Fiddler's Map follows a young Métis woman as she maps out what it means to be Métis in Canada today. Merelda Fiddler, descendant of mapmaker Peter Fiddler, surveys Métis history, culture and politics while grappling with her own sense of family and identity. Among the many individuals she meets on her journey, Fiddler visits John Lagimodiere, whose forebears fought next to Louis Riel at Batoche. Publisher and editor of Eagle Feather News, he also facilitates Aboriginal awareness seminars detailing the progress of Métis people since their infamous defeat. She speaks with Maria Campbell (writer and filmmaker best known for her revealing bestseller Halfbreed) about the political impact of telling Métis stories. This sharp and incisive documentary moves across Saskatchewan, home to one of the largest aboriginal populations in Canada, examining the racism and resentment that once led many families to repress their heritage. The result is both an overview of Métis life in Canada since the fur trade and a personal quest to rediscover one's roots.

Subjects: History, Indigenous people–Métis, Racism, Saskatchewan

About Merelda Fiddler

Métis filmmaker Merelda Fiddler is currently completing a Masters in Canadian Plains Studies at the University of Regina. She also works as a reporter/associate producer with CBC Radio, as well as freelancing for local magazines and papers. Her previous documentary, Ghosts on the Land, also directed by Robert McTavish, profiles three Saskatchewan families and their struggle to save the family farm.