Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man

Trevor Solway’s Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man is a deeply resonant and necessary film, a corrective to the often simplistic portrayals of Indigenous masculinity. Solway, returning to his home nation of Siksika, crafts a portrait of Blackfoot men that is both intimate and expansive. He moves beyond reductive stereotypes, offering unfiltered glimpses into the lives of fathers, sons, artists, athletes, and DJs, each grappling with the complexities of manhood. The film's strength lies in its quiet power, its willingness to explore vulnerability alongside strength. Solway, having experienced the pressure to conform to rigid masculine ideals, uses his lens to gently dissect and challenge these notions, fostering a space for honest reflection. The vastness of the Prairies serves as a poignant backdrop, amplifying the film's exploration of generational bonds and the ongoing journey of self-discovery. Siksikakowan is a testament to the nuanced realities of Indigenous men, a film that speaks to the universal experience of navigating identity and love. Sinakson Trevor Solway is a Blackfoot filmmaker from Siksika Nation. His award-winning documentary Kaatohkitopii: The Horse He Never Rode was shown at imagineNATIVE and DOXA. The showrunner of anthology series Tales from the Rez, Trevor is also the founder and leader of the grassroots filmmaking society The Napi Film Collective. Available in-person only.