Artist walks in multiple worlds, says filmmaker

A Seattle-based filmmaker is trying to explore the many worlds in which Indigenous people walk.

“I’m very interested in finding these stories of contemporary Native people,” said Tracy Rector. “We are a huge part of urban communities and we’re trying to figure ourselves out.”

Her most recent work, UNRESERVED: The Work of Louie Gong, is a 14-minute documentary about the West Coast artist. It recently screened at the 11th annual imagineNATIVE film festival in Toronto Oct. 20 to Oct. 24.
In 2009, Gong transformed the popular Vans skate shoe by using a sharpie marker to draw a blend of traditional Salish art and urban graffiti.

In the film, Gong, who is of Nooksak, Squamish, Chinese and Scottish background, said he’s proud of being mixed blood and uses his art to articulate different aspects of his background.

“His story is compelling,” said Rector. “As a young boy he really had to survive the stereotypes about both his cultures.”

Before moving to Seattle, Gong was raised in the Nooksak tribal community in British Colombia by his grandparents, father, and step-mom. His father, who is half-Chinese and half-Native, is the source of much of Gong’s inspiration.

“Louie is humble and articulate about his personal experiences,” said Rector. “I wanted to help him share his unique story with a broad audience.”

Rector said Gong’s art has become incredibly popular. It also gives new meaning to the phrase “walking in two worlds.”

Rector, who also has a mixed background, connected with Gong’s story on a very personal level. “As a mixed-race person, I’m interested in stories that are uplifting and really show the experience of walking in multiple worlds.”

Gong, who is also an activist, was president of the MAVIN foundation, an American organization that tries to raise awareness about mixed-race people. He travels to various states to talk to youth about his own story.
“I think stories like this help non-Native people realize the complexities of our communities. Louie is a great gateway to understanding a mixed race story.”

At the festival, UNRESERVED screened alongside 90 Indigenous films from 12 different countries. Rector said the festival is an important space for artists with similar experiences to share their work.

UNRESERVED has also screened at other festivals around the world, including Festival de Cannes and National Geographic’s All Road Film Festival.

For her, filmmaking gives voice to those who may not be heard otherwise.

For example, Rector started the film company Longhouse Media and Native Lens, in partnership with the Swinomish Indian Tribe, to help young Indigenous people to learn the skills to tell their own stories.

“We believe in the power of youth storytelling,” she said. “For so long non-Native people were deciding how history was told. We want Native people telling their own stories.”