the
sins of the world.
Blessed are they who are called
to the supper of the Lamb.
They called it a
school,
but it was never that.
The Body of Christ.
There were no grades or
examinations.
The only test
was our ability to endure.
I expect you to learn
this for tomorrow.
Psst!
All of it.
Anish! Anish!
Stand up.
This is the third time this week
I've heard you speaking Ojibway.
Come here.
The Good God gave you this
mouth.
He gave you language.
It is a very grave sin
to corrupt these sacred gifts
with falsehood and deceit.
Open.
Open!
Go see Father Gaston in the
office.
Forgive me, Sister,
but the boy is already
suffering.
Soon enough you'll realize
the importance of consistency
in building discipline and
trust.
I was taught that if you win
their hearts,
you win their minds.
And what other theoretical
drivel
do they teach you at the
seminary, Father Gaston?
The bough that doesn't bend
will break, Sister.
We'll see what Father Quinney
has to say about that.
I have a secret place for us to
go tomorrow.
Meet us outside.
Let's go.
My grandmother had
always referred to the universe
as "the Great Mystery."
Mystery fills us with awe and
wonder.
It is the foundation of
humility,
and humility is the foundation
of all learning.
So we do not seek to unravel
this.
We honour it by letting it be
that way forever.
Hey!
Waabooz!
His leniency is in clear
contravention
of our ideals and practices.
There's a difference
between leniency and human
kindness.
It isn't kind to deprive
children
of guidance.
You're quite right, Sister.
That is our mission, after all,
but there are a lot of ways to
achieve this goal.
Sister,
this winter you'll see some
changes.
I'm going to provide the
children
with a new outdoor activity.
What's he talking about?
A little higher, please.
What're you making?
An ice rink!
For skating...
and hockey.
What's that?
You'll see...
soon enough.
Look what they're making!
Let me see!
Rebecca...
Rebecca!
You gotta let go.
No.
Come on, Katherine!
Don't, they'll lock you up
again!
Hurry! They're coming!
- Please don't! You gotta let go.
She's back with you again.
Rebecca, you know why we forbid
this.
Because it makes her weak?
And?
She clings to me
instead of the Good God, our
Father.
Put the little one in
Contrition.
No! No, please!
You promised to control her,
Rebecca.
Sister! Please let her go!
Please let her go!
Rebecca!
...Our Lord,
who was crucified, died, and was
buried.
The third day, he rose again...
Your mistake?
Jesus only arose once.
You suffer from the sin of
pride, Rebecca.
Go to the corner and quietly
continue.
...Our Father,
who art in heaven...
Saul.
Stand and say the Lord's Prayer.
Our Father...
Our Father...
How...
Who...
Who art in Heaven,
hallowed...
be thy name...
Okay, but let's keep it simple,
okay?
Let's start half speed.
Here we go!
Quick, quick, quick!
You look like
you've never seen people skate
before, Saul.
I don't like games much.
Just watch.
There's a genuine rhythm
underneath all this mayhem.
Once you grasp the rules, you'll
start to see it.
I see it already.
You do?
It's cleared back into
Canada's zone.
Here they are, four of them out
over the line.
Peyton, he cleared it in the
left side.
MacGuiness has it, 27 seconds,
there it is, a break, and he
scores!
Yes!
I want to learn to skate.
Sorry, Saul, you can't.
Father Quinney only allows the
older boys to play.
19 minutes, 33 seconds.
You don't have to tell
him.
Rules are rules.
If I break them for you,
it could ruin it for everybody.
Peyton comes away with it.
Up to Burns...
I can be the one to look after
the ice.
I'll do it before anybody wakes
up.
Nobody will know.
...he fakes the shot and sends
it to MacGuiness,
but the shot goes wide into the
corner.
Will you keep up your studies
and chores?
All right, then.
...Canada wins it, three to
nothing.
All right, boys!
That's it, back to the dorm.
The rink became my
escape...
the ice, my obsession...
the game...
my survival.
Blessed are those who are called
to the supper of the Lamb.
Yes!
Was that Saul I saw
out on the ice this morning,
first thing?
Yes, Father. He's helping me.
He's doing the morning
maintenance
on the ice rink.
And he's in charge of the
equipment locker.
As long as he isn't playing.
He's too young.
Thank you, Father.
Okay, let's try it! Here we go!
Ah!
Tommy?
I'm all right.
Let me see.
Doesn't look good,
boys.
But Father, we need him for the
game tomorrow.
Try not to stand on it.
Let me in!
Can you skate?
When did you learn?
By myself, after shovelling the
ice.
All right. Let's see what you
can do.
Yeah!
Oh!
H-How did you learn to do that?
From those games on TV.
That was a pretty snazzy move.
You taught yourself that?
Yeah.
He's too young and
too small
to be playing hockey.
Father, he's the best player on
the rink.
The others look up to him.
No child is so special
that it warrants breaching our
rules.
I understand...
But still...
Saul!
Yes! Yeah!
I found a way out. We can run
away.
I got a hockey game.
We'll go in the bust.
Trap a beaver and make a fire.
I gotta play.
We can find my dad.
We'll make a camp
and sleep outside.
That'd be good
but Lonnie -
At breakfast I'll meet you in
front.
Come on.
Come on!
I can't.
Sorry, Lonnie.
I gotta go.
Now, listen.
This is our team's first
organized game.
The other team is skilled,
and they've been playing games
like this
since they were six.
So you go out there,
play for fun, play as a team.
You ready?
Yeah!
Now, let's go, boys!
Come on!
Saul... you ready?
Go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Don't let him get it!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Oh!
The game loves you, Saul.
Well done.
Well done!
Come on.
Come.
Lonnie?
It's all I could get.
Time to go, Saul.
Let him out. Please.
I can't.
Please?
He can't take it in there.
God forgive them their lack of
charity.
Come.
No!
What are you up to now, Saul?
Metal pipes.
They weigh twice as much as
regular pucks.
How long have you been doing
this?
