Opening eyes about AIDS with the Be Aware video

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"Open your eyes and be aware, baby." If you hear young people rapping these lyrics, you can thank Ken Ward, the Enoch Spirit Fire Ensemble and rapper Conway Kootney for raising their awareness to the consequences of HIV/AIDS.

The music video Be Aware follows the story of a young woman on the powwow trail who enjoys the parties and the tipi creeping, but doesn't know how to protect herself from HIV.

Using traditional and modern symbols and storytelling, the video depicts her anguish about who will raise her young daughter when she's gone.

"It would be easier to say don't do sex, drugs or alcohol, but that's not realistic. It's about responsibility. We're not saying that sex will kill you, it's about unprotected sex," said White.

This music video project was the brainchild of long-time AIDS activist Ken Ward. As the first Aboriginal person to go public with his HIV status, Ward has long been innovative and courageous in his goal of encouraging Aboriginal communities to accept the new challenges of the AIDS epidemic.

"Young people want this information, in this form and fashion," Ward said. "We can't really set up a booth at the powwows and distribute condoms, but this video can bring the message that tipi creeping can get out of hand."

Based on Ward's script and Conway Kootney's song, the video was designed by participants in the Spirit Fire youth at- risk program in Enoch. Taught video technology, storyboarding, public speaking and the issues of HIV/AIDS, the young people were encouraged to design the video in ways that would reach other Aboriginal youth.

The result is a dynamic video but, equally important the project increased the self-confidence of the young videographers.

"We've changed a lot," agreed youth participant Robby Thomas. "We've come a long way and coming to this conference was our first goal."

Recently screened at the First Alberta Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Conference in Calgary, Be Aware was shown first to the local community of Enoch.

In hopes of a wider distribution, the video has been submitted to MuchMusic, YTV and the new Aboriginal television network.

Drawing from the success of this pilot project, Ward hopes to run the Spirit Fire youth at-risk program again with other Aboriginal youth, this time perhaps in an urban setting.

"Young people really need us," explained Ward. "They need lots of emotional support in terms of the issues and the challenges in their lives. It's an intense experience, but you see moments where they balloon."

Be Aware' is available from Duvall House Publishing in Edmonton at (780) 488-1390.