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MicroGrant Success: Cathleen MacDonald, KANAKIYOST

A large audience watches a projected image on a screen in a dimly lit room. The projection features a vibrant illustration with Indigenous symbols, including a dreamcatcher, animals, and the Métis infinity symbol, under the title "KANAKIYOST: Art, Identity, and Belonging"

MicroGrant Project: KANAKIYOST: Art, Identity, and Belonging

Filmmaker Cathleen MacDonald used her Short Documentary Film MicroGrant to produce the short film KANAKIYOST, celebrating the work of local Indigenous visual artist, Lynn Taylor. The film explores how Lynn’s experiences as an urban Indigenous person and the child of a residential school survivor shaped the creation of a grassroots group that connects both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

The film was screened on February 13, 2025 to a full house at Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga. The premiere also featured entertainment by Jared BigCanoe, Dwayne LaForme, and the film’s composer, Arlene Paculan.

Two women stand close together and smile in front of a step-and-repeat banner that reads "Eagle Spirits of the Great Waters" with a logo featuring an eagle. One woman wears a cream blazer over a burgundy shirt, and the other wears a dark blue blazer with a turquoise pendant necklace.
A panel of four people sit on stage in front of an audience. One woman, holding a microphone, speaks while the others listen. The panel includes two women in casual business attire and one man wearing a black shirt with a bolo tie. A screen and colourful artwork are visible in the background.
A full house of people sitting in chairs, viewed from behind. They are looking at a person speaking on stage. Behind the speaker, there is a white screen.
A group of four individuals, two men and two women, stand in front of a backdrop at the premiere of "KANAKIYOST: Art, Identity, and Belonging" that reads "Eagle Spirits of the Great Waters."
L-R: Barry Gilbert, Cathleen MacDonald, Philip Cote, and Lynn Taylor

Photos by Mike Scholz

Learn more about MAC’s MicroGrant Program here.

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