Karuara: People of the River film screening and discussion

Join us for an evening about Indigenous communities fighting for water rights and protections. We will screen the documentary Karuara, People of the River, which follows a brave Kukama Indigenous woman, Mari Luz Canaquiri, and her community in the Peruvian Amazon as they stand-up to powerful interests to protect their river and the magic spirit universe below, winning legal personhood for the Marañón River in 2024. The case marked the first time a Peruvian court has recognized the rights of nature and Mari Luz won the prestigious Goldman Environmental prize (the “Green Nobel”) last year for her work. The film explores the Kukama’s relationship with the river, which they call the “ɨa” (ee-ah), or the center, life force and mother of their universe, and was produced collaboratively with Kukama Indigenous journalists, artists, elders and filmmakers holding key creative positions. 

Closer to home, the Alderville First Nation Council unanimously passed a resolution last year recognizing the legal personhood status of Pemadeshkodeyong (Rice Lake) near Peterborough, a historic outcome culminating from two years of work by the Council, community elders, and knowledge keepers. The people of Alderville Nation have lived on this territory for some 10,000 years and the lake has been fundamental to their lives and livelihoods, including providing manoomin (wild rice), a critical food source. Mounting challenges to the sustainability of the lake, including overfishing and pollution, prompted the Alderville Council to pass this resolution and establish Canada's first Guardian's Council for the lake.

This screening of Karuara, People of the River will be followed by a discussion between the film’s co-director, Stephanie Boyd, and Alderville Chief Taynar Simpson about these cases of Indigenous water protection and the importance of expanding Indigenous rights and the rights of nature in the face of climate change and other threats to our shared environment and ways of life.

Stephanie Boyd (Director, Producer, location sound)

Stephanie has been living and working in Peru as a filmmaker, journalist and educator since 1997. Despite having a severe hearing impairment, she has produced and directed four award-winning feature documentaries: "Choropampa, The Price of Gold" (2002), "Tambogrande, Mangos, Murder, Mining" (2008), "The Devil Operation" (2010) and “Karuara, People of the River” (2024).

These films have been screened at over 150 international festivals, including IDFA and Hot Docs, won more than 35 awards and been broadcast around the world on stations including the Sundance Channel, Outside TV, CBC Country Canada, Al Jazeera, TeleSur, Russia Today, Canal N (Peru) and the Knowledge Network (Canada). Her articles have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker online, Salon.com, the Toronto Star and New Internationalist magazine.

Chief Taynar Simpson

Chief Taynar Simpson is the elected Chief of Alderville First Nation, a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg (Mississauga Ojibwe) community on Rice Lake in Ontario, Canada, and the founder and research director of Wampum Records. He was first elected in July 2023 and re-elected for the 2025–2028 term in July 2025. Wampum Records is an Indigenous-owned research and consulting firm founded in 2000 which specializes in claims assessment, archival research, litigation support, and historical reconciliation projects. He has spent close to 30 years working on national reconciliation efforts, including the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IAP, CEP), Day Schools, and the Sixties Scoop. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, and has also served as a project lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.