About a month or so.
A workman gave 'em to me.
Make me stronger.
Marvellous.
Saul!
Nice skating.
Fred Kelly.
Fred has a team, Saul,
up in Manitouwadge.
The Moose.
We play tournaments on rinks
just like this one,
every weekend in the winter,
right up until breakup,
or till the forwards have to
wear flippers
instead of skates.
Uh, anyways...
we love hockey.
Trouble is,
mill town teams don't want
nothing to do with us.
'Cause you can beat 'em?
Ah, 'cause the white guys think
it's their game.
The reserves take a lot of pride
in their teams.
Even when it's 50-below,
there's a crowd out, watching.
Tell him what you're
thinking, Mr. Kelly.
Most of our players,
they play junior-level hockey.
Right now, we're down a centre.
I was wondering if maybe...
you'd like to play with us?
Fred and his wife lived at St.
Jerome's
for eight years, Saul,
and I told Fred about you.
The Kellys offered to become
your legal guardians.
That means you can leave St.
Jerome's
and go to Manitouwadge.
Attend a regular school.
You'll have a home.
A real home.
And I could play hockey?
All you can handle!
Yes.
Hockey is God's game.
It's the perfect combination
between human skill and passion.
That sport is brutal, devoid of
Christian values.
Saul's talent is
miraculous.
Your responsibility
is to teach the children
humility.
Father, he'll have the benefit
of a good home and schooling.
He has that here with us.
I don't know why Our Lord chose
to grace this boy,
but he did,
and I've seen it with my own
eyes.
That shot he made at the White
River game...
That was a minor miracle.
How does this miracle
help him with the rest of his
life?
Does it support his inner
strength,
his faith in God?
When the hockey ends,
he'll have nothing, he'll be in
Hell.
Sister, he has no relatives that
we know of.
If his parents are still alive,
they've abandoned him.
And now, to deny him a nurturing
family,
or suppress God-given gifts,
that's not what we stand for.
Father...
Do you want to go, Saul?
I'm going away, Lonnie.
You're gonna be all right, okay?
I want to go away too.
Look, it won't be long.
Summer comes, you'll be old
enough to leave here,
and we'll find each other.
No, we won't.
Sure we will!
Look, we'll go out in the bush,
we'll be trapping and fishing,
and we won't come back.
I want to go home.
Goodbye.
Saul... now, I've been thinking.
Hockey...
is like the universe.
If we were right in the heart of
it,
we'd see chaos.
But you...
you see the order, the path,
the great spirit of the game.
That's what makes you so
extraordinary, Saul.
You have that spirit within you.
You are glory, Saul.
- Thank you, Father.
- Thanks, Fred.
"Manitouwadge..."
means "Cave of the Great
Spirit."
Funny, since everyone works in
the mine.
That's why we're here.
Tough place, but it's work.
Next year, maybe you'll work
there too.
Eh?
What do you think?
I like it.
That's good.
Took me and the boys a couple
years
just to get that...
Fred! For Pete's
sake,
the boy needs food before he
needs hockey.
Come on in.
Martha, this is Saul.
Hi. Welcome to our home.
Me and Martha have three
sons.
Virgil is the only one that's
still living at home,
and he's captain of the Moose.
Kinda small.
Ah, he plays bigger.
He'll want to.
I bet it's been a
while
since you've seen bannock.
Here, son. Here.
Jam?
Sorry.
So this used to be Garrett's
room...
It's your room now, though,
Saul.
Is this the first time you've
had your own room?
Is it all right?
This is your home now.
You're not in that place
anymore.
You're safe here.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Moose, Saul!
Number 13, for good luck.
Here, try it on.
I wore that when I was with the
Moose.
Stand up.
Every reserve in the
north had a hockey team.
We travelled to tournaments
every few weeks.
Each team paid about $10 to
play,
and the winner took home a
small purse.
They were the fastest and most
fluid players
I had ever seen.
I was in awe of their skill and
strength,
and more than a little nervous.
That's what I call a game!
Good game, Saul!
All you guys, good game!
Now, that's what I call a game!
You didn't even score, man.
Who cares? Bambi did!
No overtime!
Hey, Moose.
The Johnson Mill Chiefs are a
Senior "A" team...
all mill and mine workers.
That don't mean they're any
good.
They're more than good.
They were league champions last
year.
Playing tough teams
is the only way us Moose are
gonna get better.
You think it's an brand-new
arena?
Definitely. I seen it.
Real dressing rooms with showers
and toilets.
Ernie'd go anywhere for a
toilet.
Ladies and
gentlemen,
tonight's visiting team, the
Manitouwadge Moose.
It's just another game.
Don't make it bigger in your
heads.
Play it like you always do.
Be Moose! Be Indians.
And now, your
Johnson Mill team.
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. Stay put,
stay put.
You're the first star.
What's that?
There's three stars, like on
Hockey Night in Canada.
You gotta go back out there.
No, I don't.
Have to! It's tradition.
Go!
Ladies and
gentlemen,
the first star of the game,
Saul Indian Horse!
We just got a
challenge
from another white team.
Everybody's gonna want to play
us.
Guess those boys like getting
their asses kicked.
What?
They got shocked seeing Indians
skate.
Think it's their game. Not ours.
They play for the same reasons
we do,
the feeling.
Nobody owns that.
Manitouwadge
Moose.
Welcome to Honky Night in
Canada, boys!
Come on, boys! Come on!
Anybody spears you is gonna pay
for it.
Don't matter. I'll keep finding
the net.
Let them get the penalties, not
us.
Number 13! You're gonna need an
Indian hearse!
I'm sick of this.
Gonna scalp you, Indians!
That "Indian hearse" line was
pretty good, though.
Blanket-ass! Wagon-burner!
Nice friendly town they got
here.
Pitcher of beer?
Did someone die?
The old Moose knuckle sandwich.
Yeah!
I'm hungry enough to eat an
Indian Horse.
Them other guys sure wanted a
bite of him.
