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Fond du Lac Arts is a series exploring the stories, creative expression, and craftsmanship of Fond du Lac artists from a range of disciplines.
This project is produced by AMPERS, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities in partnership with WGZS, the Radio Voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
INTRO: You are listening to Fond du Lac Arts: Community through the Creative Arts.
HOST: Gary Charwood, Jr. had one of those realizations that changed his life's journey.
GARY CHARWOOD, JR: I can't keep doing the same things that I'm doing if I want to help people, you know.
HOST: He'd been using drugs for 16 years, but now that he was sober, he was searching for new inspirations and directions that search led to the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
GARY CHARWOOD, JR: I enrolled in college and pursued multimedia production.
HOST: The program gave him hands-on training with cameras, lenses, microphones, and production software, and access to the college's professional multimedia production facility. The next step was deciding what to film. What was important to him?
GARY CHARWOOD, JR: I like to show people the traditional values and the traditional ways. I used to dance pow wow, yeah. I do like maple syruping. I go wild rice. I pick boughs. And to be able to show people that, especially nowadays, I think it's an important thing to try to get that message across to these young people.
HOST: He grabbed his camera and headed for the water for the wild rice harvest.
GARY CHARWOOD, JR: It was my very first film, so I was pretty nervous going into, you know, having a camera around people that are not normally like filmed. Because when you're ricing, I mean, it's all about ricing. There's no time to stop and pause for the camera or anything like that, you know. It's the film's rolling.
HOST: Gary Charwood, Jr’s short film, Manoomin Is Life, premiered at the 2024 Duluth Superior Film Festival. He loves that film allows him to share traditional practice with young folks, and that the camera has the power to expand his view.
GARY CHARWOOD, JR: Yeah, for sure. And coming from like an addict, my eyes were closed for a really long time.
OUTRO: Fond du Lac Arts is produced by AMPERS and WGZS, the radio voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.