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ArtsCultureFilm17TuesdayFebruary112014ByMARIACHURCHEdgardoAragnanart-istfromOaxacaMexicowhohadneverbeennorthofTorontoorseenabisonbeforewasinWoodBuf-faloNationalParklastweekenddoingbothforthefirsttimeaspartofanartprojecttofilmbisoninNorthAmerica.AragnwasgreetedbyParksCanadastaffandablastofcoldweatherwhenhetoucheddowninFortSmithwithhiscameragearassistantAlfredoMoraandtranslatorJosTeodorolastFriday.Itwasreallyinterestingcoldwildanddangerousthephotographersharedabouthisrstthoughtsonthesubarcticcommunity.AragnwhospeakssomeEnglishbutcommunicatedmainlythroughthetransla-torexplainedthathisdeci-siontolmbisonisbecauseoftheparallelsheseesbe-tweentheancientmigratorypatternsofthebovinesandthehistoryoftheUS-Mex-icoborder.AboriginalpeoplefromMexicousedtobeabletomovefreelythroughalloftheirterritories.Nowbe-causeofbordersandalltheofthepoliticsthatcomewiththoseborderstheycannolongerdothatandinthecaseofMexicansofteniftheydotheywindupdeadhesaid.BisonsimilarlywouldmigratefreelyacrossNorthAmericainthepastAragnexplained.Nowtheyaretotallydomesticatedani-malsthatarenotallowedtostrayfromtheparkswheretheyareprotected.Iftheydotheycanbehuntedhesaid.Aragnhasreceivedin-ternationalattentionforhisphotographyandvid-eographythatoftenreflectonthehistoryofviolenceinhiscountry.Hisworkhasbeenfeaturedinex-hibitionsinMexicoCityParisNewYorkandLosAngeles.Theartistsaidtheinspi-rationbehindthishislatestprojectwasrecentnewsoutoftheUnitedStatesthataUSborderguardshotandkilledaMexicanchild.Therewerenoconse-quences.HesconsideredaheroinhiscountryAragnsaid.Thatiswhywearemakingthis.Itsaboutthatborderandthequestionishowisitpos-siblethatanAmericancankillaMexicanchildandgetawaywithitThevideoprojectwilltakeAragnandhiscrewalloverNorthAmericatostudybisonandthehistoryoftheborder.Hisgoalisaware-nessbutasanartprojectAragnsaiditsaworkinprogressandhismessageisstillforming.IreallydontknowyetandIdontthinkaboutthathesaid.Allthepossibilitiesoftheprojectaredifferentbe-causefromthebeginningyouarethinkingdifferentgoalsbutintheprocesseverythingchangesalways.BiologistsandstafffromParksCanadavolunteeredtoshowAragnandthecrewaroundWoodBuffalo.MikeKeizerspokespersonforParkswastaskedwithco-ordinatingtheeffortstondtheelusiveungulateforthelmcrew.Itsanartpiecenotasciencepiecesothatsabituniqueforusbecausewetendtoworkwiththesci-entistsKeizersaid.Itsaninterestingperspective.WhileAragnshopeonFridaywastogathersomefootageofthemassivebo-vinesinWoodBuffalohesaidtheywerepreparedtosimplyshoottheland-scapeofthevastsubarcticenvironment.Inawaytherealsubjectofthevideoprojectdoesnotexisthesaid.Itsaninvis-iblephantom.AragnsworkinWoodBuffaloisfundedbyares-idencygrantasafinalistintheArtGalleryofOn-tariosphotographyprize.OtheraspectsofthefilmwillbeshotinNewOr-leansLouisianaandElPasoTexas.Hehopestohavethevideofinishedbythissummer.TolearnmoreaboutAragnsartworkvisithttpwww.aimiaago-photographyprize.comedgardo-aragonWoodBuffalobisonposeforinternationalvideographerArtistsaysbisonmigrationparallelsUS-MexicanborderstrugglesPhotocourtesyofEdgardoAragnByMARIACHURCHAlostlmaboutDenelifeintheSahtushotin1957wasrecentlylocatedbyanNWTarcheologistafteran18-yearsearchandsharedwiththepeopleoftheSahtulastweek.Tie-cho-kaQuelquesim-agesduGrandNordisa30-minutesilentlmproducedbyFrenchanthropologistJeanMichathatdocumentshistriptoYellowknifeNormanWellsandTulitainthe1950s.TomAndrewsaterritorialarchaeologistatthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentrerstheardaboutthelittle-knownFrenchdocumen-tarianandhisfootagein1995whileworkingonanoralhis-toryprojectinDrumLake.WhilelisteningtoMoun-tainDeneeldersAndrewsheardthemreminiscingaboutaFrenchlmmakerwhovis-itedthemyearsago.AfterlearningmorefromtheeldersaboutMichaandhistriptotheNWTthearchaeologistagreedtolookforthelostdocumentary.AndrewsthoughtitwouldtakehimlessthanayeartotrackdownMichaandaskforacopyofthelm.Littledidheknowhewastakingonan18-yearmissiontolocatealostpieceofSahtuhistory.Atthetimeitwasallpre-internetsotherewasverylittletraceofhimonthein-ternethesaid.Itbecameamatterofreachingouttopeoplewhomightknowofhimandfollowingtheirleadsdown.Mostofthemendedindeadends.OvertheyearseachtimeAndrewsmetsomeonewhoexpressedinterestinthestoryhewouldrecruitthemtondoutmore.Itwaskindoflikeputtingoutawholebunchofshinglineshesaid.LessthantwomonthsagoonChristmasEveAndrewsgotanunexpectedgiftfromacontactinFrance.Michahadbeenfoundandthedocu-mentarywaswithinhisreach.AndrewslearnedMichanow95yearsoldwaslivinginParisandcouldbecon-tactedthroughhisdaughter.Thedocumentaryhadbeendigitizedandwassenttohimbyemail.Towatchitfortheveryrsttimewasarichreward-ingexperienceforsureheshared.TulitareceivesdocumentarywithjoyTulitawasgiventhehon-ourofscreeningthedocu-mentaryforthersttimeintheNWT.Morethan70peoplecrowdedintoChiefAlbertWrightSchoolinTulitalastweektowatchthesilentlm.Andrewswhowasthereforthescreeningsaidtheroomwasoverwhelmedwithjoy.Peoplewerereallyhappyandlaughingandanimated.Itwasquitesomethinghesaidaddingthateachtimetheysawsomeonetheyknewperhapsarelativenolongerwiththemtheywouldshoutouttheirname.Severaloftheeldersin-cludingChiefFrankAn-drewswereincludedinthelmasyouth.LastinglegacyforyouthAndrewssaidhehopesthedocumentarysgreatestleg-acywillbeasaneducationaltoolforDeneyouthtolearnabouttheirpast.Childrentodayliveinacompletelydifferentworld.Nobodywalksupintothemountainsanymorewiththeirdogsanddogpacksalthoughthereisstillarichoraltraditionaboutit.Tobeabletoprovidethisvisualdocumentationofthatlifealongwiththeoraltraditionmakesiteasyforchildrentounderstandwhatlifewaslikeinthosedays.Andrewsgaveout300DVDcopiesofthedocumen-taryinTulita-oneforeveryhouseholdhesaid.Tie-cho-kaQuelquesim-agesduGrandNordwasalsoscreenedattheNormanWellsHistoricalCentrelastweekandwillbeshowingatYellow-knifesPrinceofWalesNorth-ernHeritageCentreonFeb.19.Long-lostdocumentaryonDenelifescreenedinNWTArtsCultureFilmPhotoJeanMichaEdgardoAragnavideographerfromMexicosayshistoricallybothbisonandAborigi-nalpeoplefromMexicowouldtravelfreelyacrossNorthAmerica.MountainDenelivingintheSahtuareimmortalizedinabookbyJeanMichapublishedin1967thesameyearheshotthedocumentaryTie-cho-ka.