Yeah. It's a good thing your
face
got in the way of that guy's
fist, eh?
If it ain't the
squaw-hoppers.
Win a little hockey tournament
and think you can come in here
and eat like white people?
What the hell you want?
You want to eat here,
you're gonna have to fight for
it.
Is that right?
Sounds fun.
Save my spot, Saul.
I'll be right back.
You play a hell of a
game, little star.
That and the fact you're a kid
gives you a pass.
Wait your turn.
You can go next.
Are you okay?
What happened?
Let's get outta
here.
Your turn.
Let's go.
Hey!
One thing for sure...
those were the tiniest bunch of
pricks I ever seen.
Saul?
Saul!
Saul! We gotta go!
Move it, man. Everybody's
waiting.
Coming.
Stop taking that cheap shit.
You're not a runt anymore.
We're gonna scalp you, Injuns!
Guy's the coach for that
Toronto Monarchs.
It's a feeder team for the Maple
Leafs.
Says he'd like to talk to you,
Saul.
About what?
Jack Lanahan?
Saul Indian Horse.
Hi, Saul.
I'll leave you two to it.
So, Fred tell you why I'm here?
Some.
I'd like you to play for my
team.
What do you think about that?
Not much.
With the right coaching and
environment,
you could play pro.
You're incredibly fast.
You have a puck sense like I've
never seen before.
I'm happy playing with The
Moose.
The great players are conjurers,
Saul.
They become one with the game,
and it lifts them up
and out of their lives.
That's what happens to you,
isn't it?
Yeah.
You make the ice work for you,
Saul.
That's why you should be playing
at a higher level.
You're wasted here.
So what the hell happened?
He wants me in Toronto.
When's it start? When you going?
I'm not.
What? You're kidding.
Don't want to.
Look, Bambi. That don't matter.
You got called.
We all play the game
wishing someday we'll get the
call
to play with the big boys.
Bambi.
I'm 26.
I've been working graveyards in
the freaking mines
since I was 16 years old.
You've gotta give it a shot for
all of us!
If you don't go, you're a
coward.
Let it beat you without even
trying.
And if you stay,
I'll be the one doing the
beating.
What if I don't cut it?
You will.
You believe that?
I ain't the one who's gotta
believe it.
It's time to go.
Saul...
I know you're torn about going.
I am so proud of you.
It takes great courage
to take something like this on.
I know you'll do good.
So let's go.
Some bannock
and some food for your trip.
Saul, don't forget us.
I'm gonna miss this place.
Manitouwadge?
Nothing to miss, really.
I feel like I grew up here.
Guess you did.
You were a pup when you got
here.
You're like a brother to me.
I had a brother once.
What happened to him?
My dad never talks about the
school.
Mom neither.
And they don't say nothing
about what happened before that.
Same as you.
Maybe this is your chance
to rub the shit off the board
once and for all.
Okay, let's get this
show on the road!
Virgil...
thanks for everything.
Don't sound so damn final,
Bambi.
You can come back any time.
Hey!
Fred.
You take good care of this kid.
He's special!
Welcome to Toronto, Saul.
This is my wife, Elissa.
Hi, Saul.
First time in the big city?
Yeah.
Remember.
You were a part of my family
for many years...
and you always will be.
Aah!
You give it your best.
All right.
Just, uh, make yourself at home.
The kitchen's that way, fridge
is full.
I'll go get you something.
Come on. I'll show you your
room.
They all played for you?
They all stayed here.
They played for me on the
Monarchs,
and ended up in the NHL.
A lot of great players have
slept in that bed.
They're saying Reggie Leach
is gonna tear up the record
books.
He's an Indian kid just like
you.
Oh yeah?
So there's been a trail blazed
for you, Saul.
So you had your choice of
numbers
and you picked the only one
nobody ever wants?
I always had this number.
You don't think it's bad luck?
All right, men! See you out
there.
Let's go, boys!
Hustle out there, guys!
Stick to the game plan, guys.
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
You make me look bad, I'll knock
your lights out.
Big game out there, big game.
Come on!
They wrote you up.
"Bright-eyed like a painted
warrior
bearing down on a wagon train.
In a tussle, he took a player's
scalp."
These guys have a way with
words.
And you told the reporter
you learned how to shoot with a
frozen horse turd.
Is that true?
Yeah.
That's one way to learn
stickhandling.
Don't worry about that, Saul.
They've just never seen anyone
like you before.
Saul!
I...
I've been following you with the
Monarchs.
I can't believe I'm reading
about you
in the newspapers.
A month into the season,
and you're already a star.
You're doing what you always
did, Saul...
you're making the other players
better.
It's a miracle how far you've
come.
I'm so proud of you.
I wish I could keep following
your career,
but the Church is sending me
away.
Where are you going?
Africa.
To teach.
I... just wanted you to know.
The school...
What was happening there...
It was wrong.
You are glory, Saul.
Keep your head up, Chief.
Break it up!
Any more penalties, he's out of
the game.
You've got 22 points in nine
games.
Thanks.
We've lost seven of them.
You blaming me?
You've sat 120 minutes in the
penalty box.
I didn't bring you here to be a
goon.
I'm giving 'em what they want,
the crazy Redskin.
You're letting the other teams
rattle you
with stupid trash talk.
You know how to roll off a hit?
It's the same thing.
And what about the shit that's
coming from my own team?
You're not skating with your
buddies anymore!
These guys may be hard towing
now,
but believe me,
they'll take you to the next
level.
My buddies I could trust.
They had my back.
Saul...
every kid dreams of this moment.
I had dreams once.
I don't have 'em anymore.
Saul, listen.
I know it's not easy,
but if Reggie Leach can do it,
you can too.
I promise you,
get through this, everything
changes.
You're gonna make it to the
show,
then you'll be a role model
for your kind.
My "kind"?
Yes! An inspiration!
You don't know a damn thing
about me.
All I need to know is you got a
gift like no other.
I've seen you on the ice.
