White Ravens: A Legacy of Resistance

For millennia, the Haida People have lived on the remote islands of Haida Gwaii. In the wake of the forced assimilation brought about by the Indian Residential Schools, the Haida Nation continues to face great challenges in retaining their cultural and economic sovereignty. From the perspective of a young Haida poet (Towustasin Stocker), White Ravens bears witness to the transgenerational trauma of colonization as survivors, their children, and grandchildren struggle with the effects of substance abuse, suicide, and interfamily trauma.

White Ravens focuses on patterns of resistance, from Towustasin’s family history of blockading corporate logging operations, to the Haida Nation’s resurgence of the potlatch—the gift-giving ceremony that remains central to the self-governance of all Coastal First Nations People. On the eve of a historic chieftanship potlatch, the film meditates on the Haida legacy of resistance and resurgence, presenting a portrait of a First Nation community in healing.

Learn more about the backstory of the film and ask your questions to the director after either screening. 

Georg Koszulinski’s award-winning films have been presented at hundreds venues around the world. Fandor released his Florida Trilogy (2007-14) and his experimental film essay series, Frontier Journals #1-8 (2013-15). His work has also appeared on the Documentary Channel, GuideDoc, and the Journal of Short Film. He’s recently presented new work at the Atlanta Film Festival, San Francisco DocFest, Visible Evidence XXIII, and Mexico's Oaxaca Film Festival. Other notable screening spaces include Anthology Film Archives, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Harvard Film Archive, and the UK’s National Media Museum.