It’s just another day at the office for a Siksika (Blackfoot) man, showing up before everyone. In a way, it’s easy to frame the subjects of Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man through their ‘jobs’. This documentary shows djs, boxers, hockey players, hunters, and coaches.

The subjects here are mostly Siksika boys and men with different duties. They wear some of these hats as a way to generate income. However, there’s an impression that these men do things for themselves and their community. This documentary is active and captures its subjects with good pacing.

Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man is a collection of stories, giving audiences the feeling of impressionistic conversations. These conversations show men mindful of the way they talk to each other and to future generations. The subjects sometimes tell each other to man up, toughness as a weapon.

At other times, silence is the key as these men tap into archetypal natural tradition. Tradition and modernity are in harmony in Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man, as surfaces remind us of the past. The interviewees’ words, though, have them putting their own spins on past lessons.

There are moments Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man where images exude poetry, portraits of different generations. A boy gets ready for the nighttime programming at a pow wow, following the footsteps of men who came before him.

Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man shows that masculinity is different from the West, reclaiming it in a non toxic way. A man wears a combination of face paint, make-up and nails to a gathering, representing the community’s two spirit people.

Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man has a similar atmosphere with a lot of poetic documentaries coming out in recent years. But it’s also my jam, and it’s nice seeing that aesthetic applied in depicting a community in mourning but also thriving.