I know what you can do,
I know how it makes you feel,
and I'm not blind to the fact
that it's killing you
not to play the way you can.
You got no idea
what kills me or my "kind," do
you?
Listen to me, Saul.
It's all sitting right there for
you.
This is your way out.
Your way to a better life.
There is no better life for me.
There never will be.
I became a wandering
nomad
with my eyes on distant hills.
I covered long charcoal
stretches of highway...
like a river
bearing me somewhere beyond all
recollection.
Lonnie?
It was a dim world,
and I felt dead inside.
Beyond thinking...
beyond emotion...
beyond hope.
You drink down,
because after all the roads
you've travelled,
that's the only direction you
know by heart.
You can't sleep here.
Hey! You've got to get up.
You've made a mess of
your body
and your liver.
Another bout of drinking will
likely kill you.
The Rising Dawn Centre's just
north of the city.
It's the best place
for Native people to get help
for their addictions.
Now, they've said they'll take
you,
if you want it.
Good luck.
Then the
cops...
they put me in that...
...foster home.
I...
I haven't seen my family since.
My grandma...
She could be dead.
I been too drunk to be looking.
Miigwech.
Thank you. Thank you, Karen.
Saul?
Would you like to share?
Have you ever wept, Saul?
No.
You need to find a place where
you can.
Here with us, or on your own...
but you need to find it.
Your silence is killing you.
He's a heathen.
Anishnaabe aawi.
That's a good boy.
That's mine!
That's mine!
It's so good
to see you so excited about
something.
Rules are rules.
If I break them for you,
it could ruin it for everybody.
Sometimes, ghosts
linger.
They hover in the furthest
corners...
...And when you least expect
it,
they lurch out,
bearing everything they brought
to you
when they were alive.
What have you got, Saul?
What is it?
Horse turd.
Oh.
Marvellous.
Come.
You are glory, Saul.
I came far
to make this journey.
I could feel my family and my
ancestors.
It was here,
in this place...
where everything started
and everything ended.
I was with them again.
Mama!
Papa!
One day,
my great-grandfather,
Shabogeesick,
walked out of the bush leading
a strange black animal.
Our people had never seen such
a creature,
and were afraid.
"It is a horse," he told them,
"and it comes bearing great
teachings."
"A thunder will crash through
our hearts and minds,
and we must learn to ride the
horses of change."
"It is what the future asks of
us."
"Our survival depends on it."
Guys, let's do this! Let's do
this!
Come on, look alive, look alive!
Welcome to the Moose,
Saul!
You always have a home here.
What do you think?
Hey.
Look who's here!
Saul!
Welcome back.
Welcome home, Bambi.
Hey, boys!
Look who's here!
About time!
Hey-hey!
Look who's here!
Good to see you, buddy!
Still a bag of antlers.
Good to see you too.
They were lost.
They didn't understand.
They didn't recognize their
parents.
They didn't recognize anybody
in their community.
Why was I like
that?
Why didn't I speak up?
To this day,
there's a lot of us
that don't know how to speak
our native tongue.
If you succeed in
going to school,
that's great.
But I want my
grandchildren
to know where I've been,
and, um, why I do the things
that I do.
It's up to we as a
community
to bring back or have that
pride in our souls.
We have a
beautiful,
incredible, beautiful gift that
was given to us
is our children.
But the more you
talk about it,
the healing takes place inside
you.
My name is Julie
Ozagosh.
My name is Shirley
Ida Williams.
My name is Larry
Theodore Jr.
My name is Saul
Indian Horse.
And this is my story.
memories
is being taken away.
I was taken when I
was six years old.
I didn't understand
why...
When we spoke our
language, we were punished.
...would hit me
with a broom.
...always punished
for, um...
for speaking our language.
...drove out of
here crying.
A lot of crying families.
...because I was so scared.
These
people talk all the time,
and expected me to do the same.
Told me many hearts beating
together
makes us stronger.
They said I should tell my
story,
that you can't understand where
you're going
if you don't understand where
you've been.
The coughing sick.
He got it from school.
We're going where the white man
can't find the boys.
My brother ran away from the
school.
The white officers wouldn't
stop looking for him.
My parents had been taken to
school as children,
and they were never the same.
My grandmother insisted
we head north, to our family's
ancestral land.
It's a beautiful place.
I told you I would take you to a
safe place.
We are all spirit. We are part
of this lake.
The white missionaries named
this place
God's Lake.
That's what they call it.
And we call it
Manitou Gameeng.
But now, no one is here.
Why?
She's telling stories.
Non.
It's true.
What would happen to them?
A powerful presence
drove them away.
But our people said prayers in
the Old Talk
Carried Spirit Plates into the
trees
and your great-grandfather laid
a tobacco offering high up on
that cliff.
The spirits of the lake are
pleased we are here.
That's blasphemy.
We've gotta give thanks to
Jesus.
Your Jesus never fished these
waters.
I'm never going to the school.
Then make sure they never catch
you.
They won't.
I run too fast.
And... I'll hit 'em with stones.
Wait.
That one's special.
You should keep it.
My people are the
Anishinabeg,
the Fish Clan of the Northern
Ojibway.
We sprang forth intact
from the womb of our mother,
the Earth...
Our cheekbones cut from the
granite ridges
that rise above our homeland.
Her heartbeat thrums in our
ears.
We were her stewards and
protectors...
but we were forced
beyond the influence of our
legends.
We will honor him.
We will care for him.
We will take him to the high
place
like the ancestors did long time
ago.
He's our son. Not yours.
We're taking him to the priests
so he can get to heaven.
You'll be taken be the white
man's drink
and never come back.
You'll never come back.
Come with us?
I won't come.
Look after Saul.
We'll be back soon.
Mama!
Papa!
I watched and waited...
through fall,
till the sky turned to the
pale, washed-out blue
of early winter.
Where did my parents go?
They are not coming back.
We must leave.
Go down to Minaki, that's where
my relatives live.
