ImagineNative

Ching Yazzie and friends get through life's unexpected encounters, the ups and downs of falling in and out of love or not at all.

Directed and written by Emmitt Many Heads (age 18) and filmed in Siksika Nation, Alberta, during an Indigenous Youth Filmmaking Workshop as part of the 2025 imagineNATIVE Tour.

"Activate NDN Consciousness" combines found footage of harmful Indigenous portrayals with contemporary NDN protest and revolt.

In 2015, Jaene turned 40. This lead them to become introspective about their unusual life history. From a childhood of severe abuse, neglect, psychiatric institutionalization and being in care, they grew to become a street involved sex worker by 20. They met Elder Isaac Day from Serpent River First Nations in the early 2000's. Through his teachings and ceremonies at Thunder Mountain, Jaene was able to turn their life around. This film is a narrative driven experimental self portrait of that journey.