Kéwku

Shuswap elder Ralph Phillips walks through his territory picking sage. He reveals the stories of his life that have impacted his journey, beginning with his time at residential school.

As he prepares the medicine and cleanses himself, he reveals the ways he came out of abuse and trauma to stand strong in his community.

Using the backdrop of British Columbia’s interior as both physical and symbolic landscape, Kéwku weaves Ralph Phillips’ tumultuous life experiences with his relationship to the healing medicine sage.

It is a visual poem, residing at the intersection of Ralph’s inner world and the rich outer world of Secwepemculw (traditional Shuswap territory).