It's a three day journey, we'll
stay there for winter.
If we stay here, we will die.
We must leave.
I never saw my parents
again...
and I still don't know what
happened to them.
"Keewatin"...
that's the name of the North
Wind.
The old ones gave it a name
because they believed it was
alive,
a being, like all things.
It descended upon us like a
slap of a hand...
sudden and vindictive.
Nookmis!
There is a road up ahead.
What about you?
With all my being, I will stay
warm.
We've got to keep moving.
Chew on this, it will help.
Almost there.
Almost there.
We made it, there's the road.
Don't stop.
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis...
Nookmis.
Nookmis!
You have to leave her, son.
Nookmis!
She's gone.
Calm down, son.
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
Nookmis!
I read once
there are holes in the universe
that swallow all light,
all bodies.
In what seemed like an instant,
the world I had known was
replaced
by an ominous black cloud.
That's mine.
That's mine! That's mine!
Sit still. Sit still.
Sit still.
Stop it.
Stand up.
Stand! Now!
What's your name?
Saul.
You speak English. Very good.
My father taught me.
And he gave you a fine Biblical
name.
What is your name?
I want to go home.
In English, please.
Let's try again. What's your
name?
Do you know it?
Lonnie.
You'll need something more
suitable than that.
All right, from now on, your
name is Aaron.
Tell him.
He says your new name is Aaron.
I have a name. My father's.
Lonnie.
He says his...
He says "Lonnie" is his dad's
name.
The Lord God is your father now.
Your human father has nothing
more to offer you.
He's a trapper.
He says he's a trapper.
He's a heathen.
He's Ojibway.
Aaron, our goal here
is to help you succeed in this
world,
so you have to learn English.
Sorry, son.
That's a good boy.
Sorry, Father.
You're
disgusting.
Look at this.
Look at the filthy mess you
made.
Enough.
That's no help to him.
Who are you to say?
Leave this to me.
Gather your sheets
and take them to the laundry.
Give us this day our
daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass
against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and
of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Just like home.
At least you don't have to chew
it.
Good morning, Father.
I don't like it.
No.
You have to go back. You have to
go back.
No, Katherine.
Here she comes. Let go.
Hey. No! No!
No, no. I don't want to go back
down there.
That's enough. Sit down.
Turn around. Eat your food,
or you'll be sent downstairs.
You know where she goes.
Yes, Sister.
Louder.
Yes, Sister.
Behold the Lamb of God...
behold He who takest away the
sins of the world.
Blessed are they who are called
to the supper of the Lamb.
They called it a
school,
but it was never that.
The Body of Christ.
There were no grades or
examinations.
The only test
was our ability to endure.
I expect you to learn
this for tomorrow.
Psst!
All of it.
Anish! Anish!
Stand up.
This is the third time this week
I've heard you speaking Ojibway.
Come here.
The Good God gave you this
mouth.
He gave you language.
It is a very grave sin
to corrupt these sacred gifts
with falsehood and deceit.
Open.
Open!
Go see Father Gaston in the
office.
Forgive me, Sister,
but the boy is already
suffering.
Soon enough you'll realize
the importance of consistency
in building discipline and
trust.
I was taught that if you win
their hearts,
you win their minds.
And what other theoretical
drivel
do they teach you at the
seminary, Father Gaston?
The bough that doesn't bend
will break, Sister.
We'll see what Father Quinney
has to say about that.
I have a secret place for us to
go tomorrow.
Meet us outside.
Let's go.
My grandmother had
always referred to the universe
as "the Great Mystery."
Mystery fills us with awe and
wonder.
It is the foundation of
humility,
and humility is the foundation
of all learning.
So we do not seek to unravel
this.
We honour it by letting it be
that way forever.
Hey!
Waabooz!
His leniency is in clear
contravention
of our ideals and practices.
There's a difference
between leniency and human
kindness.
It isn't kind to deprive
children
of guidance.
You're quite right, Sister.
That is our mission, after all,
but there are a lot of ways to
achieve this goal.
Sister,
this winter you'll see some
changes.
I'm going to provide the
children
with a new outdoor activity.
What's he talking about?
A little higher, please.
What're you making?
An ice rink!
For skating...
and hockey.
What's that?
You'll see...
soon enough.
Look what they're making!
Let me see!
Rebecca...
Rebecca!
You gotta let go.
No.
Come on, Katherine!
Don't, they'll lock you up
again!
Hurry! They're coming!
- Please don't! You gotta let go.
She's back with you again.
Rebecca, you know why we forbid
this.
Because it makes her weak?
And?
She clings to me
instead of the Good God, our
Father.
Put the little one in
Contrition.
No! No, please!
You promised to control her,
Rebecca.
Sister! Please let her go!
Please let her go!
Rebecca!
...Our Lord,
who was crucified, died, and was
buried.
The third day, he rose again...
Your mistake?
Jesus only arose once.
You suffer from the sin of
pride, Rebecca.
Go to the corner and quietly
continue.
...Our Father,
who art in heaven...
Saul.
Stand and say the Lord's Prayer.
Our Father...
Our Father...
How...
Who...
Who art in Heaven,
hallowed...
be thy name...
Okay, but let's keep it simple,
okay?
Let's start half speed.
Here we go!
Quick, quick, quick!
You look like
you've never seen people skate
before, Saul.
I don't like games much.
Just watch.
There's a genuine rhythm
underneath all this mayhem.
Once you grasp the rules, you'll
start to see it.
I see it already.
You do?
It's cleared back into
Canada's zone.
Here they are, four of them out
over the line.
Peyton, he cleared it in the
left side.
MacGuiness has it, 27 seconds,
there it is, a break, and he
scores!
Yes!
I want to learn to skate.
Sorry, Saul, you can't.
Father Quinney only allows the
older boys to play.
19 minutes, 33 seconds.
You don't have to tell
him.
Rules are rules.
If I break them for you,
it could ruin it for everybody.
Peyton comes away with it.
Up to Burns...
