POUNDMAKER’S LODGE:  A HEALING PLACE

“Poundmaker's Lodge”, named after a nineteenth-century Native leader, is a treatment center in St. Albert, Alberta, where Native people troubled by addiction to drugs and alcohol can come together for mutual support, to partake of healing rituals like the sweat lodge, and to rediscover their traditions. The film places Native alcoholism in its historical and socio-cultural contexts. It shows the despair of a people dispossessed of land, culture, language and dignity, and their strength and courage in overcoming substance abuse.