Nahanni: River of Forgiveness (2019)

• 85%
• 2019
• Documentary
• Geoff Bowie

A moose skin boat hasn't been seen on the Nahanni River in a hundred years but Grand Chief Herb Norwegian is undaunted. He's invited experienced moose skin boat builders from the Mountain Dene First Nation to help. Twelve Dene, men and women, young and elder, Dehcho and Mountain Dene unite around the enormous effort of building the boat. Fingers are cut up, muscles are sore and nerves exhausted. Nonetheless out of the bush, a moose skin boat finally emerges. As with many ambitious adventures, not everything goes to plan. The Dene set off on a wild river in a boat whose safety is in doubt and there's 500 kilometres to paddle to get home. Nahanni River of Forgiveness is a journey through a magnificent landscape. It's a tribute to the spiritual power of nature to heal the soul and to the resilience and steadfastness of the Dene to climb out of the ashes of colonialism.