Walking through the campus grounds, First Nations filmmaker Roxann Whitebean says Kateri School in Kahnawake is the place that opened her eyes to the world.
“I just remember the teacher saying ‘you’re allowed to practice whatever culture you want or whatever religion you want,'” she told Global News.
“I think if I wasn’t exposed to all these different nationalities and cultures, I don’t think I would have such a unique perspective on the world.”
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Whitebean’s unique perspective of the world became evident when she released Legend of the Storm, a look at the Oka Crisis through the eyes of a child.
“I was six-and-a-half years old when 1990 happened,” she recalled.
“I just remember many, many army tanks coming into the community.”
In the middle of making her first film — and at just 30 years old — the mother of four discovered something that would change her life forever.
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“I was multi-tasking — writing, directing, producing — and I had very little time to myself and I was in the shower one day and that’s when I discovered that the lump had gotten so much bigger,” Whitebean said.
Two days after Legend of the Storm wrapped filming, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.
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So, she decided to turn the camera on herself.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to survive or not, so I wanted to record my journey for my children,” Whitebean explained.
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The result was Thunder Blanket, the first series to be launched on CBC’s short docs program.
“After I was diagnosed, I was searching for groups like young indigenous women with breast cancer or just young women survivors,” she said.
“I found little to no information and there was definitely no documentaries or anything there.”
It’s a raw look at her battle with breast cancer, and Whitebean’s decision to use both western and traditional medicine to heal.
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“I feel that cancer patients don’t put enough emphasis on their mental health,” she said.
“That’s what a lot of the healers told me, ‘you need to keep your mind strong because your mind will send signals to the rest of your body.'”
Whitebean shows a steely determination in Thunder Blanket, filming everything from the loss of her hair to the infection she contracted after her mastectomy and ultimately, the triumphant end to her year-long battle.
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“It’s a very raw documentary. We weren’t sure if I was gong to survive or not. So, we were all just in it together, just hoping for the best for my healing,” she said.
“Just listen to your body and stay strong. Don’t be afraid of having bad days, you’re allowed to have bad days and welcome support.”
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Now, Whitebean is in remission and looking forward to the future.
Roxann Whitebean was nominated to the Great Montrealer campaign by a Global News viewer for her strength, courage and commitment to telling her cancer story to help others who are going through the same pain.
There are so many Great Montrealers around us. If you know someone who should be profiled as part of Global News’ Greater Montreal campaign, don’t forget to nominate them!
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