Fox Katisitsionni

Article By Kaniehtonkie
Indian Time
3 November 2016

Katsitsionni Fox with her Aunt Johanne Jackson (L) and her Ista, Sandra Fox (R ) at
the imagineNATIVE Film Festival in Toronto.

Katsitsionni Fox recently won the prestigious imagineNATIVE award for her movie, Ohero:kon. The movie documents two young girls and their blossoming journey into the women they would become. Indian Time had the opportunity to talk to Fox and ask her a few questions ..

1. How did you feel winning this award? "I was happy just to have my film shown at imagineNATIVE. I was so touched that so many from home and even from Ohsweken showed their support and attended the premier in Toronto. I was totally shocked and thrilled at the same time when they announced that I had won the "Jane Glassco Emerging Filmmaker Award". It just goes to show that you can follow your dreams at any stage in your life."

2. What inspired you to make a movie about the coming of age? "This story is important to me, because I have witnessed so many amazing things come from this. I have watched many young girls blossom from shy, quiet, and unsure adolescents into young adults with
   a voice and wisdom. It's not easy and they don't all make it through. For the ones that do, many of them feel strength they never knew they had. They are taking leadership roles in the community and are already taking on the roles of aunties and uncles, mentoring other
   youth. This movement has brought our community together, no matter our religion or belief. It is bringing us home, to who we are. Akwesasne youth have travelled to other Haudenosaunee communities such as Six Nations and Kahnawake where "Ohero:kon" is taking root and growing from their peer leadership. Ohero:kon received national recognition of high honors from 'Harvard Honoring Nations' as a best practice in Indian Country for the work being done to strengthen our youth."

3. Who is your greatest inspiration for your work? "Our youth here and the power we have as a community when we use Kanonronkwatshera. That is what I feel at Ohero:kon, and that is what I wanted to share in this film."

4. Some people feel a "rites of passage" ceremony is a private process, not one to be put on film. How did you deal with what to share and what not to share on film? "I was very aware and sensitive to this. When you watch the film you would see that although my film is about a rite of passage ceremony it does not share much in regard to ceremony."

5. Delia Cook ran a similar "coming of age" program before Ohero:kon, yet you didn't mention her. Is there a reason why? "Delia is a treasure and my older girls benefited from the "daughters of tradition" program that she did. This film was a short film and I had to focus on my two main characters with glimpses of only a few of the many people involved that make it happen. I wanted to include more on the aunties, uncles, parents and even the history of it, but could not in such a short film. Every single piece of footage and even every word were carefully selected."

6. What technical knowledge do you need to have/ know to make a movie? "I was involved with every aspect of the production, I filmed most of the footage for the film, developed the storyline and edited alongside my editor. I chose all of the music, including some original songs by Teioswathe Cook and Bear Fox and Rotsienhiio Wells. Robby Baier was my music composer and recorded them along with the women singers and
   some of our young men singers. My editor, Victoria Chan from Montreal was instrumental in helping to make this film come to life. She was and continues to be very dedicated to the film. I've learned so much from her and the whole process of making this film."

7. How much funding is needed to make a film of this quality? "I couldn't have made this film without the funding from the Public Media Content Fund at Vision Maker Media. They gave me a sizable grant, and I was able to hire professionals to film both in production and postproduction."

8. What other film festivals have you entered your film in? "The American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco), First Nation Film and Video Festival (Chicago) and the LA Skinsfest (Hollywood). I'm still waiting to hear on some others, like Sundance."

9. What is your goal for this movie? National TV? For use in academia? "Both. It will be on PBS stations at the end of February and it will be available on DVD and possible streaming. My goal for the movie is to send a positive message of strength and resilience for native youth, especially young native women. I feel it is important that we share our stories through our own voice and break down stereotypes."

10. What can we look forward to next? "I will continue working with my Native Film Class at SRC to empower the next generation of filmmakers. And ... I already have my next firm idea ; it is in the research and development stage. I willl definitely keep you posted."