I can be the one to look after
the ice.
I'll do it before anybody wakes
up.
Nobody will know.
...he fakes the shot and sends
it to MacGuiness,
but the shot goes wide into the
corner.
Will you keep up your studies
and chores?
All right, then.
...Canada wins it, three to
nothing.
All right, boys!
That's it, back to the dorm.
The rink became my
escape...
the ice, my obsession...
the game...
my survival.
Blessed are those who are called
to the supper of the Lamb.
Yes!
Was that Saul I saw
out on the ice this morning,
first thing?
Yes, Father. He's helping me.
He's doing the morning
maintenance
on the ice rink.
And he's in charge of the
equipment locker.
As long as he isn't playing.
He's too young.
Thank you, Father.
Okay, let's try it! Here we go!
Ah!
Tommy?
I'm all right.
Let me see.
Doesn't look good,
boys.
But Father, we need him for the
game tomorrow.
Try not to stand on it.
Let me in!
Can you skate?
When did you learn?
By myself, after shovelling the
ice.
All right. Let's see what you
can do.
Yeah!
Oh!
H-How did you learn to do that?
From those games on TV.
That was a pretty snazzy move.
You taught yourself that?
Yeah.
He's too young and
too small
to be playing hockey.
Father, he's the best player on
the rink.
The others look up to him.
No child is so special
that it warrants breaching our
rules.
I understand...
But still...
Saul!
Yes! Yeah!
I found a way out. We can run
away.
I got a hockey game.
We'll go in the bust.
Trap a beaver and make a fire.
I gotta play.
We can find my dad.
We'll make a camp
and sleep outside.
That'd be good
but Lonnie -
At breakfast I'll meet you in
front.
Come on.
Come on!
I can't.
Sorry, Lonnie.
I gotta go.
Now, listen.
This is our team's first
organized game.
The other team is skilled,
and they've been playing games
like this
since they were six.
So you go out there,
play for fun, play as a team.
You ready?
Yeah!
Now, let's go, boys!
Come on!
Saul... you ready?
Go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Don't let him get it!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Oh!
The game loves you, Saul.
Well done.
Well done!
Come on.
Come.
Lonnie?
It's all I could get.
Time to go, Saul.
Let him out. Please.
I can't.
Please?
He can't take it in there.
God forgive them their lack of
charity.
Come.
No!
What are you up to now, Saul?
Metal pipes.
They weigh twice as much as
regular pucks.
How long have you been doing
this?
About a month or so.
A workman gave 'em to me.
Make me stronger.
Marvellous.
Saul!
Nice skating.
Fred Kelly.
Fred has a team, Saul,
up in Manitouwadge.
The Moose.
We play tournaments on rinks
just like this one,
every weekend in the winter,
right up until breakup,
or till the forwards have to
wear flippers
instead of skates.
Uh, anyways...
we love hockey.
Trouble is,
mill town teams don't want
nothing to do with us.
'Cause you can beat 'em?
Ah, 'cause the white guys think
it's their game.
The reserves take a lot of pride
in their teams.
Even when it's 50-below,
there's a crowd out, watching.
Tell him what you're
thinking, Mr. Kelly.
Most of our players,
they play junior-level hockey.
Right now, we're down a centre.
I was wondering if maybe...
you'd like to play with us?
Fred and his wife lived at St.
Jerome's
for eight years, Saul,
and I told Fred about you.
The Kellys offered to become
your legal guardians.
That means you can leave St.
Jerome's
and go to Manitouwadge.
Attend a regular school.
You'll have a home.
A real home.
And I could play hockey?
All you can handle!
Yes.
Hockey is God's game.
It's the perfect combination
between human skill and passion.
That sport is brutal, devoid of
Christian values.
Saul's talent is
miraculous.
Your responsibility
is to teach the children
humility.
Father, he'll have the benefit
of a good home and schooling.
He has that here with us.
I don't know why Our Lord chose
to grace this boy,
but he did,
and I've seen it with my own
eyes.
That shot he made at the White
River game...
That was a minor miracle.
How does this miracle
help him with the rest of his
life?
Does it support his inner
strength,
his faith in God?
When the hockey ends,
he'll have nothing, he'll be in
Hell.
Sister, he has no relatives that
we know of.
If his parents are still alive,
they've abandoned him.
And now, to deny him a nurturing
family,
or suppress God-given gifts,
that's not what we stand for.
Father...
Do you want to go, Saul?
I'm going away, Lonnie.
You're gonna be all right, okay?
I want to go away too.
Look, it won't be long.
Summer comes, you'll be old
enough to leave here,
and we'll find each other.
No, we won't.
Sure we will!
Look, we'll go out in the bush,
we'll be trapping and fishing,
and we won't come back.
I want to go home.
Goodbye.
Saul... now, I've been thinking.
Hockey...
is like the universe.
If we were right in the heart of
it,
we'd see chaos.
But you...
you see the order, the path,
the great spirit of the game.
That's what makes you so
extraordinary, Saul.
You have that spirit within you.
You are glory, Saul.
- Thank you, Father.
- Thanks, Fred.
"Manitouwadge..."
means "Cave of the Great
Spirit."
Funny, since everyone works in
the mine.
That's why we're here.
Tough place, but it's work.
Next year, maybe you'll work
there too.
Eh?
What do you think?
I like it.
That's good.
Took me and the boys a couple
years
just to get that...
Fred! For Pete's
sake,
the boy needs food before he
needs hockey.
Come on in.
Martha, this is Saul.
Hi. Welcome to our home.
Me and Martha have three
sons.
Virgil is the only one that's
still living at home,
and he's captain of the Moose.
Kinda small.
Ah, he plays bigger.
He'll want to.
I bet it's been a
while
since you've seen bannock.
Here, son. Here.
Jam?
Sorry.
So this used to be Garrett's
room...
It's your room now, though,
Saul.
Is this the first time you've
had your own room?
Is it all right?
This is your home now.
You're not in that place
anymore.
You're safe here.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Moose, Saul!
Number 13, for good luck.
Here, try it on.
I wore that when I was with the
Moose.
Stand up.
Every reserve in the
north had a hockey team.
We travelled to tournaments
every few weeks.
Each team paid about $10 to
play,
and the winner took home a
small purse.
They were the fastest and most
fluid players
I had ever seen.
I was in awe of their skill and
strength,
and more than a little nervous.
That's what I call a game!
Good game, Saul!
All you guys, good game!
Now, that's what I call a game!
You didn't even score, man.
Who cares? Bambi did!
No overtime!
Hey, Moose.
The Johnson Mill Chiefs are a
Senior "A" team...
all mill and mine workers.
That don't mean they're any
good.
They're more than good.
They were league champions last
year.
Playing tough teams
is the only way us Moose are
gonna get better.
You think it's an brand-new
arena?
Definitely. I seen it.
Real dressing rooms with showers
and toilets.
Ernie'd go anywhere for a
toilet.
Ladies and
gentlemen,
tonight's visiting team, the
Manitouwadge Moose.
It's just another game.
Don't make it bigger in your
heads.
Play it like you always do.
Be Moose! Be Indians.
And now, your
Johnson Mill team.
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. Stay put,
stay put.
You're the first star.
What's that?
There's three stars, like on
Hockey Night in Canada.
You gotta go back out there.
No, I don't.
Have to! It's tradition.
Go!
Ladies and
gentlemen,
the first star of the game,
Saul Indian Horse!
We just got a
challenge
from another white team.
Everybody's gonna want to play
us.
Guess those boys like getting
their asses kicked.
What?
They got shocked seeing Indians
skate.
Think it's their game. Not ours.
They play for the same reasons
we do,
the feeling.
Nobody owns that.
Manitouwadge
Moose.
Welcome to Honky Night in
Canada, boys!
Come on, boys! Come on!
Anybody spears you is gonna pay
for it.
Don't matter. I'll keep finding
the net.
Let them get the penalties, not
us.
Number 13! You're gonna need an
Indian hearse!
I'm sick of this.
Gonna scalp you, Indians!
That "Indian hearse" line was
pretty good, though.
Blanket-ass! Wagon-burner!
Nice friendly town they got
here.
Pitcher of beer?
Did someone die?
The old Moose knuckle sandwich.
Yeah!
I'm hungry enough to eat an
Indian Horse.
Them other guys sure wanted a
bite of him.
Yeah. It's a good thing your
face
got in the way of that guy's
fist, eh?
If it ain't the
squaw-hoppers.
Win a little hockey tournament
and think you can come in here
and eat like white people?
What the hell you want?
You want to eat here,
you're gonna have to fight for
it.
Is that right?
Sounds fun.
Save my spot, Saul.
I'll be right back.
You play a hell of a
game, little star.
That and the fact you're a kid
gives you a pass.
Wait your turn.
You can go next.
Are you okay?
What happened?
Let's get outta
here.
Your turn.
Let's go.
Hey!
One thing for sure...
those were the tiniest bunch of
pricks I ever seen.
Saul?
Saul!
Saul! We gotta go!
Move it, man. Everybody's
waiting.
Coming.
Stop taking that cheap shit.
You're not a runt anymore.
We're gonna scalp you, Injuns!
Guy's the coach for that
Toronto Monarchs.
It's a feeder team for the Maple
Leafs.
Says he'd like to talk to you,
Saul.
About what?
Jack Lanahan?
Saul Indian Horse.
Hi, Saul.
I'll leave you two to it.
So, Fred tell you why I'm here?
Some.
I'd like you to play for my
team.
What do you think about that?
Not much.
With the right coaching and
environment,
you could play pro.
You're incredibly fast.
You have a puck sense like I've
never seen before.
I'm happy playing with The
Moose.
The great players are conjurers,
Saul.
They become one with the game,
and it lifts them up
and out of their lives.
That's what happens to you,
isn't it?
Yeah.
You make the ice work for you,
Saul.
That's why you should be playing
at a higher level.
You're wasted here.
So what the hell happened?
He wants me in Toronto.
When's it start? When you going?
I'm not.
What? You're kidding.
Don't want to.
Look, Bambi. That don't matter.
You got called.
We all play the game
wishing someday we'll get the
call
to play with the big boys.
Bambi.
I'm 26.
I've been working graveyards in
the freaking mines
since I was 16 years old.
You've gotta give it a shot for
all of us!
If you don't go, you're a
coward.
Let it beat you without even
trying.
And if you stay,
I'll be the one doing the
beating.
What if I don't cut it?
You will.
You believe that?
I ain't the one who's gotta
believe it.
It's time to go.
Saul...
I know you're torn about going.
I am so proud of you.
It takes great courage
to take something like this on.
I know you'll do good.
So let's go.
Some bannock
and some food for your trip.
Saul, don't forget us.
I'm gonna miss this place.
Manitouwadge?
Nothing to miss, really.
I feel like I grew up here.
Guess you did.
You were a pup when you got
here.
You're like a brother to me.
I had a brother once.
What happened to him?
My dad never talks about the
school.
Mom neither.
And they don't say nothing
about what happened before that.
Same as you.
Maybe this is your chance
to rub the shit off the board
once and for all.
Okay, let's get this
show on the road!
Virgil...
thanks for everything.
Don't sound so damn final,
Bambi.
You can come back any time.
Hey!
Fred.
You take good care of this kid.
He's special!
Welcome to Toronto, Saul.
This is my wife, Elissa.
Hi, Saul.
First time in the big city?
Yeah.
Remember.
You were a part of my family
for many years...
and you always will be.
Aah!
You give it your best.
All right.
Just, uh, make yourself at home.
The kitchen's that way, fridge
is full.
I'll go get you something.
Come on. I'll show you your
room.
They all played for you?
They all stayed here.
They played for me on the
Monarchs,
and ended up in the NHL.
