Catherine Martin is an independent producer, and the first Mi’kmaq filmmaker from the Atlantic Region. Catherine has blazed the trail through her film work to give a voice to Atlantic region in the traditional territories of the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet peoples and preserving cultural ways of living. Also a weaver, Catherine finds traditional ways to collect oral teachings while she makes her baskets and shows respect by passing on the stories to present and future generations. Catherine’s career has won her several awards nationally and she was a two time winner of the Andres Slapinsh Award – an international award from the Smithsonian Institution awarded annually to the best native northern filmmaker. Catherine has made numerous independent films as well as films produced by the National Film Board, Telefilm Canada, Aboriginal People’s Television Network, and Vision TV.
Catherine has a few decades of accumulated stories, and with her talents to weave together her traditional oral Mi’kmaq teachings with modern day filmmaking and digital animation, she has masterfully woven some balance between past and present.
One recent example of Catherine Martin’s influence in continually advancing Aboriginal voices in film is when she trained youth to make a television production. The documentary video FIRST VOICES: Stories from Aboriginal Youth in the North and South created by six youth (18-25) from Atlantic Canada and Latin America.
This article is a non-comprehensive and living document that provides an overview of artistic activities in the region. It will be revised as necessary as part of our ongoing process of continuous updates.