In the summer of 2018, I was the photographer on a film crew shooting the feature length documentary Nahanni River of Forgiveness. The documentary follows a group of Dene boat builders who construct a moose skin boat using traditional methods and journey 400 km down the Nahanni River in the NWT. It has been over 100 years since a moose skin boat has been seen on the Nahanni.
The photos in this blog cover each stage of the journey, from the construction of the boat to the voyage downstream to the Virginia Falls, through the four mighty canyons below the falls and finally to the tiny village of Fort Simpson. Truly an epic voyage. At each stage the Dene, the film crew and the river guides encountered problems and setbacks which were overcome by ingenuity and dedication to completing this historic passage.
I hope that you enjoy the images. The beauty of the region is sometimes overpowering, and one can forget that this is and has always been the home to the Dehcho Dene First Nations who regard the Nahanni as sacred country. Describing the involvement of the Dehcho Dene in the documentary Herb Norwegian, Grand Chief DFN said:
This is a trip to honour our ancestors. It is actually our ancestors making the trip once again through their descendants. It is a chance to reaffirm our identity, to nourish our collective memory, to build pride in our young people about who they are and build hope in the communities. It will make a statement to the world that the Dene is a people of bravery and survival.
JOHNBINGHAM PORTFOLIO
JOHN BINGHAM ON INSTAGRAM