A lot of great players have
slept in that bed.
They're saying Reggie Leach
is gonna tear up the record
books.
He's an Indian kid just like
you.
Oh yeah?
So there's been a trail blazed
for you, Saul.
So you had your choice of
numbers
and you picked the only one
nobody ever wants?
I always had this number.
You don't think it's bad luck?
All right, men! See you out
there.
Let's go, boys!
Hustle out there, guys!
Stick to the game plan, guys.
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
You make me look bad, I'll knock
your lights out.
Big game out there, big game.
Come on!
They wrote you up.
"Bright-eyed like a painted
warrior
bearing down on a wagon train.
In a tussle, he took a player's
scalp."
These guys have a way with
words.
And you told the reporter
you learned how to shoot with a
frozen horse turd.
Is that true?
Yeah.
That's one way to learn
stickhandling.
Don't worry about that, Saul.
They've just never seen anyone
like you before.
Saul!
I...
I've been following you with the
Monarchs.
I can't believe I'm reading
about you
in the newspapers.
A month into the season,
and you're already a star.
You're doing what you always
did, Saul...
you're making the other players
better.
It's a miracle how far you've
come.
I'm so proud of you.
I wish I could keep following
your career,
but the Church is sending me
away.
Where are you going?
Africa.
To teach.
I... just wanted you to know.
The school...
What was happening there...
It was wrong.
You are glory, Saul.
Keep your head up, Chief.
Break it up!
Any more penalties, he's out of
the game.
You've got 22 points in nine
games.
Thanks.
We've lost seven of them.
You blaming me?
You've sat 120 minutes in the
penalty box.
I didn't bring you here to be a
goon.
I'm giving 'em what they want,
the crazy Redskin.
You're letting the other teams
rattle you
with stupid trash talk.
You know how to roll off a hit?
It's the same thing.
And what about the shit that's
coming from my own team?
You're not skating with your
buddies anymore!
These guys may be hard towing
now,
but believe me,
they'll take you to the next
level.
My buddies I could trust.
They had my back.
Saul...
every kid dreams of this moment.
I had dreams once.
I don't have 'em anymore.
Saul, listen.
I know it's not easy,
but if Reggie Leach can do it,
you can too.
I promise you,
get through this, everything
changes.
You're gonna make it to the
show,
then you'll be a role model
for your kind.
My "kind"?
Yes! An inspiration!
You don't know a damn thing
about me.
All I need to know is you got a
gift like no other.
I've seen you on the ice.
I know what you can do,
I know how it makes you feel,
and I'm not blind to the fact
that it's killing you
not to play the way you can.
You got no idea
what kills me or my "kind," do
you?
Listen to me, Saul.
It's all sitting right there for
you.
This is your way out.
Your way to a better life.
There is no better life for me.
There never will be.
I became a wandering
nomad
with my eyes on distant hills.
I covered long charcoal
stretches of highway...
like a river
bearing me somewhere beyond all
recollection.
Lonnie?
It was a dim world,
and I felt dead inside.
Beyond thinking...
beyond emotion...
beyond hope.
You drink down,
because after all the roads
you've travelled,
that's the only direction you
know by heart.
You can't sleep here.
Hey! You've got to get up.
You've made a mess of
your body
and your liver.
Another bout of drinking will
likely kill you.
The Rising Dawn Centre's just
north of the city.
It's the best place
for Native people to get help
for their addictions.
Now, they've said they'll take
you,
if you want it.
Good luck.
Then the
cops...
they put me in that...
...foster home.
I...
I haven't seen my family since.
My grandma...
She could be dead.
I been too drunk to be looking.
Miigwech.
Thank you. Thank you, Karen.
Saul?
Would you like to share?
Have you ever wept, Saul?
No.
You need to find a place where
you can.
Here with us, or on your own...
but you need to find it.
Your silence is killing you.
He's a heathen.
Anishnaabe aawi.
That's a good boy.
That's mine!
That's mine!
It's so good
to see you so excited about
something.
Rules are rules.
If I break them for you,
it could ruin it for everybody.
Sometimes, ghosts
linger.
They hover in the furthest
corners...
...And when you least expect
it,
they lurch out,
bearing everything they brought
to you
when they were alive.
What have you got, Saul?
What is it?
Horse turd.
Oh.
Marvellous.
Come.
You are glory, Saul.
I came far
to make this journey.
I could feel my family and my
ancestors.
It was here,
in this place...
where everything started
and everything ended.
I was with them again.
Mama!
Papa!
One day,
my great-grandfather,
Shabogeesick,
walked out of the bush leading
a strange black animal.
Our people had never seen such
a creature,
and were afraid.
"It is a horse," he told them,
"and it comes bearing great
teachings."
"A thunder will crash through
our hearts and minds,
and we must learn to ride the
horses of change."
"It is what the future asks of
us."
"Our survival depends on it."
Guys, let's do this! Let's do
this!
Come on, look alive, look alive!
Welcome to the Moose,
Saul!
You always have a home here.
What do you think?
Hey.
Look who's here!
Saul!
Welcome back.
Welcome home, Bambi.
Hey, boys!
Look who's here!
About time!
Hey-hey!
Look who's here!
Good to see you, buddy!
Still a bag of antlers.
Good to see you too.
They were lost.
They didn't understand.
They didn't recognize their
parents.
They didn't recognize anybody
in their community.
Why was I like
that?
Why didn't I speak up?
To this day,
there's a lot of us
that don't know how to speak
our native tongue.
If you succeed in
going to school,
that's great.
But I want my
grandchildren
to know where I've been,
and, um, why I do the things
that I do.
It's up to we as a
community
to bring back or have that
pride in our souls.
We have a
beautiful,
incredible, beautiful gift that
was given to us
is our children.
But the more you
talk about it,
the healing takes place inside
you.
My name is Julie
Ozagosh.
My name is Shirley
Ida Williams.
My name is Larry
Theodore Jr.
My name is Saul
Indian Horse.
And this is my story.