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= Hands of History =

Summary
Hands of History is an acclaimed 1994 documentary by Loretta Todd, a leading figure in Canadian Indigenous cinema. The film profiles four contemporary female artists, Doreen Jensen, Rena Point Bolton, Jane Ash Poitras and Joane Cardinal-Schubert. These artists seek to find a continuum from traditional to contemporary forms of expression.The artists share their philosophies as artists, their techniques and creative styles, and the excitement they feel when they create. Hands of History represents a “moving testimony to the role that aboriginal women artists have played in maintaining the voice of aboriginal culture.”

From the National Film Board (NFB) of Canada synopsis, “Rena Point Bolton is a master weaver of baskets and robes. For Point Bolton, the role of the artist is to make the spiritual and cultural tangible. Doreen Jensen is a carver, button blanket maker and printmaker who educates people in the meaning and significance of the art of the Northwest coast. Joane Cardinal-Schubert explores the legacy of colonialism through her combinations of aboriginal and western art forms. Jane Ash Poitras sees the artist as healer, her art reflecting her spiritual quest.”

Cast
Jane Ash Poitras works is a painter, print-maker and collage artist. Her works have been shown in Canada, the United States, and Germany. Joane Cardinal-Schubert works in mixed-media and emphasizes the context in which she creates her work. Rena Point Bolton has worked from childhood in weaving baskets, reviving the forgotten art of Tsimshian weaving. Doreen Jensen is a founding member of the K'san Village and Native Artists' Centre. Jensen makes her own tools, and has created works including masks, button blankets, bentboxes, jewellery, and prints.

Themes
Hands of History demonstrates the power of art in reclaiming Indigenous heritage. The documentary introduces the belief that ancestors can speak to their descendants through totems in the forms of faces and animals.

Significance
Women’s art often went unrecorded or was considered craft work. Hands of History dispels this notion, displaying the talent, facility, and strength that goes into the creation of a range of Indigenous art pieces including masks, blankets, baskets, collages, and clothing.

Awards and Honours
Gold Apple Award, National Educational Media Network Competition (1986)

Honourable Mention Itinerant- International CINDY Competition (1986)

Certificate of Merit, Long Island Film Festival (1995)

Praise and Criticism
Adele Case of the University of Manitoba described Hands of History as a visually beautiful film with an historical component.