Learn About Mississauga Documentary Film “KANAKIYOST: Art, Identity, and Belonging"

Mississauga-based Indigenous-led non-profit group Eagle Spirits of the Great Waters and award-winning director Cathleen MacDonald are proud to present a free pre-release screening of the documentary “KANAKIYOST: art, identity, and belonging” before the film premieres at festivals.

Click here to RSVP.

“KANAKIYOST” tells the moving story of Indigenous artist Lynn Taylor (whose Oneida name is Kanakiyost) who lives an urban life in Mississauga, removed from her heritage. Lynn’s determination to learn about and reclaim her culture catapults her into a life-changing journey bringing Indigenous culture to all peoples in her city. The film features the art of Lynn Taylor, Tawny Mestecanean, and Norval Morrisseau, plus the music of Dwayne LaForme’s Boogie Blues and singer-songwriter eaoh Argos. 

This exclusive event will be held Thursday, February 13, 2025, 7:30pm in the Great Hall of the Unitarian Congregation Mississauga, 84 South Service Road. In attendance will be the film’s director Cathleen MacDonald with cast members Lynn Taylor, Young Elder Philip Cote. The evening will include live performances by Jared BigCanoe, Dwayne LaForme, and Arlene Paculan, who is also the film’s composer. Immediately following the screening, the director and cast will hold an audience conversation about the film and how Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples are moving toward the future.

“With this film I’ve tried to capture Lynn’s warm positivity and show her story as both a personal and a universal journey for anyone who has ever wanted to make a better world,” says MacDonald.