ORDINARY WOMAN WITH EXTRAORDINARY DREAMS

Ordinary Woman with Extraordinary Dreams is an inspirational story about the challenges faced by individuals and their families living with physical disabilities in isolated First Nations communities. The documentary will feature Maggie Sophea and her return to her community of Summer Beaver in Northwestern Ontario. Maggie has a unique perspective on life since she has spent the last eleven years in a wheelchair precipitated by a swimming accident which almost took her life and left her paralyzed. The accident occurred in her small isolated First Nation community of Summer Beaver in Northwestern Ontario. Maggie remembers her early childhood experiences on the reserve; especially the bonds with her extended family members; her love of camping and fishing; participating in traditional lifestyle by learning how to skin a beaver or catch fish with a snare. Her worst memories are the losses she suffered due to the suicides of family members and friends. Maggie was ten years old when the accident happened and because she now requires attendant care she can no longer live on the reserve. The challenges she faced just to survive the accident and then to adapt to a life living in a wheelchair in an urban predominately non-native community would appear overwhelming for most of us. But Maggie has more than survived these ordeals, she has, above all, never given up. Her immediate family, especially her mother and father gave up their home and jobs in Summer Beaver to be with and support Maggie in Thunder Bay. They too have lost the support of their community which they had to leave behind.

One of Maggie’s dreams is to be a filmmaker.  She is now enrolled in the film course at Confederation College and she will act as a co-director and writer for the project. Maggie was profiled in the film My Neighbour Our Community, made with the Social Planning Council of Thunder Bay.  Maggie was instrumental in the making of her profile, acting as co-writer and co-director.  Entitled Ordinary Woman with Extraordinary Dreams, her section is a prelude to this project.

Now Maggie wants to return to her community of Summer Beaver and go out to the scene of her accident, a camping spot on the lake a few hours from the community. The production crew will document her return and the interaction she will have with the community. Her trip will coincide with a youth and family retreat on the camping site where Maggie had her accident which will provide a back drop of community life and her interaction with young people.

Upon completion of production, the documentary will be made widely available to communities, individuals and organizations throughout North Western Ontario – and beyond - as a tool for education, training, and awareness-building around issues of disability, Aboriginal experience, youth, and the challenges of living in isolated northern communities.

This project will increase awareness of the challenges and losses faced by those living with disabilities in northern isolated communities. To a broad audience, it will also increase awareness about community life in northern First Nations communities, particularly about the experiences of Aboriginal youth. Maggie's story as a young adult who has lost friends and relatives to suicide is one of courage and determination which offers hope for other young people. It is therefore a powerful tool for suicide prevention. The documentary will also be a cultural awareness tool for service providers and health workers in the field of disabilities. We also see it as a strong educational piece for college and university training (health sciences, social work, humanities, Aboriginal studies), and for high schools.

Ordinary Woman with Extraordinary Dreams is a collaborative project between Handicapped Action Group Incorporated (HAGI) and SkyWorks Charitable Foundation