HOW WE RISE
ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER
HOW WE RISE | Short Documentary | 2024
After a decades-long Boarding School system removed thousands of Alaska Native children from their home communities, generations of people were left to pick up the pieces. But healing means coming together and rising up. When Tlingit Elder Norma Jean Dunne called for the carving and raising of a totem pole to honor Boarding School victims and survivors, the community took action. Amid groundbreaking research into the Boarding School system, the Alaska Native Heritage Center commissioned Haida carvers TJ and Joe Young to create a visionary healing totem pole. Forged through months of deep reflection, meticulous design, and many working hands, the Boarding School Healing Totem Pole emerged as a powerful symbol of hope, grace, and healing.
CREDITS:
Executive Producer: Emily Edenshaw
Director: Brad Hillwig
Consulting Producer: Victoria Hillwig
Additional Photography: Ryan Gump
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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
Brad Hillwig is an award-winning filmmaker driven by the art of innovative storytelling. During a career in Alaska media that spans more than two decades, Brad has developed and produced television shows for U.S. cable networks, created brand-defining commercial campaigns, and directed documentaries in some of Alaska’s most remote places.
In 2021, Brad launched Greatland Studios, a startup production company built around authentic, community-based documentary storytelling. Using an immersive, cinematic style, Brad’s films range from independent documentaries to brand-funded content that defies traditional marketing in favor of authentic, people-focused storytelling. At the core of his work is a simple mission: to tell purpose-driven stories that capture unique aspects of the human experience.
