In a little over two weeks my childhood dream is finally coming true. After seven years of development the world will finally get to watch our tv show Mohawk Girls on two canadian television networks! As the date approaches many people have expressed words of excitement and encouragement, and the reality is starting to sink in that I can add actress to my repertoire of life achievements. I love that this project addresses the realities of contemporary native issues, and that it has already begun to bridge the gap of understanding between our culture and the greater world. Im so proud to be part of such an amazing creative team, and have learned a great deal in the process. While I am very excited, Ive also been pretty anxious. Our communities are fantastic and supportive in times of need, but we cant deny that native communities like to pick at our own. Ive committed my life to trying to be a good role model to both of my communities (Morley and Kahnawake) but in the back of my mind I know that there may be some hater out there that will be unable to distinguish the character I play on screen with the person I am in real life. More specifically I have been concerned about how my high school students will react to seeing me in a different light. Today I learned that I can breathe a HUGE sigh of relief. As the curiosity mounts Ive been getting asked a lot of questions at recess and lunch. Turns out I have NOTHING to worry about! If anything, they think that its HILARIOUS, and a bit weird, to watch the trailer for Mohawk Girls and see me behaving in a way thats sooooooo not Heather. Theyve told me that even though they see that its me physically, I dont talk or act like Caitlin in the least. They know me well enough to know that the Heather they see every day in class is very different than who they see on screen. My fear of getting mixed up with my on screen alter ego is on its way out, and Im happy to say that every discussion has always morphed into my training and what I had to do to get to this point. Weve discussed how hard I had to work, and all the sacrifices I made to follow my dreams, and Ive already recognized a familiar twinkle in their eyes as they start to realize that if I can do it, so can they. Our future is in the hands of our youth. It is the positive role models I saw growing up that gave me the inspiration to follow my dreams. There is nothing that makes me happier than knowing that in some way I am helping open the doors of possibilities to our youth.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 22:04:33 +0000
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