Darlene Naponse facts for kids

Darlene Naponse is an Anishinaabe filmmaker, writer, and director from Canada. She is also a community activist. She is well-known for her 2018 film Falls Around Her. This movie first showed at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2018. It later won an award at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.

Darlene Naponse is a member of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation. This community is located near Sudbury, Ontario. Before Falls Around Her, she directed several other films. These include short films like Retrace (2002) and She Is Water (2010). She also directed feature films such as Cradlesong (2003) and Every Emotion Costs (2010). In 2017, her short story "She Is Water" was a finalist for the Journey Prize.

She also teaches at Laurentian University. She is a part-time faculty member in the English Department. Her film Stellar began production in 2021. It premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

Darlene Naponse: Early Life and Education

Darlene Naponse was born and grew up in the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation. This community is in northern Ontario. Her childhood experiences greatly influence her art. She spent time fishing, gathering, and hunting. She also connected deeply with the land and her community.

She studied English at Laurentian University. There, she focused on film studies. She also earned a First Nations Creative Writing Certificate. This certificate came from the En’owkin International School for Writing. This school is part of the University of Victoria. In 2015, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. She studied creative writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts. This institute is in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Community Work and Activism

Darlene Naponse has worked to improve her community. She helped develop new ways for the community to govern itself. She led a committee that worked with leaders and elders. Their goal was to write the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation Gchi-Naaknigewin. This is their Constitution. The community approved it in 2015.

She continues to be involved in First Nations governance. She also works on environmental and human rights issues. Her work helps protect the land and people's rights.

Darlene Naponse owns a company called Pine Needle Productions. This is a multi-media studio. It is located right in the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek community.